Recipe: Potatoes and Onions on the Grill

The Healthier Side of the Potato

I can't remember a time when I didn't love grilling potatoes in aluminum foil packets (although now I line the foil with parchment and nix the butter).  I grew up crisping them up with onions, butter and salt.  Since this is a simple, classic way to cook these wonderful comfort-giving tubers, you may have tried this very recipe.  It may even be part of your regular grill-time magic.  But if you've forgotten about this summer treat, or your dairy allergies have left these carmelized bits of Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, mangenese, copper, tryptophan and phytonutrients off the table, I'm here to remind you about them.  You don't have to use butter.  And potatoes are good for most of us, especially the phytonutrient-rich red and purple ones.

The Recipe

This recipe works really well with Old Beau Steaks.  Yum!

Serves 3-4.

Get the grill cranking to about 425 degrees.

Cut 2 8x8 pieces of aluminum foil and 2 8x8 pieces of parchment paper.  Put the parchment paper on top of the foil. I like smaller packets so that there is more carmelization on more of the potatoes. 

Slice 4-6 red potatoes into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices, or 1 inch chunks.  Place as many as you can comfortably fit onto the parchment paper evenly.  You need to have enough foil/paper to fold all four ends into a tight little package.  You can use any kind of potato for this.  I like red or Yukon gold because of their taste and tenderness.

Slice 1-2 onions (any kind will do, but Vidalia are super tasty) into 1/4 inch slices - or chunks.  Place with the potatoes on your parchment.

Drizzle lightly with olive oil. 

Swirl a few pinches of sea salt onto the potatoes and onions to taste. (Sea salt has more nutrients than regular table salts, which have been stripped of nutrients).

On a gas grill, leave them on the hottest part of the grill, covered, for about 30-40 minutes and flip with tongs after 15-20.  Open a packet or two (carefully; the steam is intense) and check to see that the potatoes next to the parchment are nicely charred brown and super tender when pierced with a fork.  If they are, they are done.  You can let them sit in the unopened packet while you cook your steaks, or you can put the steaks on after you flip the packets.  Either way, they will stay hot in the packet for 15 min.  For charcoal grills, put them over a spot on the grill where there is a high mound of coals. 

I like them just like this - no frills.  But once in a while I mix it up.  You can add things like:

• minced garlic or shallots
• parsley,  dill, sage, or rosemary
• black or red pepper flakes; or fresh hot peppers
• green, yellow, red, or purple bell peppers, sliced
• Marconi peppers
• mushrooms
• cooked bacon
• lemon slices

Health Note

Potatoes, as well as tomatoes, peppers (sweet and hot), eggplant and tomatillos, are nightshades and contain alkaloids.  So your doctor might recommend that you not eat them if you have certain conditions. 

I avoid placing my food in direct contact with aluminum whenever possible.  Even though the most recent studies don't show a direct link between alzheimer's and aluminum, it has been studied as a cause and aluminum has been found to be toxic to the nervous system in high doses (how high is unclear).  So I put parchment paper on the inside of the aluminum foil to reduce the chance of unnecessary heavy metal leakage.  To me, let's just steer away from the risks we can and give our immune and nervous systems a break.  And although the potato, the most plentiful crop on the planet, is usually fried, dipped or smothered in something, if you can eat it, give the potato a break, too.  Eat its goodness and partake in its nutritiousness, not its calories.  Although, I admit, the occasional mound of french fries is a thing of beauty, I dont' miss them when I eat this recipe.

For more information on potato varieties in the U.K.:  http://www.lovepotatoes.co.uk/the-potato/potato-varieties/

In the U.S.:  http://www.potatoesusa.com/products.php?sec=Table-Stock%20Potatoes

This post does not consitute as medical advice in any way, shape or form.  As always, consult with your doctor if you have any medical conditions or nutritional restrictions.

Recipe: Mango, Strawberry & Kiwi Fruit Salad

Quick Fruity Inspiration

1 mango

2-3 kiwi

8-10 strawberries

The juice of 1/2 a lime (or a whole one if its not very juicy).

Serves 1 or 2

I usually have a grapefruit every morning before breakfast, but this morning, I thought I'd try something different.  You just need a good pairing knife to chop off the strawberry tops and to peel away the mango and the kiwi skins.    Then slice the fruit and chop into bite-sized pieces.  The pieces don't have to be neat (heaven knows, mine aren't).  Squeeze with the juice of a 1/2 lime.  Some limes are not terribly juicy, so you may need to use the entire lime or simply try another one.  The lime juice adds a wonderful flavor to this classic, fruit combo.  If you want to share it, double, triple or quadruple accordingly.

Recipe: Old Beau Steaks

The Sum of Experiences - Culinary and Otherwise

I've been thinking about the past, lately.  There are times when all but the super human wish that we could change something, take a different path, or erase that drunken rant that showed up on your best friend's wedding dvd.  There are, after all, such things called "mistakes".  If we only hadn't done, said, chosen "this" we would be SO much better off.  Earlier in my life, when well-meaning people would say, "Oh, you wouldn't be who you are today if life were perfect", a tiny, wry part of my mind would reply, "exactly".   

But lately, that self-admonishing voice has quieted.  Perhaps, after spurring me to seek and find whatever "better" is, it has done its job.  I'm not only OK with where I am as a human, I am grateful.  

When a wise and wonderful part of my past-hopefully-turned-present recently said, "Perfection is over-rated," I realized that perfection is more about controlling life than it is about living it.  Staring at "what WAS" keeps us from the crazy Pandora's box chock full of "what IFs".  So in that slightly messy, not-so-perfect expanse of choices that lay ahead of me, I now see the beauty of possibility.  And when I can, I try only to reach back to grab the good stuff.  Leaping into the unknown with a little experience under your belt can be a great thing.

This recipe is called Old Beau Steaks, because I learned it from a former boyfriend many, many years ago.   While that particular beau will remain happily and safely in the past, this marinade has become a wonderful part of the sum of my experiences.    It's a dairy-free, wheat-free marinade.  Good for most food allergies.  It's easy, a non-vegetarian man-pleaser and with the right steaks it can be like sex on a plate.

Recipe

2 high quality, grass fed rib eye steaks
(or New York Strips or Porterhouse)

1 cup of good, dry red wine
(A cabernet, or even a red table wine will work.  Don't use a "cooking" wine.  Use one that you enjoy drinking)

1/3 cup of wheat-free Tamari sauce (or Bragg's Liquid Aminos, or Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos)

3 -4 cloves of finely chopped garlic
(depending upon the size of the cloves and your love of garlic)

Place the steaks into a 9x9 shallow baking dish.  The dish should be just big enough to hold the steaks so that the marinade covers most of the meat.  Whisk together the red wine, the wheat-free tamari and the garlic.  Pour over the steaks.  Place into the refrigerator for 45 minutes (warm) to 3 hours (cold). Turn once halfway through the marinating process.  Its best to marinate the steaks in the refrigerator if it is longer than 45 minutes or the wine may leach out the juices from the steak. Before grilling, remove the steak from the refrigerator for 15 minutes so that the steak can come to room temperature.

Grill to perfection.

Learn how to grill the perfect steak from Adam Perry Lang, as he cooks with Le Cense Beef.

Learn More About Grass Fed Meat and How to Cook it

Click to Buy Book in Our Store

There is divine beauty in learning, just as there is human beauty in tolerance. To learn means to accept the postulate that life did not begin at my birth. Others have been here before me, and I walk in their footsteps. The books I have read were composed by generations of fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, teachers and disciples. I am the sum total of their experiences, their quests. And so are you. - Elie Wiesel

Dairy-Free Butter For All

A Post by Audrey Depenbrook, Guest Blogger               (Thanks, Audrey!!)

As a Tender Foodie, with a severe dairy allergy, I’m always looking for ways to add that dairy-like richness to my food.

It’s been 9 years since any form of cow’s milk has touched my lips intentionally. If I had to pick something that I missed the most, you might expect me to say “cheese” or “ice cream”. However, something I missed the most was butter. Salty, creamy, delicious butter.

Think about it, butter has countless uses in the kitchen - it’s not just a condiment. It’s used endlessly in baking, we spread it on our toast and bagels, we use it to make a rue to thicken a sauce and much more.

Thankfully, the awareness of food allergens has been a higher priority of food manufacturers lately and there are many options for dairy free butter. I’ve found two that I love - and they’ve earned a permanent place in my refrigerator.

Earth Balance - Soy Garden

First up. Soy Garden - Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread. It has a wonderful creamy texture, with just the right amount of saltiness. It’s a perfect everyday spread. I use this mainly on toast, on veggies and in sauces. It melts beautifully. I have even used it on popcorn, and made a clarified butter out of it. I also love using this spread in one of my favorite go-to quick meals, dairy-free macaroni and cheese (I’ll tell you all about that some other day).

Shed's Willow Run Margarine Sticks

When it comes to baking, I have another favorite. Shedd’s Willow Run Margarine Sticks. Because this product comes in sticks it’s much easier to measure than a spread that comes in a tub. Earth Balance makes their spread in a stick variety, but it doesn't seem to work as well in baking, it lacks the richness that Willow Run has. I’ve found that Willow Run sticks work as a great substitute for both butter and margarine and they haven’t failed me yet in any baking experiments.

Both manufactures have done a wonderful job in eliminating the “soy aftertaste” that so frequently accompanies many dairy-free products. They have also both labeled their products well - making it very clear which allergens the product contains and which allergens have been avoided.

If you’re a Tender Foodie that has to avoid milk due to an allergy or intolerance, go ahead and pick up either of these products and indulge yourself in the deliciousness of butter.

Earth Balance and Willow Run spreads can both be found in store at Meijer and at Wegeman's.

PLEASE NOTE:  Since the labeling on these products expresses that they are "non-dairy", but not expressly "dairy-free", we have a requested more information about the factory practices from Earth Balance and Shedd's Willow Run.  We will post any information that we receive.

UPDATE 6/7:  Willow Run is made without contact with any dariry ingredients.  Click here to read their statement.

About Audrey:

As a tender foodie for the past 9 years, I'm determined to find an exceptional substitute for every food I miss enjoying. 

I'm a mommy, cake-aholic and nonprofit guru. You can find me tweeting away @mommy_kinz.

Update on Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 5:11PM by Elisabeth Veltman, The Tender Foodie

Just got a very nice response from Earth Balance about its processing practices.  Here it is:

Dear Elisabeth,

First, please accept our apologies for the delay in responding to your recent email.  Thank you for taking the time to contact us here at Earth Balance. We always appreciate hearing from consumers who care enough to reach out to us with their comments or questions.

All Earth Balance® products are dairy-free, gluten-free, lactose-free and vegan. All of our products are produced in gluten free facilities. 

We do manufacture in facilities that also produce spreads that contain dairy; however, our manufacturing lines are cleaned and sterilized prior to non-dairy product production since we have parve certification. 

Thank you for supporting Earth Balance® products. We hope you continue to enjoy our products for many years to come!


Sincerely,

Your Friends at Earth Balance

RECIPE: CEO Muffins (Maple Cornbread)

Food allergy info: gluten-, dairy, and soy-freeEvery spring I become a little maple syrup obsessed.  No offense to Aunt Jemima, but I used to abhor this amber liquid until I learned a valuable lesson:  the difference between the real thing and the processed corn-syrupy substitute that was so popular when I was a kid.   So, when I saw the bag of blue, stone ground corn meal sitting next to the maple syrup in the refrigerator I had a Eureka moment.  Muffins!

I brought a version of these muffins to my Grand Rapids Chamber CEO Roundtable group to give them a test run.  I love this group of business makers, because they are no nonsense leaders who are full of Eureka moments.  Plus, when it's time to make a decision, they don't linger, they just do it.  I named the muffins after them, because these muffins are equally "no nonsense".  They stand alone, no buttering up allowed.  They aren't too sweet but are super satisfying, and the recipe is decidedly quick to make and bake.   Besides, since the muffins got rave reviews from these hard-to-please folks (one on-the-go Prez said it is perfect to eat in the car - no crumbs), I simply had to name them CEO.

Secret Tip

Real maple syrup rocks and is a great replacement for sugar.  But, like chocolate, the maple needs something to add more depth when used in baked goods.  Coffee is the secret ingredient.  You don't actually taste the coffee, but there is just enough to round out the mapley flavors with the corn.  (Likewise, adding a little coffee to your chocolate dessert recipes adds an indescribable depth of flavor as well).

On a differrent note, try a touch of real maple syrup in your cup of coffee instead of sugar.  You don't need more than a drop of two, and Voila!  There is less sugar in your cup.   You will love me, you will thank me and you will add important trace minerals like zinc and manganese -- instead of empty calories to your java (and your bod).

Recipe

Free from:  Gluten, dairy, soy

Makes 12 muffins

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Ingredients

1 & ¼ cups gluten-free stone ground organic corn flour (I used blue corn in mine, but Bob's Red Mill medium grind is great, but is processed in a factory that also processes soy and tree nuts, or Arrowhead Mills GF Organic Corn Meal is tested for gluten to 10 ppm.)

1 & ¼ cups of Jules Gluten-free All Purpose flour

(Jules is made in a facility free of the Big 8 allergens)

1 tsp. of sea salt

1 TBS of gluten-free aluminum-free baking powder

2 eggs

1 c. coconut milk (or almond milk)

¾ c. real, grade A maple syrup

2 TBS safflower oil (or coconut oil)

2 TBS brewed espresso or really good, strong coffee

Prepare a 12-cup muffin tin: pour a little of the oil onto a paper towel, then grease the inside of each little muffin cup.

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (corn flour, all purpose flour, sea salt and baking powder).  Use a whisk so that the flours combine well without any of those unsightly lumps.  In medium bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (egg, coconut milk, maple syrup,  oil and coffee).  Add the wet stuff into the dry stuff and stir until it is “just” mixed.  Wait 1- 2 minutes until the mixture firms up a little. 

Spoon into the prepared pan so that each cup is filled near the top.  Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes (pretty much exactly).  The top of the muffin should be just firm.

Pop out of the tray to cool.  If you use paper muffin cups, wait until completely cooled before diving in so the paper comes off more cleanly.

Serve with anything grilled like steak or chicken.  Or simply consume with a cup of really good coffee.