Livin' Lean Topic Tuesday: The Great Ground Beef Battle

For the majority of my life, I was not a red meat eater. Yes, this Parrothead did not always enjoy a Cheeseburger in Paradise at the Buffett show each summer. Half of you are probably thinking that is the way it should be. For whatever reason of your own, meat has been excluded from your diets entirely. And I respect that. While the other half are wondering why I would deny myself such great pleasure all those years. Well, I will give you the flat out truth. The reason I passed on steak and burgers all those years was because of the fat content. I knew beef had a higher amount of fat than chicken and turkey, so that is what I opted for. Now, we can argue different pros and cons to red meat, but for today, we are just talkin’ fat content. We will save the rest for another Tuesday.

My feelings toward burgers and steaks changed when I met my hubby. On one of the first “dates” we had, he took me over to his friend’s house for dinner. What was for dinner? Steaks. I didn’t want to be rude, so I took that first bite. After that, I was hooked. Sorry, I love a great steak! And this was a really great one. From that point on, red meat was a friend of mine.

While it still holds true that a boneless skinless chicken breast has a considerably lower amount of fat, than let's say, a rib eye, the same does not hold true when looking at ground meat.

Last night while shopping for burger meat to make Pimiento Cheeseburgers (recipe coming soon!), I thought I'd make a comparison between my options. If I look at the leanest ground beef, how does it size up next to ground chicken or turkey?

Are you ready for the shocking discovery? Ground turkey and chicken pack anywhere between 12-17 grams of fat per serving. At that rate, you are better off getting 93/7 or even 80/20 ground beef! How could this be? I thought chicken and turkey were lean. Well, just like us, we have lean parts and then we have parts that provide a little extra insulation. Ground turkey and chicken includes both of these parts, unless specifically stated.

If you are able to find ground chicken or turkey "breast", now we are talkin'. The fat content is extremely low and worth passing on the ground beef for. So, if fat is a factor when making burgers or other recipes calling for ground beef, then first look for ground chicken or turkey breast. Look for the word “lean” on the package. Jenny-O makes one that is 99% fat free! That is your best bet. After that, go with the good stuff and use 93/7 ground beef.

                                                               The Numbers

Ground Turkey (85% Lean)                        14.9 g/fat                        4 ounce serving
Ground Chicken                                           11 g/fat                         3 ounce serving
Ground Beef (93/7)                                        6 g/fat                         4 ounce serving
Jenny-O Ground Turkey (99%)                       1g/fat                         4 ounce serving

Just remember, chicken or turkey doesn’t always mean healthier for you. Check the labels and packaging before buying in order to make the best decision.

Paula Deen's Lean: Spicy White Lasagna

It's fun to make things a little out of the ordinary. Why does lasagna always have to be about ground beef and tomato sauce? Well, it doesn't. In this lasagna, Paula gives a fun twist to this classic favorite with Alfredo, sausage, chicken and Cajun seasoning. Sounds good, right? It probably also sounds a bit heavy too. No worries. You all know the drill by now. This recipe has gotten a southern slim-down and is the perfect dish for your next supper, dinner party or potluck.

SPICY WHITE LASAGNA
Makes 6 to 8 servings


INGREDIENTS:

8 uncooked WHOLE WHEAT lasagna noodles
12 oz Jimmy Dean REDUCED-FAT ground sausage
4 oz Jimmy Dean Hot ground sausage
1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1" pieces
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic; finely chopped
2 (15-ounce) jars RAGU LIGHT Alfredo sauce, divided
1/2 cup FAT FREE/REDUCED SODIUM chicken broth
1/2 cup FAT FREE grated Parmesan cheese
1 (15-ounce) container FAT FREE ricotta cheese
1 large egg
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 (6-ounce) bag fresh baby spinach
2 cups KRAFT FAT FREE mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 11x7-inch baking dish; cooking spray.

Cook noodles according to package directions; drain. It is suggested to cook the noodles about one or two minutes less than the package tells you too; al dente.

In a large skillet, combine sausage, chicken and Cajun seasoning; cook over medium-high heat 7 to 9 minutes or until sausage is brown and crumbly. Remove chicken and sausage mixture from skillet, reserving dripping in skillet.

Add onion and garlic to hot drippings in skillet; cook over medium heat for roughly 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in meat mixture, one jar of Alfredo sauce, chicken broth and grated parmesan.

In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, egg and basil; spread half of mixture over the bottom of prepared baking dish. Top with half of remaining jar of Alfredo sauce. Arrange 4 noodles over the sauce. Spread half of meat mixture over the noodles. Arrange half of spinach over the meat mixture. Sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella. Repeat procedure for remaining ricotta mixture, Alfredo sauce, noodles, meat mixture, spinach and mozzarella.

Bake 50 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes (at least) before serving.

RESULTS:

Let's just say this, the first words out of my husband's mouth after taking his first bite were, "Wow, Lindsay. You have really outdone yourself." Boy does that feel great! I love to cook, but the most rewarding part of it all is having the people you cook for love what you make. Both he and my brother couldn't get enough of it. And let's be honest, neither could I. Even the little one kept asking, "Mo, pleeeese!" I gotta give thanks to Paula for another inspiring dish which my family loves.

What is great about this dish, other than the taste and trimmed down ingredients, is that it can be made the day before and reheated in the oven or microwave. It's one of those dishes you could make on a Sunday afternoon and then throw it back in the oven Monday evening for a quick, homemade dinner.

Overall, this dish has it all; protein, grains, vegetables, dairy and a very high "YUM" factor. I give it a perfect 10!

ENJOY!


~ This recipe comes from Paula Deen's Best Dishes 2010-Special Issue ( page 39)
Hoffman Media, LLC

Paula Deen's Lean: Collard Greens Risotto

This side dish was one which I was really excited, and a little nervous, about trying. If you are a Hell's Kitchen fan, then you will understand why. Since season one, I have watched Chef Ramsey rip apart numerous "head-chef hopefuls" for their attempts at making risotto. Either it comes out too crunchy, too salty, too bland or just a bowl full of mush. More times than not, the risotto coming out of HK is just not up to par according to Chef Ramsey's standards. And these people are experienced chefs! How am I going to do? This dish must be tough!

Well, lucky for me, Chef Ramsey was not hanging over my shoulder while I took a stab at Paula Deen's Collard Green Risotto. One thing for sure is that I gained even more respect for those chefs working the appetizer station. Risotto is hard work! It requires constant stirring and monitoring. If you are planning to make this dish, you have permission to skip your arm workout for the next three days.

Here is the lighter version of this labor-intensive rice dish...

COLLARD GREEN RISOTTO

Makes 4 to 6 servings

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 small onion; finely chopped
2 cups Arborio rice
1 (32-ounce) box plus 1 (14-ounce) can FAT FREE/REDUCED SODIUM chicken (or veggie) broth, warmed
1/2 (!6-ounce) package frozen collard greens, thawed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

In a Dutch oven, warm EVOO over medium heat. Add onion and  for sauté about 10 minutes or until tender.
 Stir in rice and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in 1 cup pf warm broth; cook until absorbed and stir constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low and add 1 cup of broth; stirring constantly until all liquid is absorbed. Repeat for the remaining broth; stirring constantly each time until liquid is absorbed. Stir in collard greens, salt and pepper. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and sprinke with Parmesan. Serve immediately.

RESULTS:

Like I said, this dish is labor-intensive. I had never made it and just needed to give it a try. It has been made and now I know; a valuable learning experience. I couldn't imagine trying to keep the risotto going while making anything else though. It would be difficult to multi-task with such a "needy" dish. With all of that being said, it was still delicious. My word of advice would be to not rush the process. There were moments where I thought, "This is good enough" or "Do I really need to add all this broth?" Don't do it. Follow the directions without missing a step and you will get great risotto. Skip a step or try to rush it and, well, Chef Ramsey has words for what you will get. I am not going to write those. You know what I mean.

Overall, the reward was worth all the work. It takes time, but if I can do it...anyone can do it.Give it a try!
Your guests will sure to be impressed!

Hell's Kitchen chefs, much respect!




~ The original recipe can be found in Paula Deen's Best Dishes 2010 - Special Issue; page 102
Hoffman Media, LLC