Lunch: Braised Short Ribs on Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Green Beans and Poached Tomatoes

This recipe includes fertility superfoods such as:

Cinnamon

Health and fertility benefits of Braised Short Ribs on Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Green Beans and Poached Tomatoes

Cinnamon is one of the best ingredients that someone with insulin sensitivity can eat. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to be very effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone, which is thought to enhance the effects of insulin. It has also been suggested that Cinnamon prevents post-meal blood sugar spikes by slowing the gastric emptying rate - meaning that food digests slowly. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11506060).

Ingredients

Braised Short Ribs
3 large onions, coarsely chopped
3 to 4 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
4 large carrots, peeled, trimmed and cut into 2-inch chunks
2 beets, peeled, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
3 heads garlic, cut in half
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
6 beef short ribs
Coarse salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
Canola oil
2 (750 ml) bottles red table wine
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup brown sugar
Handful peppercorns
1 to 2 tablespoons butter, a nub
Garlic Mashed Potatoes, recipe follows
Oil-Poached Cherry Tomatoes on the Vine, recipe follows
Green Beans, recipe follows
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
1 head garlic
1 tablespoon good, fruity olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A sprig or 2 of fresh herbs ( rosemary or thyme)
6 large Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled, and quartered.
1 stick butter
1 cup cream
Green Beans
5 handfuls small green beans (petit haricots verts)
Water
Salt
1 large shallot
2 tablespoons butter
Freshly ground black pepper
Oil-Poached Cherry Tomatoes on the Vine
1 to 2 cups good olive oil (enough to just cover tomatoes in pan)
Pinch coarse or kosher salt
2 sprigs fresh herbs
1/2 head garlic, sliced in half
4 vine stems of cherry tomatoes

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine the onion, celery, carrots, beets and garlic. Add the rosemary, thyme, star anise, and cinnamon stick, and set aside.
Cut the ribs between the bones, and trim all the excess outer fat. Season the ribs well with coarse salt. Dredge in flour until well coated.
In a large Dutch oven or wide soup pot on high heat, pour in enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the ribs to the hot oil, and sear the ribs so they are browned well on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the ribs, and set aside.
In the same pan, transfer all the vegetables from the bowl, and stir to caramelize, and pick up all the brown bits. Add the meat back into the pot. Pour the wine over top. Ensure all is covered with the liquid and if not, top up with water.
Add the cocoa powder, brown sugar and peppercorns, and bring to a boil, cover with a lid or foil, and place in the oven until the meat is fork tender, about 3 hours. Remove the ribs to a platter, and strain out the solids to use for something else.
Boil the cooking liquid in a wide shallow pan until it is reduced by half. It will be richer, more flavorful and thicker. Add a nub of butter at the end for sheen and flavor.
Serve the short ribs on a mound of Garlic Mashed Potatoes, topped with Green Beans and Poached Vine tomatoes, recipes follow.
Slice the top off a garlic head and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and the fresh herbs. Wrap in a tin foil packet, and roast in the oven for about 1 hour.
Fill a large saucepan with water; add a few good pinches of coarse salt and the potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until just fork tender. Do not overcook or the potatoes will be soggy. Drain off the water, leaving the potatoes in the pot.
Add the butter and cream to the potatoes, and mash well.
Remove the garlic from the oven. Squeeze the garlic cloves into the potatoes, and stir in. The consistency you want is rough, with some lumps. Season the potatoes with salt, and pepper, if desired.
Trim only the stem ends off the beans. Blanche the beans in a pot of salted boiling water for about 20 seconds. Drain, and immerse in an ice water bath to stop the cooking. Drain the beans on a towel. The beans should be original green in color and crunchy to the bite.
Slice the shallot into fine julienne. In a large saute pan, on high heat, add the butter and shallot. Stir until softened. Add the beans, and toss to warm through. Season with salt, and black pepper, if desired.
Serve the beans in a little mound on top of the beef short rib. Top with a poached stem of tomatoes.
In a large saute pan, add about 2 inches of olive oil. Bring to about 325 degrees F - just below frying temperature. Season with salt, herbs and toss in the garlic. Carefully place the tomatoes in the oil, and poach until they swell up and almost burst, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the tomatoes and use to garnish the beef short ribs.

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