Monday Meat Day!

I will admit that I haven't tried these recipes yet, they are just from my Pinterest boards but here are some that sound good:

https://www.mincerepublic.com/bell-pepper-nachos/

https://www.foodcoach.me/recipe/mini-zucchini-meatloaf/

https://www.bariatriceating.com/2016/06/easy-everyday-meal-c hicken-bbq-ranch-sliders/

https://www.foodcoach.me/recipe/crockpot-greek-chicken/

https://www.foodcoach.me/recipe/crockpot-cheese-steak-pepper s/

Hope some of those are helpful. I can't wait to be at the point I can try meals rather than purées and give some of these a shot

I basically brown meat, usually chicken thighs or pork tenderloin, seasoning it in whatever specific flavor profile I want, adding stock and wine or ( other booze, depending ) after it's seered, add in more seasonings, and then reduce the heat to cook it fully. Once the meat is done, I make a sauce-sometimes it's a creamy sauce, sometimes not-just depending. I thickened my sauces with xanthan gum for a few years, but it's really tricky to work with and I kept getting complaints of slimy sauce, so I just use cornstarch now. Two tablespoons in 1/4 cup water for every two cups of liquid adds roughly two grams of carbs per 2 ounces of sauce. Not great stats, but...it is what it is. I figure it's still better than how I ate before surgery.

Of course, we can leave our portions out of the sauce, if we want to forego those carbs, but more often than not I'm a saucy girl-I love a good creamy sauce with my meat. Alternately, you can keep some of unthickened sauce back for yourself. I never thought of that before...haha. Hm.

Let's say I want to make pork tenderloin in a lemon tarragon cream sauce.

I can either braise the pork in the instant pot or I do the stovetop method.

Stovetop method: I brown meat in a combo of avocado or olive oil ( not EVOO, just the "pure" grade ) and BUTTTTTTER. Yayyyy, butter!!! ( A tablespoon of butter, a tablespoon of oil usually does it. )

I season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and I'll add dried tarragon from the start if I'm going to use the IP. For the stovetop, I'll add it in a few minutes after the pork has started to brown. Sometimes I add dried marjoram, sometimes not.

Marjoram is my favorite herb, followed by savory. I use them both often with chicken and pork. They'll both go with almost any flavor profile.

Stovetop method: after meat has browned, deglaze the pan with 1 cup of white wine ( or chicken stock if wine is a no-no. I know not everyone keeps alcohol in the house. ) and however much lemon juice you want-enough for a decent zing of lemon. Add in (more) stock, more of the seasoning, cover, reduce heat, and let the meat braise until cooked all the way through. I usually add in a little more butter too-because butter. A few thin slices of a pat of butter will do.

IP: cook on manual for whatever is specified per pound...and then NPR for 10 minutes. I use stock and the lemon juice with a smidgen of wine as my cooking liquid.

Remove meat from the pan, add in MORE seasonings, ( except salt perhaps ), a 1/4 ( ish ) cup of half and half or two tablespoons of heavy cream, and thicken your sauce with the cornstarch slurry, or the thickener of your choice. For IP, I do this with the sauté function. Butter is optional for the IP.

Add meat back in, stir, top off the tarragon (and I always toss in a little dried parsley for color) and voilá! Dinner is served. Serve the fam pasta to go with if desired.

This braising/making a sauce thing will work for most meats. Any combo of spices, liquids, seasonings you want to use gives you lots of versatility...until you start to rely on it and get bored with even the yummiest of dishes: chicken marsala.

I don't add veggies EVER to my dishes. If I want a veggie, I make enough for me separately. My family doesn't like them. They're meat and pasta/rice guys. ( Oddly...they're NOT potato fans! )

Does this make any sense? It kind of got away from me. LOL...only me.

Sounds delicious. When's dinner?

When I remember to buy a tenderloin...haha!

I have been making what I call "Chicken Po Pie" I take a chicken breast 6-7 ozs slice it and saute it in a pan with a smidgen of olive oil and then add in 1/2 cup of cream of chicken soup and 1/2 cup of water along with 1/2 cup of frozen mixed veg(the old fashioned peas and carrots and corn) and when it is all incoporated sprinkle some poultry seasoning and pepper and mix well. Let it stew about five minutes and itastes like chicken pot pie without a crust! Two servings

I make something like this too!

What a great thread, Julie. Thanks.

I love skirt steak broiled or grilled...broiled it's I think just a few minutes each side. Slice against the grain. Delicious. I just season with salt and maybe garlic.

Have you had crockpot Italian Shredded beef?

Beef roast of your choice

1 can beef boullion

1 packet italian dressing seasoning

1 jar pepperoncini rings (with the juice)

Combine in crockpot and cook 8 hours on high, shred with two forks, eat.

If you're making it for family -- it's great on french rolls, or over noodles but just shredded on a plate with a little cheese is divine. I've occasionally done half bullion/have dark beer and that's tasty too.

I make a sauce very similar to Babish's recipe in this video, except I add beef short ribs. Beef short ribs are the great unknown secret to Italian pasta sauce. Can also add whole carrots and remove after the sauce is done - these reduce the acidity and make it taste better.

Prolly could make it in the IP too! I make my grandmother's sauce too, but haven't in a while. Should translate the recipe and post it.