Valentine's Day Dinner - Glazed Kobe Beef Steak with Boniato and Smoked Ham Puree

Since Valentine's Day is coming and we here at Home Cooking Consultant are supporting healthy-heart cooking, I'd like to share with you this fabulous meal idea from my friend, Chef Phil. Cooking a romantic meal at home is probably one of the nicest things you can do for your loved ones.

This year, rather than going out to a noisy and crowded restaurant that serves high fat, high calorie foods. Instead, plan to prepare a wonderfully delicious and healthy meal while listening to your favorite music and sipping on your favorite beverage right in your own kitchen.

I found this particular recipe very enticing and interesting. It's amazing that every so often, I am stumped by an ingredient in a recipe. No matter how much I cook, I'm always learning something new. Perhaps you were unaware, too, of what a Boniato is. It is a tropical sweet potato also known as batats or camote. It is a member of the morning glory family. It is extremely popular in South Florida and among the hispanic community. It is easily distinguished from other sweet potatoes by its pink to burgundy-colored skin and its white or
cream-colored flesh. It is also much fluffier and drier, and less sweet than the yellow or orange-fleshed sweet potato. The boniato can be used similar to other sweet potatoes, although it will not be as sweet. It has a subtle flavor but can be overwhelmed easily by heavy seasonings. It is packed with healthy carbs, protein and vitamin C.

This complete meal below takes a balanced approach of 40% low-fat protein, 30% low-glycemic load carbs, and 30% heart-healthy monosaturated fats. This provides the perfect balance of a variety of foods to sustain a healthy, but luxurious diet!


Glazed Kobe Beef Steak with Boniato and Smoked Ham Puree, Grilled Asparagus and Tangy Pepper Jelly

Created by, Chef Phil Andriano

Serves 2

To Marinate the Steak

1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
1 teaspoon ginger powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons fructose (fruit sugar)
2 teaspoons soy oil
2 (4-ounce) Kobe beef shell steaks

Combine the teriyaki sauce with the ginger powder, garlic powder, sugar and oil in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer just until the sauce is reduced to a glaze consistency. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Pour half the glaze over the steak and marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature. Reserve the remaining glaze.

To prepare the Tangy Pepper Jelly

1/2 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons fructose (fruit sugar)
1/2 cup sweet red pepper, diced
2 teaspoons, jalapeno peppers, diced
2 teaspoons Arrowroot, combined with 2 teaspoons water to make a slurry

In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, and peppers. Bring to a boil and add the arrowroot slurry to thicken. Remove from the heat, and let the jelly cool.

To prepare Whipped Boniato

1 cup boniato, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup skim milk
1/4 cup crisp cooked bacon, diced (reserve a teaspoon of bacon fat to coat asparagus spears)

In a large saucepan filled with cold water, add the boniato cubes. Bring to a boil and simmer until soft about 6 - 10 minutes.

In a medium saucepan, heat the milk until simmering. Remove from heat and add cooked boniato, diced cooked bacon and whip with a mixer until smooth.

To complete the meal: Preheat a grill pan or outdoor grill. Place marinated steaks on grill and cook to desired degree of doneness. Remove steaks to a warm platter and cover with foil for 10 minutes before slicing. Add the asparagus spears to the grill. Grill until tender about 6 minutes.

To serve: Place the whipped boniato on a plate, slice the steak into thin slices and place on top of boniato. Pour remaining glaze over beef. Place grilled asparagus spears around the plate and garnish with the pepper jelly.

Perhaps you'd like to learn more interesting dishes like this one? Chef Phil is available for healthy cooking lessons. Contact us for more information.

"Go Red for Women" - Healthy-Cooking Program

Here at Home Cooking Consultant, we strive to promote healthy eating habits and cooking techniques through a variety of personal chef services. Because we believe so strongly in a healthy diet to support a healthy heart, we've banded together to support a worthy cause.

During the next month, we are preparing to dish out donations in support of the American Heart Association’s “Go Red for Women” program. For every gift certificate sold from now until Valentine’s Day, our chefs will donate $5 to the American Heart Association.

My family has a history of heart disease, so this is an important and personal cause for me. Here at Home Cooking Consultant spend time teaching people how easy it is to create healthy meals right in their own kitchens using their own tools. Our clients find that it’s a very relaxing way to learn new cooking skills or a new cuisine that is light and healthy.

This “Go Red for Women” program is the perfect tool for us to support more awareness of how to prevent heart disease through healthy eating habits. It would be a pleasure for us to be able to help our clients and at the same time send in a big donation to the American Heart Association this year!

In case you aren't in the know, the “Go Red for Women” movement is an initiative by the American Heart Association to raise awareness that heart disease, often viewed as a man’s disease, is the number one killer of women today. To support the program, the American Heart Association started “National Wear Red Day” on February 1^st. Many companies ask employees to wear red and make a $5 donation. We won’t necessarily be wearing red that day, but there are many healthy red foods out there for us to cook!

My friend, Chef Glenn agrees that raising money for the program is a great opportunity. He tells me, “There are a lot of cardiac issues on my wife’s side of the family. When my friend Chef Lia came to me with this idea, I signed on immediately. It just makes sense that we can help people in a unique way to become more aware of how to cook healthy and at the same time give something to help support the overall program.”

Many people think that cooking healthy meals has to be a time consuming chore. My friend, Chef Donna explains “Cooking healthy doesn’t have to be stressful. Our lessons take all the guesswork out of preparing simple dishes that include a variety of whole grains and vegetables along with lean proteins. A cooking class in your kitchen can give you a good jump start to heart health.”

We will be promoting this cause now through Valentine’s Day. And what a perfect gift this could be for your special someone - a heart-healthy private cooking class from a Home Cooking Consultant. Of course, they would have to be here in the NY Metro area for us to accomodate them. (Unless you want to fly us by private jet to our cooking destination! - just kidding).

For more information, please visit our website www.homecookingconsultant.com/gored.html

I LOVE CHEESE!

There's not a day that goes by where there isn't some form of cheese used in my cooking. Naturally, with my Italian background, Italian cheeses are always in the fridge. I particularly like Parmigiano-Reggio and Romano cheeses as toppings for my soups and pastas.

Snack time is another reason I keep cheese around. It's a quick fix for my hunger pangs.

I've had some challenges over the years with family members who are lactose intolerant or have to cut back on their dairy intake. It saddens me when I can't make a cheesy lasagna or my favorite manicotti. However, I make sure I have these dishes plenty when the relatives aren't around!

There is a whole world of cheese out there and sometimes it's hard to know what new cheeses to try. I found a great website that I would like to share with you that gives you a great background on cheese. It's run by the American Dairy Association. There's a detailed cheese guide, recipes, and entertaining tips. If you love cheese as much as I do, you don't want to miss this site.

ILoveCheese.com