Chronic in the Kitchen: A meal to make your heart sing!

by Jennifer Hess

(Editrix's note: This is the sixth in a series of articles by Jennifer Hess on healthy cooking and eating. Look for more "Chronic in the Kitchen" articles soon! Questions? Suggestions? Contact Jennifer here.)

Just because Valentine’s Day is over doesn’t mean you should stop thinking of ways to show appreciation for that special someone in your life (or to give yourself a special, indulgent treat). Since I love to cook, the first thing that comes to my mind is a simple but luxurious meal, prepared with love, for me and my sweetie. Though we don’t eat red meat often, a good steak definitely fits into our diet from time to time, and this preparation is a far cry from the heavy steak dinners you may be used to. In fact, and contrary to what you may have heard, a little lean beef can actually be good for your heart!

Lean beef* is packed with protein, and a 4 oz. serving provides nearly half of the recommended daily value for vitamin B12, plus a quarter of the daily value for vitamin B6 -- both of which help your body break down homocysteine (high levels of which are tied to heart attack and stroke).

Olive oil, garlic and shallot are well-known heart-helpers, great for promoting healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and the light but robust salad served alongside is packed with a variety of nutrients and phytochemicals -- vitamins A, B, C and lycopene in the roasted red peppers, and vitamins A, C, folate and calcium in the dark and peppery salad greens.

If you drink, enjoy a nice glass of heart-healthy red wine with your meal (an Italian Barbera or a west coast Zinfandel will go nicely). Add a little bit of good quality dark chocolate for dessert, and you have a recipe for a romantic meal that will keep your hearts in tune!

* If you can, try to purchase organic or all-natural, hormone-free, sustainably raised beef. We buy Niman Ranch, which is available online or at natural foods stores like Whole Foods Market; Laura’s Lean Beef is another good brand available in most supermarkets.

Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette

1 jarred fire-roasted red bell pepper
1 1/2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
2 cups each arugula and watercress, washed, stem ends trimmed and patted dry

Combine red bell pepper, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper in a food processor or blender, and process 1-2 minutes until smooth and well blended. You should have about 1 cup of dressing; place half of the dressing in a large salad bowl, and refrigerate the rest for another use. Place arugula and watercress on top of the dressing in the bowl, and toss well just before serving.

Seared Steaks with Garlic-Shallot Pan Sauce

Lean, tender steak of your choice -- about 4 oz. per person (I use tenderloin filets, but you can use ribeye, flatiron steak, hanger steak or sirloin)
Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup beef broth or stock
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp. minced shallot
1 tbsp. unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Add 1 tbsp. olive oil to an ovenproof skillet (cast iron or oven-safe aluminum or stainless steel), and heat on the stovetop until the oil is hot but not smoking. While the pan is heating, brush both sides of steak with olive oil, and season well with salt and pepper on both sides.

When the pan is ready, add steaks and let them sear on one side -- don’t move them at all for 1-2 minutes so you get a good, caramelized crust on them. Once the steaks have seared on the first side, flip them and allow to sear on the other side for 1-2 minutes, then place the pan into the oven to finish cooking the steaks to your desired level of doneness, flipping once halfway through.

(To get our filets to rare/medium-rare, it takes about 10 minutes total -- but your cooking time may vary depending on the cut of steak and how done you want it.) A great reference for cooking times and temperatures for various levels of doneness can be found here).

Remove steaks from the oven, place them on a plate and tent with foil so they stay warm while they rest (an important step, since the steaks will continue cooking a bit while they rest, and the juices will go back into the meat, keeping it moist and tasty). Place the pan back on the stovetop and turn heat to medium. Add beef broth, garlic and shallot and simmer, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and cook until reduced by half. Remove from heat and whisk in butter. Pour over the steaks and serve.

Posted: 2/20/2006 in The Kitchen

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Chronic in the Kitchen: A meal to make your heart sing!

Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette

Seared Steaks with Garlic-Shallot Pan Sauce