PRIME RIB ROAST WITH ONION GRAVY
(served with spinach pakora, sweet tamarind chutney, zucchini “spaghetti” and steamed broccoli)🍽
Rub roast with maldon salt (0 calories and 1 tablespoon olive oil (40 calories).
Prime rib roast: 298 calories for 3 ounces.
Roast in the oven at 375°F until internal digital thermometer reads 130°F. ( M/R)
Let roast rest outside the oven for 20 minutes before slicing.
ONION GRAVY:
2 tablespoons oil (vegetable or cold-pressed grape seed oil)
2 tablespoons butter (room-temperature)
2 medium red onions (peeled and thinly sliced)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
3 cups beef stock
4 teaspoons cornstarch
4 teaspoons cold water
salt (to taste)
freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Melt the oil and butter in a large saucepan over a gentle heat to ensure the butter does not burn. Add the thinly sliced onions to the pan and cover with a lid. Cook slowly for approximately 10 minutes or until the onions are soft and transparent, again taking care not to burn them. The onions should not be browned but instead just melted and soft. Add the sugar and balsamic vinegar to the onions and stir well well to ensure the onions are coated. Cover again with the lid and continue to cook for a further 5 minutes, again making sure they don’t burn. Add the beef stock to the pan and stir well. Boil gently, uncovered for 5 minutes. In a heatproof jar (you can even use a mug) or bowl, mix the cornstarch with the cold water to create a thin, lump-free paste. Pour a little of the hot gravy into the starch mixture and shake or mix thoroughly. Pour the starch mixture back into the gravy. Raise the heat to high and boil for 10 minutes or until the gravy is slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm until ready to serve (29 calories per serving).
Spinach/ “palak” pakora:
2 ½ cups spinach or palak, chopped
1 cup onions, sliced
2 to 3 green chilies, chopped
½ teaspoon crushed fresh ginger and garlic, mixed together (I use a magic bullet and add water bits at a time to get a good texture)
Handful mint (pudina) & coriander leaves
salt as needed
1 teaspoon carom seeds or ajwain
¼ cup chick pea flour besan (2 tablespoons more if needed)
2 tablespoons rice flour (1 tablespoon more if needed)
½ teaspoon red chili powder (optional)
½ teaspoon coriander powder (optional) or 2 pinches of garam masala
oil for deep frying (I baked mine on a sheet of aluminum foil), used cooking spray
Wash and rinse palak very well in enough water. Drain completely. Chop and measure. Add sliced onions, salt, coriander, mint leaves and green chilies. Next also add ginger garlic paste, red chili powder and coriander powder. Mix everything well and rest for 10 minutes.
When the mixture releases moisture, add besan and rice flour. Mix well and check the salt. If using cashews, add them now. Mix. Fry in oil/ bake. (80 calories per 2 pakora if you omit the cashews. 101 calories per 2 pakora if you include them. I served 3 per person: 120 calories per person.)
Sweet Tamarind Chutney:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon asafoetida powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
2 cups water
1 1/8 cups white sugar
3 tablespoons tamarind paste
(*** Asafoetida is used in savory dishes, often to add a more full flavor by mimicking the taste of onions, garlic, egg, and even meat. It’s a staple ingredient in Indian cooking, commonly used along with turmeric in lentil dishes like dal, and a variety of vegetable dishes). Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds, ginger, cayenne pepper, fennel seeds, asafoetida powder, and garam masala. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes to release the flavors. Stir the water into the pan with the spices along with the sugar and tamarind paste. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat until the mixture turns a deep chocolaty brown and is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. This should take 20 to 30 minutes. The sauce will be thin, but it will thicken upon cooling. (Makes enough for 10 people) 113 calories per serving
Zucchini “spaghetti”:
I have a very basic spiral slicer and it is great for making “spaghetti” out of most veggies. 200 g per person, steamed with maldon salt (0 calories). 17 calories per 100 g. Top with 1 teaspoon butter (34 calories per person) Steamed broccoli: 100 g per person, 34 calories
Total calories per person: 662 calories
Recipe and photo: Annie Newton Goussard
