Beef with Broccoli Stir Fry

If you were to ask me what my favorite type of food is, I would have to say that's it a cross between authentic Mexican or Chinese Food.  Which of course, neither one is very healthy or low fat!  HOWEVER, they can be if you just make a couple of alterations.  You can still enjoy that food that you love, by adding LOTS of herbs.  One of my hubby's favorite dishes when we go out is just plain old Beef with Broccoli.  SO, here is the low fat, healthy, BUT still incredibly yummy and easy (whew that's a mouth full) recipe!  ENJOY!

BEEF WITH BROCCOLI STIR FRY

2 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch, divided

1/4 tsp table salt

3/4 pound(s) lean sirloin beef, trimmed, thinly sliced against the grain

2 tsp canola oil

1 cup(s) reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided

5 cup(s) broccoli, florets (about a 12 oz bag)

1 Tbsp ginger root, fresh, minced

2 tsp minced garlic

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste

1/4 cup(s) low-sodium soy sauce

1/2 cup(s) water

On a plate, combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch and salt; add beef and toss to coat.

Heat oil in a large nonstick wok or large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and stir-fry until lightly browned, about 4 minutes; transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon.

Add 1/2 cup broth to same pan; stir to loosen any bits on food on bottom of pan. Add broccoli; cover and cook, tossing occasionally and sprinkling with a tablespoon water if needed, until broccoli is almost crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Uncover pan and add ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes; stir-fry until fragrant, about 1 minute.

In a cup, stir together soy sauce, remaining 1/2 cup broth, remaining 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch and water until blended; stir into pan. Reduce heat to medium-low and bring to a simmer; simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.

Return beef and accumulated juices to pan; toss to coat. Serve.

There's nothing like a good French Dip Sandwich...

After trying several recipes for French Dip sandwiches, I decided to mix a bunch of them and make it my own.  I love these sandwiches, especially during the winter. Enjoy!

 FRENCH DIP SANDWICH

3-4 lb rump roast, trim fat prior to placing in crock pot

1 packet. au jus mix

1 10oz. can of condensed french onion soup

2(10.5 oz) can beef broth (or you can do 1 can of beer and 1 can of beef broth.)

1 1/2 cups water

Hogie buns, we prefer sourdough

Swiss or provolone Cheese

Place roast in crock-pot. Mix the au jus packet, soup, broth and water and pour over meat. Cook on LOW for 8-10 hours. Remove roast. Reserve juice for serving. Slice meat thinly or it may be soft enough to just pull apart. Stack meat on buns and cover with cheese. Wrap in foil. Heat in 350°F oven for 10 minutes. Serve and dip in left over juices from crock pot.

Beef Stew with Noodles

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 medium onion, sliced lengthwise
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cans (14.5 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 pound carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
2 cups egg noodles
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon red-wine vinegar

In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over high. Add beef, season with salt and pepper, and cook until seared and brown, about 6 minutes. Add onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook until onion begins to soften (reducing heat if necessary), about 5 minutes. Stir in flour until beef and onion are coated and cook 1 to 2 minutes (do not burn). Add broth and 3 cups water, stirring and scraping up browned bits. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook until beef is tender, about 25 minutes.

Add carrots and potatoes and cook until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Add noodles and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. To serve, stir in parsley and vinegar. To Freeze: Store in airtight containers in the freezer, up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating. (recipe and picture found here.)

Shepherds Pie!

4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
5 carrots, chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ketchup
3/4 cup beef broth
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash. Mix in butter, finely chopped onion and 1/4 cup shredded cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add carrots and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, mash and set aside. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add onion and cook until clear. Add ground beef and cook until well browned. Pour off excess fat, then stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add ketchup and beef broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Spread the ground beef in an even layer on the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish. Next, spread a layer of mashed carrots. Top with the mashed potato mixture and sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. (recipe and picture from here.)

Mongolian Beef- Easy and tastes just like PF Changs

1 lb of flank steak or cube steak, thinly sliced crosswise

1/4 cup of cornstarch

3 teaspoons of canola oil

1/2 teaspoon grated ginger (about 1/2 inch piece)

1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 2 -3 large cloves)

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

3 large green onions, sliced

For the meat, make sure the steak slices are dry by patting them with a paper towel. Slice them into strips, then add the cornstarch to the beef. Place the slices in a strainer and shake off excess corn starch.

Begin to cook the rice while you prepare the rest of the meal.

For the sauce, heat half of the oil in a large wok or pan at medium-high heat and add the garlic and the ginger. Immediately add the soy sauce, water, brown sugar and pepper flakes. Cook the sauce for about 2 minutes and transfer to a bowl. Don't worry if the sauce doesn't look thick enough at this point. The corn starch in the beef will thicken it up later.

Place the meat in the same pan and cook, stirring until it is all browned (this is a quick thing). Pour the sauce back into the wok/pan and let it cook along with the meat.

You can cook down the sauce to reduce it to thicken or leave it thinner. Add the green onions on the last minute so the green parts will stay green and the white parts crunchy. (recipe from here and picture from here.)

TOO Easy Lasagna

1 lbs. ground beef

1 lbs. ground sausage

1/2 cup water

1 tsp. oregano

2 tsp. italian spices

1 tsp. minced garlic

3 cans of tomato soup

12-16 lasagna noodles

1 pint cottage cheese (lowfat)

1 cup of mozzerella cheese

In a large skillet, cook beef and sausage and then drain. Add water, oregano, vinegar, garlic and soup. Simmer. At the same time, cook lasagna noodles until done and drain. In a 13x9 pan, layer noodles, meat, cottage cheese and mozzerella cheese. Repeat layers until all is gone. Sprinkle with additional mozzerella cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until done. (picture from here.)

Slow Cooker Swiss Steak

1 1/2 lb boneless beef round steak
1/2 teaspoon peppered seasoned salt
6 to 8 small red potatoes, cut into fourths
1 1/2 cups ready-to-eat baby-cut carrots
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with Italian herbs, undrained
1 jar (12 oz) beef gravy
Chopped fresh parsley, if desired

Cut beef into 6 serving pieces. Spray 12-inch skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Sprinkle beef with seasoned salt. Cook in skillet 6 to 8 minutes, turning once, until brown.

In 4- to 5-quart slow cooker, layer potatoes, carrots, beef and onion. In medium bowl, mix tomatoes and gravy; spoon over mixture in slow cooker.

Cover; cook on Low heat setting 7 to 8 hours. Sprinkle with parsley. Note: This recipe was tested in slow cookers with heating elements in the side and bottom of the cooker, not in cookers that stand only on a heated base. For slow cookers with just a heated base, follow the manufacturer’s directions for layering ingredients and choosing a temperature. (recipe and picture from bettycrocker.com)

Cheese Stuffed Burgers with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

3 pounds ground beef
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 ounces blue cheese (or other soft cheese, such as Brie)
8 rolls or buns, split
2 cups packed baby spinach
2 tomatoes, cut into 8 slices
Sauteed mushrooms (optional)

Heat grill to medium-high. In a large bowl, gently fold together beef, Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Form into 8 equal-size mounds.
Shape cheese into 8 equal-size disks. Press a small well in the center of each beef mound. Place cheese in well; wrap beef around cheese, pinching to seal.

Lightly oil grates. Place burgers on grill; cover. Cook until grill marks are visible on first side, 4 to 6 minutes. Turn burgers with a spatula; cook until grill marks are visible on other side and meat is just slightly pink in the middle, 4 to 6 minutes more for medium-rare.

To serve, layer bottom roll halves with spinach, burgers, tomato, and mushrooms, if using, dividing evenly. Spread top roll half with roasted red-pepper sauce, as desired.

ROASTED RED PEPPER SAUCE

1 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup drained (jarred) roasted red peppers
1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper

In a food processor, combine all ingredients and puree until evenly colored and almost smooth. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.(Recipe and picture from Marthastewart.com)

Slow Cooker Reuben Sandwiches! PERFECT FOR DAD

1 package (2 pounds) refrigerated sauerkraut
2 to 3 pounds corned beef brisket
1 cup Thousand Island dressing
16 slices pumpernickel rye bread, toasted
8 slices (1 ounce each) Swiss cheese

Place sauerkraut in 3- to 4-quart slow cooker. Place beef brisket on sauerkraut. (If brisket includes packet of spices, sprinkle spices over brisket.) Cover and cook on Low heat setting 9 to 11 hours.

Remove beef from cooker; place on cutting board. Cut beef into slices. To serve, spread 1 tablespoon dressing on each toast slice. Using slotted spoon to remove sauerkraut from cooker, top 8 slices toast with 1/2 cup sauerkraut each. Top sauerkraut with beef slices and cheese slice. Top with remaining toast. Note: This recipe was tested in slow cookers with heating elements in the side and bottom of the cooker, not in cookers that stand only on a heated base. For slow cookers with just a heated base, follow the manufacturer’s directions for layering ingredients and choosing a temperature. (Recipe and picture found at bettycrocker.com)

French Dip Sandwiches!

1 (4 pound) boneless beef roast
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 beef bouillon cube
1 bay leaf
3 whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon garlic powder
20 slices French bread

Remove and discard all visible fat from the roast. Place trimmed roast in a slow cooker.
In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce, bouillon, bay leaf, peppercorns, rosemary, thyme, and garlic powder. Pour mixture over roast, and add enough water (you can use beef broth as well to make it that much better) to almost cover roast. Cover, and cook on Low heat for 10 to 12 hours, or until meat is very tender.
Remove meat from broth, reserving broth. Shred meat with a fork, and distribute on bread for sandwiches. Used reserved broth for dipping.

Easiest Spaghetti and Meatballs

Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large egg
1 pound ground beef chuck
1/4 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes in puree
3/4 pound spaghetti

Set a large pot of salted water to boil. In a bowl, combine Parmesan, parsley, garlic, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Add beef and breadcrumbs; mix gently. Form into 16 balls.

In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium. Add meatballs, and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cover partially, and cook, stirring occasionally, until meatballs are cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Meanwhile, cook pasta until done. Drain, and return to pot; add meatballs and sauce, and toss gently. Serve with Parmesan.

(recipe and picture found at marthastewart.com/everyday)

Slow Cooker Salsa Swiss Steak and Noodles

1 boneless beef round steak (3 lb), cut into 12 serving pieces
1 jar (16 oz) Old El Paso® Thick 'n Chunky salsa
1 envelope (about 1 oz) brown gravy mix
1 bag (16 oz) frozen home-style egg noodles

In 3- to 4-quart slow cooker, place beef pieces. In small bowl, mix salsa and gravy mix; pour over beef. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 8 to 10 hours.

About 15 minutes before serving, cook and drain noodles as directed on package. Serve beef and sauce over noodles. (Recipe and Picture found at bettycrocker.com)

Park City Stew

Baby it's cold outside! Warm up with some Park City Stew!

2 1/2 lbs. beef cubes
8- 12 red potaotes, diced
4 large carrots
2 bay leaves
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix
1 can of cream of mushroom
1 can of cream of celery
1 can of tomato soup'
salt and pepper to taste

Put beef cubes in crockpot. Place the veggies on top of the meat. In a large bowl, mix soups and dry onion pack together and pour over veggies. Cokk in crockpot on low for 6-8 hours. Serve with cheese on top.

Italian Steaks

1 egg
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 beef top sirloin steak (1 lb.)
1 TBSP. canola oil
1 cup pizza sauce or thick and chuncky spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup shredded Italian cheese blend

In a shallow bowl, whisk egg. In another shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Cut steak into four pieces. Dip each piece in egg, then coat in bread crumb mixture.

In a large skillet, cook steaks in oil over medium high heat for 2 -4 minutes on eachs side or until meat reaches desired doneness.

Meanwhile, heat spaghetti sauce in a small sauce pan. Spoon over steaks and sprinkle with cheese. Serve with steamed veggies like zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms and red peppers.

Good Ol' Sloppy Joes

1 lb. ground hamburger or ground turkey
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup green pepper, chopped
2 TBS. brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tsp. mustard
dash of salt
dash of pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. chili powder
dash of Worcestershire sauce
Hamburger buns

Brown meat with onions and green peppers. Add the remaining ingredients and let simmer together for a bit. Serveon buns with cheese if desired.

Korean Barbecue Beef

4 to 4 1/2 lbs. stew beef
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup beef broth
1 TBS. brown sugar
2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. sesame oil
2 tsp. sesame seeds. toasted
Hot cooked rice or linguini pasta

Place stew beef in crock pot. Combine green onions, soy sauce, broth, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and pepper in a medium bowl; mix well and pour over meat. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or until meat is tender.

Stir sesame oil into cooking liquid. Cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until hot. Serve over rice or pasta and garnish with sesame seeds.

Smoky Beef Tacos

2 to 3 TBS. Chopped canned chipolte chilis in adobo
1/2 cup ketchup
1 garlic clove- chopped (recipe calls for 8 cloves, but my kids are not fans)
2 tsp. oregano
salt and pepper
1 boneless beef chuck roast (3 lbs.)
16 corn tortillas- lightly toasted

Preheat oven to 350. In a heavy pot with a tight fitting lid, stir together chilies, kethup, 1 cup water, garlic, oregano, 2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper.

Cut beef into 4 egual pieces. Add to pot, and turn to coat. Cover and bring to a boil. Transfer pot to oven. Bake, covered until beef is fork tender, about 2 1/2 hours. Transfer beef to a bowl. With a large spoon, skim off and discard fat from cooking liquid. Shred beef with 2 forks and moisten as needed. Serve with tortillas and desired toppings.

THIS CAN ALSO BE DONE IN A SLOW COOKER. TRANSFER MEAT AND JUICES FROM POT AFTER BOILING. IF NECESSARY, ADD MORE LIQUID. COOK ON LOW FOR 6-8 HOURS.

London Broil- Slow Cooker- One of the BEST Roasts I have ever had!

3 lb. Flank Steak- or 3lb. roast
1- 24oz. can cream of mushroom soup
1- 24oz. can tomato soup
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix

Place roast in crock pot. In a medium bowl, mix together cream of mushroom soup and tomato soup. Pour soup mixture over the meat. Sprinkle dry onion soup mix over the top.

Cover and cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours.

Serve with red potatoes, rice pilaf, or mashed potatoes. SOOOO GOOOD!!