BBQ Beef Sandwiches for Grey Cup festivities!

The Grey Cup is the Canadian equivalent of the Super Bowl in the US....well, its smaller, much more modest cousin...but it celebrated it's 100th game this past weekend, and so it was a big deal for us canucks!  While we love our pulled pork sandwiches for tailgating, we latched on to this BBQ Beef sandwich recipe some years ago and it stuck.  And it is a bit of a healthier alternative (don't tell Z and K).  Some short prep, toss in the slow cooker and it's a snap to make!  Zach was my guest photographer for this entry...he had to get a shot of his double-decker sandwich garnished with dill pickle slices and red onion on an over-sized toasted garlic bun!

BBQ Beef Sandwiches (adapted from Cooking Light Magazine)

2 (1.5 lb) flank steaks

1/3 cup dark brown sugar, divided

3/4 tsp black pepper

1 (6 oz) can tomato paste

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup ketchup

3 tbsp cider vinegar

2 tbsp molasses

2 tbsp worcestershire sauce (if you are not allergic!)

1 tbsp chili powder

2 tsp prepared mustard

1 tsp smoked paprika (optional)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dry mustard

12 (2.5 oz) sandwich rollsred onion rings and dill pickle slices to garnish

Cut each steak in half crosswise. Combine 1 tbsp brown sugar ad pepper. Rub steaks with sugar mixture. Place remaining brown sugar, tomato paste and next 10 ingredients (through dry mustard) in a slow cooker, stir well. Add steak and turn to coat. Cover with lid, cook on high for 1 hour. Reduce to low and cook 6 - 7 hours until steak is tender. Remove steak from slow cooker (leaving sauce in cooker). Shred steak with 2 forks (don't do this until ready to serve or it will dry out). Return shredded steak to cooker, stir well to coat with sauce. Spoon onto buns and garnish. 375 cals.

Virtuous Apple Ginger Muffins

A favourite muffin inspired by a recipe by the lovely Sophie Dahl.  There is no sugar and the recipe uses spelt flour, oats and applesauce to keep it moist.  The result is a lighter-than-air treat that is moist, tasty and good for you....top that!  All this in an effort to increase my health efforts before Christmas...I even tried a very cool ballet-inspired fitness class this week...so between doing that and eating these muffins, I should be guilt-free by Christmas!  If only it were so easy.

What the heck...try the muffins...they are good.  'Nuff said.

Virtuous Apple Ginger Muffins

Sunflower oil (or paper cases)

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (or 1/8 tsp dry)

1 1/4 cup spelt flour (you can use whole wheat flour)

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

4 egg whites, lightly beaten

1/2 cup greek or natural yogurt

3/4 cup agave syrup or honey

1 firm apple, peeled, cored and diced

3/4 cup of raisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F.

Grease a 12 hole muffin tin with sunflower oil or use paper cases.

Sift baking powder, soda, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg into a large mixing bowl.  Stir in flour and oats.  Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add in all the wet ingredients, apple and raisins.  Stir very gently just until dry ingredients are folded into the batter.  Pour batter into muffin tins.  You can garnish each with a thin slice of apple, if you like.

Bake for 25 - 30 mins until tops are brown.  Serve warm with apple butter.