Not Your Mama’s Porridge
Recipe Redux: The Beef Checkoff
Every meal, every day it is a healthy idea to include some protein on your plate. Many people have a hard time accomplishing this at breakfast. With muffins, breads and cereals often taking center stage in the morning, the total protein amount can fall far short of the 20-30 gram amount that’s ideal for muscle maintenance and building. Anyone trying to control their blood sugars will find it easier to do so when their meals include a good protein source.
This recipe will surely put a fix to the morning protein dilemma…
Creamy grits + savory steak and mushrooms + fiery pepper sauce = total mouth party!!!
The creamy grits make for a comforting hot breakfast and pairs deliciously with grilled steak and mushrooms. This fiery pepper sauce recipe is one of my favorites. Feel good about eating as much as you want of it, as it’s made from pureed roasted vegetables. The recipe will make a big batch of sauce; more than is needed for this breakfast for two. Have the extra sauce with corn chips or another meal. You can cut the sauce recipe in half for less of a commitment, but don’t blame me if you make that call and then later find yourself upset when you run out of sauce so quickly!
This recipe is for two people. If cooking for more, you can easily multiply the porridge, beef and mushrooms. You don’t need to make extra sauce (unless upscaling for an army).
Just about any lean cut of beef will work with this recipe, including round, flank, tenderloin, ranch, sirloin or strip. I especially like using flank steak for this; if you choose it make sure to cut it against the grain. Whichever lean cut looks good and is on sale that week, I say that’s the one for you to use!
This dish would also work well with poached egg. If you decide to add eggs, use small sized and cut the beef portion in half.
Not your Mama’s Porridge
INGREDIENTS
(for the Fiery Pepper Sauce)
2 large Bell peppers, red
2 large Plum tomatoes
1 medium Onion, Peeled, sliced in half
2-4 small Cayenne pods, or other dried hot pepper
1+ tablespoons water
1 teaspoon White wine vinegar
To taste Black pepper, fresh ground
(for the Porridge)
1 1/3 cups Milk, low-fat
1/3 cup water
1/8 teaspoon salt
pinch white pepper
1/2 cup Grits, yellow or white, coarse ground
(for the steak and mushrooms)
cooking spray
1 1/2 cups Mushrooms, sliced thick
2 tablespoons Parsley, flat-leaf, chopped
7 ounces Steak, lean cut, sliced into strips
PREPARATION
(for the Fiery Pepper Sauce): Preheat oven 400 degrees F. Place the peppers, tomatoes,onion and dried peppers into a small oven-proof dish and roast for an hour, or until the bell peppers lose all their firmness. Take dish out of oven and cover with aluminum foil for 5 minutes. Remove foil and let vegetables cool slightly. Peel skin from tomatoes and bell peppers and remove stems and seeds from bell peppers. Discard the removed skins and seeds.
Place roasted vegetables into a high-powered blender with a tablespoon of water, teaspoon of vinegar and some freshly ground black pepper. Blend on high for 2 minutes. If sauce is too thick, you can add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time. Note:If you accidentally make the sauce too thin, you can thicken it by adding a teaspoon or two of chia seeds and blending on high for 2 additional minutes.
(for the Porridge): Add milk, water, salt and white pepper to a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Stir in the grits. Bring to a simmer again. Without stirring, cook until the grits float the surface, about 2 minutes.
Cover porridge with a tight-fitting lid and remove from heat. Let sit until all the moisture is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in a little extra milk if needed to reach a creamy consistency.
(for the Steak and Mushrooms): Lightly spray saute pan with cooking oil and heat pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms to and saute 2-3 minutes. Add parsley and saute another 30 seconds. Remove mushrooms from pan and set aside. Reheat pan. Season steak with salt and pepper and add to pan. Cook to desired doneness (medium rare, medium, well-done).
To serve: Place 1/2 of the porridge onto a plate or bowl. Top with 1/2 the steak and mushrooms. Serve with fiery pepper sauce.
Makes 2 servings.
Disclosure: I received beef product mentioned in this post at no cost. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by The Beef Checkoff and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.
