While there are many herbs that go with beef, you should base your final selections on the specific cut of beef you’re cooking.

Chef Michael Lomonaco of Porter House New York says:

“All cuts of beef have a different flavor profile: There is the big beefy flavor of the strip steak, the luxurious tenderness of filet mignon, and the juicy, fatty mouthfeel of a great rib eye. Skirt steak is a juicy cut that is great served as an open-faced sandwich. Hanger steak has an offal quality to it and is different from all the others. Braised short ribs pick up all of the flavors of what they are cooked with, developing layers of deep, dark beef flavor after being cooked on the bone for hours.”

So without further ado, simply check our lists below, select the herbs that go with the type of beef you’re using, and expect a mouth-watering flavor pairing!

Herbs That Go with Beef in General: basil, bay leaf, chives, cilantro, ginger, horseradish, hyssop, mint, oregano, parsley (flat-leaf), rosemary, tarragon, thyme

Beef Brisket: bay leaf, horseradish, rosemary, thyme

Beef Cheeks: bay leaf, celery root, chives, horseradish, rosemary, tarragon, thyme

Kobe Beef: chives, ginger, horseradish, truffles (black)

Beef Loin (shell, sirloin, tenderloin): ginger, rosemary (fresh), thyme, wasabi

Beef Oxtail: basil, bay leaf, ginger, parsley (flat-leaf), thyme

Roast Beef: horseradish, rosemary, thyme

Beef Round: cilantro, parsley

Beef Shank: ginger, green onions

Short Ribs: basil, bay leaf, celery root, chervil, chives, cilantro, ginger, horseradish, oregano, parsley (flat-leaf), rosemary, sage, savory, tarragon, thyme (fresh)

Steak in General: basil, bay leaf, celery root, chives, cilantro, ginger (fresh), herbes de Provence, horseradish, lemongrass, parsley (flat-leaf), rosemary, scallions, tarragon, watercress

Filet Mignon: rosemary, thyme

Flank Steak: cilantro, oregano

Hanger Steak: celery root, ginger, scallions, thyme

Rib-Eye Steak: oregano, rosemary

Skirt Steak: oregano, parsley (flat-leaf), rosemary, scallions, thyme

Quote and herb suggestions from The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America’s Most Imaginative Chefs by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg.

We’re all familiar with the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) dietary recommendations about whole grains, and research shows that Americans do eat plenty of grains — although it’s not always whole grains we’re eating. It can be challenging to decipher whole grains from their refined counterparts, but understanding the differences is important for our health… and waistlines!

What are whole grains?

To make things simple, grains are simply the seeds of plants. When whole (unprocessed), they contain three parts:

• Bran: The outer edge of the seed that contains the majority of the grain’s fiber
• Endosperm: Sometimes referred to as the kernel, the endosperm constitutes the bulk of the grain
• Germ: The part of the grain from which a new seed sprouts, it contains the bulk of the grain’s nutrients. One serving of whole wheat germ contains over 50% of your daily value of protein, fiber, vitamin B6, thiamin, magnesium, selenium, phosphorus, zinc, and manganese!

Whole grains can be stand-alone ingredients, such as brown rice or ingredients in other foods, such as the whole wheat in bread.

When a whole grain is processed it becomes a refined grain. Refined grains have been milled, a process by which the bran and germ are removed to create a finer texture and extend the product’s shelf-life. Unfortunately, milling also removes approximately 25% of the grain’s protein and most of its key nutrients.

Luckily, many refined grains have some of their lost nutrients returned through the process of enrichment. Some also have nutrients added into the grain that are not naturally occurring, through a process called fortification. Although enrichment and fortification are arguably beneficial, it’s always better to opt for the whole grain rather than the refined one.

Benefits of Whole Grains

While all types of grains are good sources of complex carbohydrates, whole grains are better sources of protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and antioxidants. This combination of nutrients works synergistically to protect our health and lower our risk of many chronic diseases such as:

• Heart Disease: The vitamin E, selenium, and phytic acid found in whole grains have antioxidant effects that may help prevent damage to blood vessels, while soluble fiber helps reduce blood cholesterol. These processes are believed to play a role in lowering the risk of developing heart disease.
• Type II Diabetes & Obesity: Whole grains contain less fat than refined grains and consumption of whole grains is associated with lower body weight. Researchers believe this is due in part to feeling satiated (fuller) longer. Lower body weight in turn, reduces the risk of both obesity and type II diabetes.

FDA Recommendations

To reap the chronic disease fighting benefits of whole grains, the FDA recommends eating at least three 1-oz equivalents of whole grains per day. Since raw and cooked portions differ, it’s important to remember that 1-oz of raw oatmeal is approximately ½ cup cooked (4-oz).

The overall amount of grains you should eat each day depends on your age, sex, and level of physical activity.

For more detailed information, please visit choosemyplate.gov.

The unique benefits of whole grains are profound, so aim to replace all the refined grains in your diet with whole grains and if you’re really craving a refined grain treat, consider an enriched or fortified variation. Once you find a few whole grains you love, you probably won’t even notice the change. To get started, check out Corner Store’s Mojo Granola. It’s packed with 100% natural whole-grain oats, ground flaxseed and wheat germ — all key components in a healthy, whole-grain diet.

You never know what you might find on Fooducopia! On the other hand, sometimes you don’t know what to do with the stuff you DO find.

Such is the case with Lopino’s Lupin Flour. Lupin flour is a gluten-free, high protein, non-GMO flour made from the Lupin bean that is popular in Europe and Australia, but practically unheard of in the United States. So what to do with it? Well, if you’re looking for gluten-free recipes, head on over to the Lopino website.

Luckily for me, gluten poses no problems. In fact, I’m a big fan. But the high protein content of lupin flour did pique my interest. Studies have shown that a high-protein breakfast helps manage hunger throughout the day as well as provides higher brain function. Great, but I love eating pancakes. Is it possible to make my favorite breakfast delicious AND high in protein??

It turns out it is possible. Here’s what I learned in the process: lupin flour is on the salty side, and has a texture closer to cornmeal than white flour. When subbing it into a recipe, skip adding any additional salt. In fact, you might consider adding additional sweetness. Extra moisture is also helpful. I added a heaping scoop of plain yogurt in the recipe below. Last, accept that lupin flour will make your food a shade of yellow similar to cornbread.

Lopino has a gluten-free pancake recipe using lupin flour. In my household, however, we only make Uncle Ed’s pancakes. Below is his pancake recipe, with lupin flour modifications in parenthesis. Please note, Uncle Ed’s Pancakes contain gluten.

Aside: my Uncle Ed died young from lung cancer (likely from exposure to agent orange in Vietnam). He was a great cook, always said what he thought, and never edited himself around children. And he drove us around in a convertible Alpha Romeo. It goes without saying that he was extremely cool in the eyes of all his nieces and nephews, myself included. 

Uncle Ed’s Pancakes

• 1 cup flour (sub a half cup of white flour for lupin flour)
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (omit when using lupin flour)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• (you might consider adding a big squeeze of honey or an additional tablespoon of sugar)

Mix above ingredients, then add:

• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons oil (I use olive)
• (To help the lupin stick together, I also added a heaping tablespoon of plain yogurt. Mashed bananas might also make a clever addition, if you’re into that sort of thing.)

Mix this, let sit while your pan warms up. The baking powder will make the mix rise considerably; add more milk if the batter looks too thick.

Thanks to the lupin flour, these pancakes kept me full much longer than regular pancakes.  And why stop with pancakes? Scones, biscuits, waffles. . .  all my favorite carb-laden breakfast foods could benefit from a lupin flour substitute! Please try this lupin bean flour for yourself!

Hamburgers are a classic American meal, but that doesn’t mean they have to be traditional. Try these hamburger seasoning ideas if you’re looking for new ways to eat an old favorite.

Add the mix-ins to the ground beef when you’re forming the burger patties, and use a basting brush to cover the burgers in the designated glaze before grilling.

Far East Burgers

Mix-ins: 3 garlic cloves (minced), 1 Tablespoon ginger (julienned), pinch crushed red pepper flakes

Glaze: 2 Tablespoons low-sodium tamari soy sauce, 2 Tablespoons fresh orange juice

Shepherd’s Pie Burgers

Mix-ins: 3 garlic cloves (minced), 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon, 2 teaspoons dried thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, several pinches of freshly ground black pepper

Glaze: Worcestershire sauce

Shabby Sheikh Burgers

Mix-ins: 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Hamburger Helper Burgers

Mix-ins: 2 teaspoons onion flakes, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon mild chili powder, 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Moussaka Burgers

Mix-ins: 1/2 small onion (minced), 2 Tablespoons dry red wine, 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, dash of sugar, salt and pepper to taste

Glaze: tomato sauce

Do you have your own creative hamburger seasoning ideas? We’d love it if you shared!

Photo (cc) via Flickr user Pink Sherbet Photography.

Moving into a new home is a major life event that provokes excitement and oftentimes stress. If you’re like most people, you envision hosting company long before the purchase of the home. Rather than stressing over the details of a completed home, we encourage you to open your doors to neighbors, friends, and family and break-in your new home!  After all, a house-warming party is part of the process of making a house your home.

Zazzle Invitations

Perhaps your fridge is home to week-old take out and a lone beer, but don’t fret — we have plenty of suggestions for simple housewarming food ideas! Housewarming parties are generally a casual affair, an open house of sorts. People are mingling and house tours are ongoing, which means food needs to be mobile and easy to eat. Assorted cheese and fruit trays are mainstays, but why not mix it up a bit? Shannon Kelley produces made-to-order jams and spreads with fresh, natural ingredients. She suggests using the cranberry chutney with a brie pastry. Three items and you’re set:

• Puff pastry (can be bought frozen)
• The Jam’s Cranberry Chutney
• 8-oz round brie

Simply spread 4 Tbsp of jam over the brie and wrap in the pastry. Bake at 350-degrees for 20-25 minutes and let cool for 10 minutes and voilà, you have a delicious appetizer!

Perfect for a housewarming gift!

Maybe you’re not ready to christen the oven. Fear not, we have an excellent dish that doesn’t require any cooking.  Before assuming all jams are going to be sweet and fruity let me introduce the Jalapeno Jam. It has a savory note with a spicy kick that blends perfectly with cream cheese. Another 3-item recipe:

• Half a jar of Jalapeno Jam
• 8-oz block of cream cheese
• Any type of cracker you like

Place cream cheese in the center of a large serving dish and spread the jam evenly over the top. Arrange crackers around the outside of the dish.

Now, if you really want to plan ahead you can start dropping subtle hints to attendees before the party. The Jam carries gift baskets including five different jams, and let’s face it, you don’t need another candle.

Sometimes when I get products from Fooducopia, it takes me a while to figure out what kind of recipe to make. Other items are much easier — their use is so obvious.

So, when I got a ball of pizza dough, the obvious answer was …

… no, not pizza.

I decided to make bread sticks.

Making breadsticks is a great use for the dough if you have some leftover after pizza night. And it’s also worth it to buy extra dough just to make bread sticks.

You can use any herbs you like for this — oregano or thyme would be great, or your favorite herb mix.

Herbed Crispy Bread Sticks

• 1 ball of  pizza dough
• 2 tablespoons dried herbs or herb mix of your choice

Move the dough from the freezer to the refrigerator to thaw the day before you use it. Remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature an hour before you roll it out.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Flour your work surface and turn out the dough. Roll the dough to a rough 12-inch square. Sprinkle the dough evenly with the herbs. Fold the dough in thirds, like a letter, then fold it thirds again in the other direction.

Roll the dough to a rectangle about 6×12 inches. If it’s difficult to roll, let it rest for 10 minutes to relax the gluten and make the rolling easier.

Cut the dough into 12 6-inch strips. Pick up the strips one at a time and twist them to form a spiral while stretching them to about 12 inches long. Place them on a baking sheet leaving space between them.

Bake the bread sticks at 300 degrees until they’re dry and stiff to the touch and they’re lightly browned, about 35 minutes.

Remove the bread sticks from the pan and let them cool completely on a rack.

Donna Currie is a Colorado-based food writer who operates the blog, Cookistry.

Hot sauce on popcorn may taste too-good-to-be-true, but this zesty-crunchy snack has real roots on the streets of Mexico in the form of palomitas con salsa.

Bland and buttery no more — here’s the trick to putting hot sauce on popcorn for the most flavorful results.

You’ll need:

• Fresh-popped popcorn
• Large paper bag or empty spray bottle
• Hot sauce (How about this chipotle dipping sauce?)
• Ground, dried chilis or a spice blend, like this habanero seasoning

Paper Bag Method

1. If cooked your popcorn in a bag, leave the popcorn inside and drizzle it with as much hot sauce as you can handle.
2. Close the bag, and shake to distribute the hot sauce evenly. (Salsa music and dancing may enhance the effectiveness of this step.)
3. Empty the popcorn into a large bowl.
4. Sprinkle the popcorn with the dried spices. It should stick to the hot sauce, adding complex flavor and texture to each bite!

Spray Bottle Method

1. If you cooked your popcorn without a bag, perhaps in an air popper, simply empty it into a large bowl when ready.
2. Fill a spray bottle with hot sauce and adjust the nozzle so that it creates a more of a mist when you spray.
3. Aim the spray bottle at your popcorn and mist it with as much hot sauce as you can handle, tossing the popcorn around every few sprays so the hot sauce is evenly distributed.
4. Sprinkle the popcorn with the dried spices. It should stick to the hot sauce, adding complex flavor and texture to each bite!

Photo (cc) via Flickr user rennes.i.

Karen Collins, MS, RD, CDN, discusses the latest hot topics in the field of diet, nutrition, and cancer every week in a column called HealthTalk published by The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR).

Q: Do fresh fruits that are high in antioxidants keep that antioxidant content when dried?

A: Yes, dried fruits can be very good sources of antioxidants despite losing most of the water-soluble vitamin C (one antioxidant) present in their fresh forms. Research now shows that for most fruits, the majority of antioxidant power stems from their many natural plant compounds called phytochemicals.

Dried cherries and cranberries remain high in anthocyanins, which are antioxidant, anti-inflammatory compounds that, at least in laboratory studies, also slow development of cancer. Dried apricots provide somewhat less beta-carotene in their quarter-cup standard serving than you get in a half-cup of fresh apricots, but both forms are excellent sources.

Furthermore, total content of phytochemicals called phenols are similar. Raisins retain many of the beneficial phytochemicals found in grapes, and studies rate their antioxidant power similar, even considering raisins deliver that antioxidant power in a much smaller serving.

Dried fruits also generally retain the fiber content of their fresh forms.

Just remember that you need to find some other good sources of vitamin C, and because calories become more concentrated, watch that portion control.

Photo (cc) via Flickr user babbagecabbage.

While homemade ravioli is not for the faint of heart, substituting ravioli shells made from scratch with wonton wrappers can cut preparation time in half. I think you’ll enjoy my take on butternut squash ravioli, which was featured in the February edition of Taste of Home, a family-friendly cooking magazine.

If you’re pressed for time the night of, buy chopped fresh squash found in most grocery stores and roast it the night before. I also prefer using organic ingredients when available and Corner Store has a great Organic Half and Half.

Preparation time: 40 minutes

Cooking Time:

25 minutes (roasting)

10 minutes (boiling)

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 3-½ cups peeled and chopped butternut squash
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• ½ cup organic half and half cream
• 40 wonton wrappers
• 1 egg, beaten
• Flour (for dusting)
• ½ cup salted butter, melted
• 6 Tbs marinara sauce
• 1/3 cup raw walnuts, finely chopped
• 1 Tbs sage, finely chopped

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl toss squash with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place squash on a greased baking sheet and bake uncovered for 25 minutes (or until tender), stirring once. Let cool.
2. In a food processor, puree the cooked squash and cream.
3. Spoon 1 TBS of the mixture into the center of a wonton wrapper. Moisten wrapper edges by brushing on the beaten egg and top with another wonton wrapper. Pinch edges to seal, trying to avoid trapped air. Dust with flour and set aside. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. Tip: Keep wrappers covered with a damp paper towel until ready for use. Do not stack the uncooked ravioli.
4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook ravioli in small batches for 1-2 minutes, remove with a large slotted spoon and place directly on serving plate; keep warm. Tip: Add a dash of salt to the pot to avoid sticking.
5. In a small saucepan cook the butter and sage until butter becomes slightly brown and sage becomes crispy. Add chopped walnuts and marinara sauce, heat through. Drizzle over the ravioli and serve.

New moms and seasoned child-rearing veterans alike will appreciate the love and thoughtfulness behind these fabulous Mother’s Day cakes.

Euforia’s Spiced Flourless Thousand-Layer Cake

You could pen a poetic message to your mom along with this cake, alluding to its many individually-baked and delicately sweet layers. The story behind Euforia is also very fitting for Mother’s Day — founder Kartika Castonguay started the company as a way of preserving the memory of her late mother, who taught her how to make these exquisite cakes.

Giant Cupcake Topped with Roses

Madewithloveby.me has instructions for crafting a gigantic cupcake that would make a perfect homemade treat to give your mom this year. Her secret is to make a chocolate casing for the cupcake to sit in. Send us pictures if you try this one!

Cheesecakes in a Jar Sampler

Spoil your mom with Decadence Gourmet Cheesecake‘s six most popular individual, portion-sized cheesecakes that are actually baked in their own recyclable glass jars! Flavors include German Chocolate, Tiramisu, Outer Banks (Peanut Butter and Chocolate), NY Style, Strawberry NY Style, and Key Lime.

She’ll love this gift — just don’t expect her to share!

The Pioneer Woman’s Springy Flower Pot Desserts

Now these are fun! Bring back fond memories of the early years with your mom by making her these dirt cake-esque desserts, beautifully served in flower pots and garnished with fresh flowers. Ingredients include ice cream, pound cake, oreos, and gummy worms of course. Yum!

Vanilla Cupcakes with Coconut Frosting

At first these cupcakes from Food for Thin may seem a little too “vanilla” for a Mother’s Day gift. But after one bite they reveal appealing tropical overtones from the coconut flour, milk, and oil used as ingredients. If you have a family beach vacation coming up, these healthy cupcakes will help carry Mom through until she can dip her toes in the sand (and won’t threaten her bathing suit-look).

Purple Ombre Sprinkles Cake

This trendy Purple Ombre Sprinkles Cake recipe from Rasberri Cupcakes is the perfect option for the bright and cheery young mom. You’ll need a little skill in the kitchen to pull this one off, so recruit the help of an experience family baker if needed.