Northern Italian Stuffed Pasta Shells

Difficulty: EASY
Servings: 12
Nutrition Information
Calories: 590
Protein 52g; Carbohydrates 50g; Fiber 5g
Fat: Sat 10g; Polyunsaturated 0.2g; Monosaturated 2g

About This Recipe

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Loaded with flavor, age-defying lycopene, and antioxidant-rich herbs, this dish is a favorite of young and old alike.  Note from the nutritional information that these shells are almost a perfect 40/40/20 split between Protein, Carbs and Fat. The recipe makes two (9x13) baking pans, each with 6 generous servings. Filled unbaked shells can be frozen for up to a month. I always make two pans and freeze one for a later date if not entertaining a crowd.

Ingredients

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• 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 (10 oz.) Packages Frozen Chopped Spinach (thawed, and squeezed dry)
• 3 Pounds Ground Round (the leanest you can find)
• 1 (8 oz.) Package LIGHT Cream Cheese (Neufchatel)
• 1 (24 oz.) Carton Lowfat Cottage Cheese
• 2 Large Onions Diced
• 4 Large Garlic Cloves (finely minced or pressed)
• 3 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
• 2 teaspoons Ground Nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cloves
• Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to taste
• 2 (5 oz.) Packages Shredded Parmesan Cheese (or 10 oz. of Grated Parmesan Cheese)
• 3 Large Eggs
• 1-1/2 (12 oz.) Packages Jumbo Pasta Shells
• 6 Cups of Your Favorite Bottled Meatless Tomato Pasta Sauce (I like Classico, Tomato Basil--see Amazon link below)

Directions

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1. In a dutch oven set over medium heat, saute onions and garlic in the EVOO until translucent. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
   
2. In the same pan, brown the ground round, breaking it up with a fork. Drain off any fat. Reduce heat to medium-low.
   
3. To the beef, add the spices, salt and pepper to taste, and mix thoroughly.
   
4. Next add the onions and garlic, cottage cheese, cream cheese, and 5 ounces (half) of the Parmesan cheese. Stir over medium-low heat until the cheeses are melted and the mixture is nice and creamy.
   
5. Add the thawed and drained spinach and mix until thoroughly incorporated.  Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
   
6. Cool slightly, add the eggs, and mix well.
   
7. Cook pasta shells according to package directions until al dente. Drain and cool slightly.
   
8. Thoroughly spray TWO 9x13 baking dishes with nonstick cooking spray.
   
9. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
   
10. Evenly coat the bottom of each baking dish with 1.5 Cups (3 cups total) of the Pasta Sauce.
    
11. Stuff shells with the filling mixture and place half the shells into each pan, open side up.
    
12. Drizzle remaining pasta sauce over the shells and sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese over both pans of shells.
    
13. Bake shells (covered with foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray) for 1 hour.

Crowd-Pleasing Power Foods for Superbowl Sunday

On the cusp of Superbowl XLV, I know you're already racking your brain over what food to serve!  Relax.  But whatever you do, don't limit yourself to boring Brats, Beer, and Chips. Introduce your Superbowl guests to some awesome-tasting powerfoods. Here are three Anabolic food options that you can prepare in advance. Most importantly, your party guests will be lining up for seconds and thirds!


Option 1

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Try these tasty meat, spinach, and cheese-stuffed Northern Italian Stuffed Pasta Shells, and then score again with your guests by pairing it up with with Marinated Mediterranean Longevity Salad and some multigrain garlic bread.  Everyone loves Italian!  This is an EASY touchdown that will have the fans roaring.

Option 2

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How about the ever-popular Tex-Mex Favorite of many Super Bowl parties--Anabolic White Bean Chili with Grilled Chicken. This hearty pot of goodness can stand alone as a one dish meal that you can prepare in 30 minutes or less.  When Tim and Anne Miller used to live in Chassell, they would request that I prepare this Superbowl favorite year after year.

Option 3

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Another Tex-Mex favorite that will have them begging for more. . .Champion Chicken Enchiladas. Although this too can stand on its own as a one-dish meal, it works very well paired with Shirley's Black Bean Cardio Salad (with or without the tuna).

There you have it. . .Three very tasty, healthy, and easy to prepare menu options for your Superbowl Party.  Add a nice assortment of beers, wine and soft drinks; and when your guests offer to bring something, ask for an appetizer, or cookies and bars for dessert.  This year's bowl game may not have cheerleaders on the screen, but the fans in your living room will be cheering for the cook!

And don't forget. . .When the party is over and you have done your touchdown dance, post a comment to let us know how things turned out.


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Easy Oven Beef Bourguignon

Difficulty:  EASY EASY
Servings:  8 generous
Nutrition Information
Calories 365; Protein 42g; Carbohydrates 31g
Fat < 2g.  Fiber 5g






About This Recipe

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The basis for this recipe comes from the cookbook "Frieda's Favorite Recipes".  The book was written by Frieda Guilbault, a Copper Country native, who not only was a great cook, but evidently knew a thing or two about healthy living and longevity--she died at the tender age of 100-1/2.  Frieda loved meeting new people and learning new things and still entertained with her wonderful cooking and superb hospitality--cocktails before dinner, a beautiful table and always a delicious dinner.

Her cookbook is still in print, and if you are interested in ordering a copy, you can email Frieda's son and daughter in-law, Rod and Deb Guilbault at rgbndgb@charter.net.  It's a nice collection of unique tried and true recipes, many of which have their origins in diverse ethnic groups--Cornish Pasties, French Tourtiere, Croation Povatica, and so on.

In her book, Frieda credits a woman named Sophie Ferries (mother of Olympic skiers Chuck and Barbara) for this recipe.  In my anabolic version, I have kicked up the flavor, antioxidants, and longevity ingredients by adding garlic, more herbs, more red wine (i.e. more resveratrol), replaced the sugar with organic honey, and added button mushrooms (a natural aromatase inhibitor).   This is an EASY EASY version of this all-time Bistro favorite.  It could also be made in your slow cooker--just put all the ingredients in at one time, and set it to low for the entire work day.

Ingredients

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• 2 Pounds Beef Steak cut into 1 inch cubes (I used top round steak)
• 4-6 Carrots cut on the bias into 1-1/2 inch pieces
• 3 Medium Onions (quartered).  You can also use Pearl Onions (check frozen food section)
• 3 Stalks Celery cut on the bias into 1 inch pieces.
• 2 Large Cloves Garlic (pressed)
• 8 Ounces Button Mushrooms quartered
• 1-3/4 Pounds Baby Redskin or other small potatoes (scrubbed--Do not peel) then Quartered
• 2 teaspoons Salt
• 1 teaspoon dried Thyme (crumbled)
• 1 teaspoon dried Basil (crumbled)
• 1 teaspoon dried Rosemary (crumbled)
  (If you substitute FRESH herbs, use 1 Tablespoon of each)

• 2 dried Bay Leaves
• 1 Tablespoon Raw or Organic Honey
• 1 Cup of Dry Red Wine (such as Cabernet)
• 1/2 teaspoon Fresh Ground Black Pepper
• 1 Can Condensed Beef Consomme Soup (undiluted)
• 3-4 Tablespoons Instant Tapioca
  

Directions

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1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
   
2. Into a large oven-safe dutch oven or casserole dish, place all ingredients except for potatoes, mushrooms, and wine.  Stir to thoroughly combine.  Bake for 2 hours.
   
3. Add potatoes, mushrooms, wine, and stir.  Bake an additional 1-1/2 hours until potatoes and beef are tender.

Pannukakku (Finnish Pancake)--Kicked up Anabolic Version

Difficulty:  EASY
Servings: 6
Nutrition Information
Calories:  314
Carbohydrates 27g; Protein 24g.
Fat:  Saturated 7g; Polyunsaturated 1g; Monosaturated 4g

Hyvää Heikinpäivä!

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In honor of Heikinpäivä (Saint Henrik’s Day), I have chosen to upload a kicked up anabolic version of Panukakku (A custard-like Finnish pancake). Even Paavo Nurmi (the most famous Finnish athlete) would have approved this version! St. Henrik is the patron saint of Finland, and St. Henrik's Day (Heikinpäivä) is the day that marks the halfway point of the winter. At this time farmers checked to make sure that their stock of hay, grains and other commodities were only half gone as to sustain them for the rest of the winter.

On this day, as well as most other Finnish name days, there are some folk sayings associated with Heikinpäivä. Three that are still rather popular and they are: Karhu kaantaa kylkea (The bear rolls over to the other side, meaning winter is half over), Talven selka taittuu (Winter's back breaks), and Heikki heinaa jakaa (Heikki divides the hay). In our small town of Hancock, Michigan, with its close ties to our sister city, Porvoo, Finland; and with Finlandia University in the epicenter of the city; Heikinpäivä is celebrated with vim and vigor. A parade, dancing, an artisan market (Tori), Finnish crafts, a wife-carrying contest, and the ever popular “Polar Dive” into the icy waters of Portage Lake are annual traditions. Check out these images of some of last year's Heikinpäivä Celebration.


About this Recipe

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This is about as close to a perfect balance of protein, carboyhdrates and fat as you can get in one meal--pretty close to the 40/40/20 ratio described on the General Nutrition Page.  We pair this up with an anti-oxidant packed sugar-free blueberry sauce (recipe follows).  Of all the fruits, Blueberries are the most antioxidant-rich of all.  Pannukakku with blueberry sauce makes a great breakfast, and works quite well as an anabolic dessert.  Leftovers will keep 4-5 days in the refrigerator--nuke it for 45 seconds to reheat.

Ingredients

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• 4 Large Eggs
• 1/4 Cup Honey (Use organic or raw honey to get the most health benefit)
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 2.5 Cups Skim Milk
• 1/2 Cup Unbleached Flour
• 3 Scoops Vanilla or Unflavored Whey Protein Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
• 4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) Butter

Directions

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1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Select a HEAVY oven-safe 12 inch frying pan (I like cast iron) and preheat it in the oven as well.
   
2. When the oven and frying pan are preheated, place the butter into the hot frying pan. Gently rotate the frying pan to coat it evenly with the melted butter.
   
3. Place all the remaining ingredients into a blender or mixing bowl.
   
4. Pour all of the excess melted butter from the frying pan into the batter mixture and process or whisk until the dry and wet ingredients are fully incorprated--DO NOT OVER BLEND. You don't want this mixture to be foamy.
5. Pour the batter into your prepared frying pan and bake for about 25 minutes. The pancake should be nice and puffy with raised edges that are golden brown. A knife inserted into the center of the pancake should come out clean. Meanwhile, make the blueberry sauce.
6. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving. Cut into 6 wedges. Note:  The pannukakku will fall in the middle as it rests--This is the way it is supposed to be.

Blueberry Sauce--The Finns call it Marja Vellia (Berry Soup)

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• 1 Cup Frozen (or fresh) Blueberries
• 1/4 Cup Water
• 2 to 3 packets of your favorite artificial sweetener (I prefer all-natural stevia)
• 2 teaspoons Cornstarch + 1 Tablespoon water

Directions

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1. Combine blueberries, 1/4 cup water, and the artificial sweetener in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
   
2. Combine the cornstarch with 1 Tablespoon of cold water and whisk into the hot berry mixture until the sauce is slightly thickened.

Stuffed Matzoh Ball Soup--Best this side of New Jersey

Difficulty:  Moderate
Servings:  12
Nutrition Information
Coming soon.

Here it is. . .As I promised, a tribute to the Kosher body builders--My stuffed matzoh ball soup.  Enjoy!



Ingredients

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• 1 Box (2 packets) Matzoh Ball Mix (I like Manischewitz) Get it Delivered Right to your Door from Amazon:  MANISCHEWITZ Matzo Ball Mix, 5-Ounce Boxes
  
• 12 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Stock
• 3 Medium Carrots Sliced on the Bias (optional)
• 2 Stalks Celery Sliced on the Bias (optional)
• 4 Green Onions Finely Minced and a few sprigs Parsley Minced (for garnish)

For Stuffing

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• 1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
• 1/2 Cup Chopped Onion
• 1/4 Cup Chopped Celery
• 1 Large Clove Garlic (pressed)
• 1/3 Cup Minced Fresh Parsley
• 3/4 Cup Diced Cooked Chicken
• 1 Large Egg
• 1/4 teaspoon Dried Rubbed Sage
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1/8 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon Freshly Grated Black Pepper

Directions

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1. Mix BOTH PACKETS of the Matzoh Ball Mix according to package directions and refrigerate overnight.
   
2. Saute garlic, onion and celery in oil until softened (3-4 mins).
   
3. Into a food processor fitted with the knife blade, process sauteed mixture along with remaining stuffing ingredients until the mixture resembles a coarse paste.
   
4. Working with oiled or wet hands, form matzoh mixture into 12 balls.  You can make them half the size for a more elegeant presentation, but it's twice the work.  Hollow out the balls with your finger, fill with 1/12 of the stuffing and reform ball.
   
5. Poach the matzoh balls in boiling water (I prefer unsalted water, as I find the Manischewitz mix to be a little salty) for about 20 minutes in a covered stock pot.  Water should be boiling, but not so vigorously that it demolishes the matzoh balls.  Matzoh balls will come to the surface, then sink again.  When that happens, they're done.
   
6. Remove matzoh balls with slotted spoon.  Poached matzoh balls can be refrigerated for up to one day.

Just Before Serving

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1. If previously refrigerated, rewarm matzoh balls in a covered casserole dish either in the microwave or conventional oven.
   
2. Bring chicken stock to a rolling boil.  Add the carrot and celery if desired and boil about 5-6 minutes until the vegetables are crisp tender.
   
3. Place 1 matzoh ball in each bowl, add 1/2 teaspoon or so of the minced green onion, ladle in the boiling chicken stock over the matzoh ball, and garnish with some minced parsley.

Kosher Diet Challenges

I was talking with my colleague, Jon, today at the office. Being a bodybuilder, he mentioned that it can sometimes be a challenge getting enough protein when you adhere a Kosher diet.   For all of us goyim that have never even thought about this, let alone abide by it, here are the two big rules for Kosher dining:

• Rule number 1:  You cannot combine meat products (except for fish) with dairy products. And eggs are considered meat. Moreover, you may not eat meat and dairy products at the same time. There goes combining eggs or meat with whey protein powder! There goes creme brulee and any custard-type desserts. There goes the chicken enchiladas. And forget putting Parmesan cheese on your favorite Italian-style chicken and pasta.
  
• Rule number 2:  There are a couple of NO-NOs.  No pork products.  There goes my favorite ECONOMICAL protein source!   No shellfish either--no shrimp, no scallops, no lobster, no crustaceans! 

The more I thought about Jon's challenge, the more I realized that it may not be such a big challenge after all.  So you don't pair the garlic and herb roasted chicken with the garlic-smashed redskins.  So what?  Pair it with some brown rice pilaf cooked in chicken stock, and maybe sweet potatoes (hold the butter, and instead drizzle with some EVOO).  Round it off with some broccoli sauteed in garlic and EVOO and you have a complete balanced meal.  My conclusion is that a Kosher diet is not that big of a deal.  It's just that you have to be a little more creative in designing the menu.  A Bi Gazunt my mensch, you can eat meat!  Things could be worse, you could be a vegetarian.

In honor of Jon and all the other bodybuilders that adhere to a Kosher diet, tomorrow I'll post my recipe for "Oy Gevalt, I can't believe he's not Jewish, Stuffed Matzoh Ball Soup".  Trust me, it's the best this side of New Jersey!