English Muffins & Granola Bars

More and more, I find myself making things that I used to buy in the grocery store.  I'm not sure if whether I want to know exactly what is in my food, to cut down on the added sugar/chemicals/additives or to save a few bucks by making it myself (probably a combination!).  So my latest attempts - English muffins and granola bars.  I'll be trying to make crackers next!

I was worried the English muffins wouldn't come out right.  The dough was really sticky and I couldn't really roll out the dough with a pin -  I had smooth out the dough with my hand instead.  However, they did come out delicious! Soft, great flavor - I had two immediately with jam and didn't even bother toasting them!

The granola bars are a lot of fun because you're supposed to add in anything that you want.  There's so much room to get creative (or just use up what you have in the house).  I've been sending Bryant with one for work every day for the past several weeks...and sneaking in a few for myself! They do crumble more easily than regular granola bars but I think have a great flavor.

Homemade English Muffins
Taken from: King Arthur Flour
Makes approx. 16-24 muffins (depending on how large you like them)

• 1 3/4 cups (14 ounces) milk, warm (to approx. 100-100 degrees F) 
• 3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) butter
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons (7/8 ounce) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 4 to 4 1/4 cups (17 to 18 ounces) flour (I used 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 cup whole wheat and 2 1/4 cup white whole wheat) 
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• Cornmeal

-Place the ingredients in the pan of your bread machine following the manufacturer's instructions. Use the "dough" or "manual" setting.  If, however, you are like me and don't own a bread machine, follow these steps:

• Combine all of the ingredients (except the cornmeal) in a mixing bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix till everything is combined, then beat at high speed (using the flat beater paddle, if you’re using a stand mixer) for 5 minutes. The dough will be soft, sticky, and glossy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, cover it, and allow the dough to rise for about 90 minutes, till it’s just about doubled in bulk.

-Transfer the dough to a cornmeal-sprinkled surface and roll it out until it's about 1/2-inch thick (I used my hands instead of a rolling pin). Cut out circles with a floured 3-inch cutter (I used a glass drinking glass, coated in cooking spray and then dipped in flour). Re-roll and cut out the leftover dough. Cover the muffins with a damp cloth and let rest for about 20 minutes.
-Heat a frying pan or griddle to very low heat. Do not grease, but sprinkle with cornmeal.  Try one muffin and check after about 3 to 4 minutes to see that the muffins are browning gently and are neither too dark nor too light.  If they seem to be cooking either too fast or too slowly, adjust the temperature of your pan or griddle (Start at 250 degrees if you know your temperature, then try 300, then 350.  I had to use 350.)
-Cook four muffins at a time, cornmeal side down first, for about 7 minutes per side.
-When the muffins are brown on both sides, transfer them to a wire rack to cool, and proceed with the rest. If you have two frying pans (or a large griddle), you'll be better able to keep up with your rising muffins. 


Homemade Granola Bars
Taken from: Smitten Kitchen
Makes an 8x8 pan - I believe we got approx. 20 bars

• 1 2/3 cups quick rolled oats
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup granulated sugar (I went with 1/3 and thought it was delicious but use more for a sweetness closer to most purchased bars)
• 1/3 cup oat bran OR oat flour (to make oat flour, take 1/3 cup oats and process till finely ground in a food processor or blender)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I thought you could really taste it, so if you don't like cinnamon as much, go for the 1/8)
• 2 to 3 cups dried fruits and nuts for a total of 10 to 15 ounces (I believe I used 1 cup chocolate protein powder, 1/2 cup dried craisins, 1/4 cup. sweetened coconut, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, 1/4 cup. chopped pecans, 1/4 cup. sliced almonds)
• 1/3 cup peanut butter or another nut butter (optional)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 5 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup honey, maple syrup or corn syrup (I used honey)
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup or maple syrup (I used real maple syrup)
• 1 tablespoon water

-Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8″ x 8″ x 2″ pan in one direction with parchment paper, allowing it to go up the opposing sides. Coat the parchment paper and the exposed pan with a non-stick spray.
-Stir together all the dry ingredients, including the fruit and nuts. In a separate bowl, whisk together the vanilla, melted butter, applesauce, liquid sweeteners and water. Toss the wet ingredients with the dry (and peanut butter, if you’re using it) until the mixture is evenly crumbly. Spread in the prepared pan, pressing them in firmly to ensure they are molded to the shape of the pan. (A piece of plastic wrap can help with this, as you press down on the back of it.)
-Bake the bars for 25 to 40 minutes, until they’re brown around the edges — don’t be afraid to get a little color on the tops too. They’ll still seem soft and almost underbaked when you press into the center of the pan but they’ll set completely once completely cool.
 -Cool the bars in their pan completely on a cooling rack. (After about 20 minutes you can use your parchment “sling” to lift and remove the bars, and place them in their paper on the rack to cool the rest of the way. This can speed the process up.)  If bars seem crumbly, chill the pan of them further in the fridge for 30 minutes which will fully set the “glue”, then cut them cold.
-Once cool, use a serrated knife (or bench knife) to cut the bars into squares. To store, wrap the bars individually in plastic or stack them in an airtight container. In humid weather, it’s best to store bars in the refrigerator. They also freeze well.

Shrimp & Grits

Ahh, a Southern classic. Of course, Southern food hasn't been known as the healthiest of foods (a deep fat fryer seems to be a must for classic Southern cookin') but with a few healthy changes, it can still taste delicious!  I tried making shrimp and grits tonight, albeit a much healthier version than what's typically served.  It was my first time actually having shrimp and grits, too.  By the time I finally would venture out to try new dishes (it would probably be an understatement to say that I was a rather picky child), I was in Washington DC and couldn't swallow paying $30 for a plate.  And since I doubt we'll be finding soul food any time in California, I decided to make my own! I finally found a suitable recipe - while I can't judge its authenticity, it was still delicious.  The Old Bay and chili powder give the dish a nice kick but the grits balanced it out by being nice and creamy.

However, my grits aren't true, stone ground grits.  It was polenta instead because I already had the ingredients.  They are similar that it was a fine substitute for us!  They were incredibly creamy - I know that I'll want to use this polenta recipe again for other dishes.

Shrimp and Grits
Taken from: Kath Eats
3-4 servings

• 10 oz shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Approx. 5-6 ounces fresh spinach (you could also sub broccoli raab, collards, etc)
• 2 carrots, thinly sliced
• 1 cup bell peppers, diced (I used red)
• 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2-3 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
• Approx. 1 tsp. chili powder
• Polenta recipe below OR 1/4 cup quick cooking polenta (if using quick cooking polenta, stir in 2 Tbsp. butter and 2 tsp. honey at the end)
• 2 Tbsp parmesan cheese

(Start cooking polenta/grits at the same time you begin the shrimp part of the recipe.)
-Dry each shrimp with a paper towel or two to make sure they sear nicely.
-Heat a large saute pan to medium high. Add olive oil to pan and when the oil is heated (if you flick a few drops of water on the pan, the water drops should dance), place shrimp one by one into pan and don’t touch until brown on one side (probably takes about 3 minutes). Flip and sear on other side until crispy. Remove shrimp from pan.
-Add veggies to pan, lightly season with salt and pepper and sautee a few minutes (I actually did this step in a second saute pan and sauteed the veggies while the shrimp was going to cut down on some time.) Stir in Old Bay and chili powder. Add 1/4 cup chicken broth (or water, if you don't have broth) to deglaze plan and steam veggies. Remove veggies from pan when tender.
-Add spinach to pan. Lightly season with salt and pepper and saute a few minutes until wilted. Add a splash of water to steam/deglaze, if needed.
-Add veggies and shrimp to polenta pot and stir together. Pour into bowl and top with shrimp and parmesan.

Homemade Polenta/Grits
Taken from: Everyday Italian cookbook
3-4 side dish servings

• 3 cups water
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. cornmeal
• 2 Tbsp. butter, cut into pieces
• 2 tsp. honey

-In a heavy saucepan, bring water to a boil.  Add salt.
-Reduce heat to low.  Gradually whisk in the cornmeal and cook, stirring often, until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender, about 15 minutes (with fine cornmeal although it could take up to 30 minutes with medium cornmeal).
-Remove from heat and stir in butter and honey.

Fish Tacos, Avocado Relish, Black Bean & Corn Salad

We had quite a Mexican fiesta Saturday night! Just how I like it - fish tacos, avocado relish, black bean and corn salad, salsa AND guacamole - light, lots of avocado, and delicious! It also made for great leftovers Sunday night.  And we had so much that I didn't even have to cook and could still send Bryant with a full lunch the next day.

Fish tacos are usually deep fat fried but baking is a much healthier option (however, my one kitchen disaster did come from trying to bake fish and chips instead of frying them...stick to the real thing with that dish!).  But fish tacos were absolutely great.

The black bean and corn salad is really easy to make. This was actually one of the first dishes I ever remember making and my dad really liked it (so perhaps it was one of my first successful dishes). I used fresh corn since it's still in season in California but frozen corn would work, too.  You could add rice (if you'd like), different kinds of beans, different vegetables, different spices...it would be pretty easy to play around with!

Finally, the avocado relish was great with both the fish tacos and the black bean and corn salad (and probably would be great just with tortilla chips, too). It has lots of lime juice so it is a bit tart but very creamy.


Fish Tacos
Taken from: A Hint of Honey

• 4 (4-6 oz.) cod fillets
• 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornmeal (or you could use whole wheat Panko)
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• (I also added a sprinkling of both cayenne and paprika)

-Preheat oven broiler (500 F).
-Cut cod into thin strips. Toss to combine flour, cornmeal, salt, pepper, and chili powder in a shallow dish. Coat fish strips in the cornmeal mixture. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet.
-Broil in preheated oven for 3-4 minutes per side, flipping halfway through, until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
-Serve with warm whole-wheat tortillas, shredded lettuce, shredded cabbage and avocado relish.

Avocado Relish
Taken from: A Hint of Honey

• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
• 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
• 1 Tbsp. jalapeno, minced (adjust to taste)
• 2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped 
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

-To make the avocado relish, toss to combine avocado, onion, jalapeno, and cilantro in a small bowl. Pour in lime juice and olive oil. Toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.


Black Bean & Corn Salad
(This recipe is so old, I'm not even sure where it's from!)

• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 1/4 c. lime juice
• 1 tsp. cumin (I added extra cumin and some chili powder, too)
• 3 cups black beans (equivalent to 1 15-oz. can, rinsed and drained)
• 1 to 1 1/4 cups raw corn kernels
• 3/4 cup tomato, chopped
• 1/2 cup cilantro (or you could do 1/4 cup cilantro and 1/4 cup parsley)
• 2 Tbsp. red onion, finely chopped

-In a serving bowl, stir olive oil, lime juice and cumin.
-Add rest of ingredients, stirring gently to coat.  Season with salt & pepper.

Chocolate Stout Cake with Irish Cream Frosting

So for dessert last night, I made chocolate stout (cup)cake(s) with Baileys Irish Cream Frosting. This recipe got great reviews so I was really excited to try it. Needless to say, it was divine. I usually don't even like chocolate cake that much but this was an exception. It was incredibly light and airy with great flavor. (Plus, my husband can't turn down anything with Guinness. ) And, to top it off, I used an irish cream frosting - it turned out more like a glaze because I upped the amount of Bailey's to really give it an irish cream flavor and couldn't think of what else to add to make it thicker (I didn't want to add extra sugar or any cream cheese). However, the glaze tasted wonderful - you could really taste the irish cream and it was delicious without being too sweet (which is often my problem with cake frosting). I made this into 11 cupcakes - I like how portable cupcakes are but it would be easy to make into a 1-layer cake. I was even able to send my father-in-law with one on his trip home and froze half a dozen for future use. And thanks to a lovely birthday gift I received, I was able to find out the best way to freeze a cake is to fully bake it and freeze it without frosting (you can freeze any uncooked frosting separately). Thank you, Don and Carolyn!

Chocolate Stout Cake
Taken from: Unsweetened Cocoa
Makes 1-layer cake or 12 cupcakes, even though I just used a quarter of the original recipe. It would be easy to double the recipe for a nice, 2-layer cake.

• 1/2 cup stout (such as Guinness)
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoons salt
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cups sour cream (reduced-fat or full-fat)
  

-Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter one 8-inch round cake pan or cupcake pans.
-Bring stout and butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.
-Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat egg and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine.
-Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined.
-Divide batter equally among muffin tins. (Or, for a plenty-huge 2-layer cake, use two cake pans and divide the rest of the batter into a 12-muffin pan for cupcakes.)
-Bake cakes until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer cakes to rack; cool 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack and cool completely.


Irish Cream Cake Frosting
Taken from: AllRecipes
Still a work in progress - it has great flavor but is more of a thin glaze than a thick frosting. This would be at least enough for a 1-layer cake or a dozen cupcakes.

• 1/2 teaspoon milk
• 3 tablespoons Irish cream liqueur (buying a mini-size, individual sample of Bailey's is the perfect amount for this recipe)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon strong brewed coffee
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

-Place the milk, Irish cream liqueur, and coffee in a small, microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high until the mixture boils (if you don't have a microwave: turn the oven to 450-500 degrees, set the ingredients a oven-proof ramekin or pot, and wait about 5 minutes until the mixture boils). Set aside to cool completely.
-Beat the butter and confectioners' sugar with an electric mixer in a bowl until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and the cooled Irish cream mixture, and beat well.

Eggplant Parmesan & Week's Menu Plan

This non-meat meal of the week was delicious. I had never made (or had!) eggplant parmesan before but it's a favorite meal of one of my uncles. I also know that eggplant is a very meaty type of vegetable so it can take the place of meat pretty well. I really enjoyed it, especially because it had tons of marinara sauce in it (which, in case you haven't figured that out, I would live off if I could). You could also reduce the marinara a bit if you aren't as crazy about it as me. Also, I think we'll play around with this recipe next time - Bryant suggested adding ground turkey or beef (either in a meat sauce or as a layer in the dish) which would be excellent. I would probably try to hide in some sauteed zucchini, squash, red bell pepper or chopped spinach to add extra nutrients and vegetables (without altering the flavor too much). You could always up the amount of cheese to make this extra gooey, too.

The eggplant parmesan recipe would take a while to do start to finish so I cooked the eggplant in advance and refrigerated the slices. That way, when we got home in the evening, I just popped the eggplant back in the oven for about 5 minutes to crisp, made the dish and cook for 15 minutes - a lot easier on our evening!

This week's menu plan has a birthday celebration (chocolate Guinness cake with Bailey's Irish cream icing, combining my love of chocolate and Bryant's love of Guinness), a last burst of summer with tomato gazpacho, leftover vegetables for stir fry and finally, a bit more Latin food in our life, thanks to my cousin Dan for sending some recipes! I'm really excited to try these recipes. Also, I really hope we get around to making the shrimp and grits finally because I've been wanting to try them for weeks!

Also, this is my last week before I start my new job! Bryant and I are really excited about it and feel so blessed by the Lord's provision. I've loved being at home but really excited to start working again! This, of course, means that meals might have to be shorter and quicker during the week (more people can relate to that idea, anyway!) and save the more elaborate dishes for the weekend.

Eggplant Parmesan
Taken from: Martha Stewart
Serves 4 (I halved the recipe as it originally served 8. It would be really easy to make it for 8 and freeze for future meals!)

• 1 large egg 
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. whole wheat breadcrumbs
•  1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. finely grated Parmesan (additional 2 tablespoons for topping, optional)1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
•  1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
•  1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 large eggplant or 2 small (1 1/4 pounds total), peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
• 6 cups marinara sauce (store bought or homemade; you can use this recipe for Martha's Chunky Tomato Sauce if you'd like) 
• 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella

-Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil (to reduce cleanup) and spray with cooking spray; set aside. In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together eggs and 2 tablespoons water. In another bowl, combine breadcrumbs, 3/4 cup Parmesan, oregano, and basil; season with salt and pepper.

-Dip eggplant slices in egg mixture, letting excess drip off, then dredge in breadcrumb mixture, coating well; place on baking sheets. Bake until golden brown on bottom, 20 to 25 minutes. Turn slices; continue baking until browned on other side, 20 to 25 minutes more. (At this point, you can refrigerate the eggplant until ready to use and then bake it at 400 for about 5 minutes to make the eggplant crispy)
-Increase oven heat to 400 degrees. Spread 1 cup sauce in a 8-inch square baking dish. Arrange half the eggplant in dish; cover with 1 cup sauce, then 1/4 cup mozzarella. Repeat with remaining eggplant, sauce, and mozzarella. Bake until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted, 15 to 20 minutes.
-Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan, if desired. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Week's Menu Plan

Friday: butter chickpea curry, beef samosas, coffee cake for dessert (and breakfast IF there's any leftover!)

Saturday: fish tacos with avocado relish, black bean and corn salad
chocolate stout cupcakes with irish cream frosting for dessert

Sunday: gazpacho with tomato chickpea crostini

Monday: chicken stir fry

Tuesday: shrimp and grits with homemade polenta

Wednesday: pasta with spicy sausage and spinach (Everyday Italian cookbook)

Thursday: Spanish Tortilla

Friday: Greek meal: chicken skewers, tzatiki, Greek salad

Saturday: rice and beans (thanks to my cousin Dan!)

Beef & Black Bean Enchiladas with Restaurant Style Salsa

Well, I was supposed to make this enchilada recipe several weeks ago but somehow, we never got around to it. I did half of the work and then stuck it in the freezer. This made dinner last night really easy to assemble - thaw out the enchilada sauce and meat, combine with cheese, cilantro and jalapeno, then assemble. Not a bad weeknight meal plan! The meat and beans were also great in tacos so if you have the meat already cooked and simmered, it makes for an even quicker meal.

Using ground beef and black beans instead of steak really helped to make this an economical meal. I had also stocked up on 100% vegetarian, non-antibiotic ground sirloin when it went on a big sale (and then froze it in 1/2 pound increments), making it even cheaper to make.

This salsa recipe tastes like it came straight from a Mexican restaurant...delicious! I had halved the recipe but it still made a TON. Which is fine with me - we'll be having this salsa again and again. I still haven't quite figured out how to make "medium" salsa - taking out the seeds of the jalapeno is too mild but when I keep them in (as I did in this case), it was too hot for us! But even though I'm still figuring out the right amount of heat for us, this recipe tastes pretty auténtico to me! It's also quite easy to make -- just throw in all the ingredients to a blender.

Beef and Black Bean Enchiladas
Taken from: Cook's Country TV

• 3 garlic cloves , minced
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ - 3/4 pound ground beef (preferably 85% lean or leaner)
• 2-3 cups black beans
  
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 medium onions , chopped
• 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce (I used fresh tomatoes pureed in the food processor)
  
• ½ cup water
• 2 cups shredded cheese (you can use part-skim mozzarella, Monterey Jack cheese, cheddar cheese or a combination)
  
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/2 jalapeno, finely chopped (remove seeds to make it milder)
• Corn or whole wheat tortillas

-Combine garlic, chili powder, coriander, cumin, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt in small bowl. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook meat until browned (about 6 min), then drain off fat. Transfer meat to plate.
-Add onions to pot and cook over medium heat until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic mixture and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomato sauce and water and bring to boil. Return meat, beans and juices to pot, cover, reduce heat to low, and gently simmer, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
-Strain beef mixture over medium bowl, pressing on mixture to break meat into small pieces and extract as much sauce as possible; reserve sauce. At this point, you could refrigerate the meat and sauce for up to 2 days or freeze each for up to a month.
-Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees.
-Transfer meat to medium bowl and mix with 1 cup cheese, cilantro, and jalapeños.
-Spread 3/4 cup sauce in bottom of 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Microwave 6 tortillas on plate on high power until soft, about 1 minute (if necessary). Spread 1/3 cup beef mixture down center of each tortilla, roll tortillas tightly, and set in baking pan seam side down. Repeat with remaining tortillas and beef mixture.
-Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas and spread to coat evenly. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese evenly over enchiladas, wrap with aluminum foil, and bake until heated through, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until cheese browns slightly, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve.

Restaurant-Style Salsa
Taken from: Good Life Eats

• 1 - 14 ounce can Whole Tomatoes With Juice (I used 2 fresh tomatoes instead)
  
• 1 - 10 ounce can Rotel Original (diced Tomatoes And Green Chilies) or Rotel Mexican (diced Tomatoes with Lime and Cilantro)
• 1/4 medium onion, roughly chopped
  
• 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
  
• 1/2 jalapeno, roughly chopped(seeds removed for milder salsa)
• 1/8 teaspoon sugar or honey
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 1/2 lime, juiced

-Combine tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lime juice, and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you’d like—about 5 to 15 pulses. Test seasonings and adjust as needed.
-Refrigerate salsa for at least an hour before serving.

Choosing Lean Cuts of Meat

I don't know about you but I am just intimidated by choosing cuts of beef and pork. If it's not listed in the recipe or if I want to do a substitution, I wander up and down the meat department, helplessly trying to decipher and decide. Does the word "loin" imply a leaner cut of pork? What's the difference between choice and prime beef? It might be very unusual for someone who likes cooking so much but when it comes to cuts of meat, I'm a complete novice.

In the past, I've assumed that more expensive equals leaner but I'm sure that's not always the case. Also, our budget (and my naturally Scrooge-y self) only allows for filet mignon or pork tenderloin for special occasions.

So after choosing what I assumed was a leaner cut of pork for our pulled pork last night and being sadly mistaken (I was deceived by the lack of visible fat), I realized I needed to start learning a thing or two about choosing cuts of meat - specifically, lean cuts of meat. And since I might not be the only one who's ever wondered the same thing, I figured I would pass along a little newfound knowledge!

No matter what cut you choose, look for meat that is antibiotic-free and 100% vegetarian-, pasture- or grass-fed (otherwise, there's a good chance that these animals are being fed parts of other animals which is disgusting, not to mention unnatural). Since buying these meats will probably be more expensive pound for pound, buy small quantities. But this doesn't mean that you have to go hungry. Here are a few tricks to make a little go a long way. You can try adding the meat to a dish with several other ingredients (think kabobs, tacos or pasta) to make a little seem like a lot. Or have the meat stand alone but use more filling sides (sides with beans can be a good choice) to round out the meal.

Beef
Information from here and here.

-Certain words on packaging indicate cuts that are lower in fat: round, chuck, sirloin or tenderloin. Here are some cuts to look for:

• eye of round
• top round steaks and roasts and sirloin
• top loin
  
• tenderloin steaks

-When buying ground beef, choose at least 85 or 90 percent lean. (Also, remember to drain off the fat after cooking the ground beef.)
-Choose "Choice" or "Select" beef, not "Prime," which usually has more fat.

Pork (and Lamb)
Information from the same source as beef.

-Leanest cuts of pork include the tenderloin, loin chops or leg (the same is true for lamb as well).
-Look for these cuts of pork:

• pork tenderloin
• boneless top loin roast
• bone-in sirloin roast
• boneless top loin chop
• bone-in rib chop
  

How to Prepare:

In case you're wondering the classic ways to prepare each cut, here's a helpful Everyday Food article: How to Choose (and Prepare) a Steak