beef

Orange Ginger Beef

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As a teacher and busy mom, I don’t have time to cook all evening.  There are papers to grade and kids who need help with homework.  So, now that school has started back, I’m all about meals I can prepare in a short period of time.  This Orange Beef is one of my favorite week-night meals.  It can be on the table in less than 30 minutes… really more like 15, including the time it takes to slice the steak.  Plus, the Asian flavors hit the spot on a night I’m tempted to pick up Chinese take-out on the way home from work.  Fake-out take-out at its best!  ~Erin

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  • 1 lb. New York strip steaks, trimmed and cut into small strips
  • 3 thinly sliced scallions
  • 2 tsp. ginger paste
  • Zest of half a navel orange
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. pepper
  • ½ T. canola or vegetable oil
  • ½ T. sesame oil
  • 2 T. packed brown sugar
  • 1 tsp. corn starch
  • 2 T. water
  • ¼ c. fresh squeezed orange juice
  • 1 T. unfiltered apple cider vinegar
  • 2 T. low-sodium soy sauce
  • Optional: crushed red pepper flakes, additional sliced scallions; for garnish
  • Prepared rice or cauliflower rice*, for serving

In a medium bowl, mix beef strips with thinly sliced scallions, ginger paste, orange zest, and salt and pepper until evenly coated.

Heat canola and sesame oil together in a large skillet over medium high heat.

When the skillet is very hot, add the beef and cook for about 5 minutes, turning occasionally.

In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar with the corn starch.  Once combined, whisk in the water, fresh-squeezed orange juice, apple cider vinegar, and soy sauce.

Add the mixture to the skillet with the beef; simmer on medium high until thickened, 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve over rice or cauliflower rice; garnish with crushed red pepper flakes and sliced scallions, if desired.

*I find cauliflower rice to have the best flavor when sautéed in a nonstick skillet, using a few sprays of nonstick cooking spray.  Keep the lid on until it thaws, if using frozen.

WW Freestyle Info.:  This recipe makes 4 servings.  Each serving is 10 SmartPoints, not including rice.

This fake-out take-out Orange Ginger Beef is ready in minutes.  10 SmartPoints on WW Freestyle.

Quick & Easy BBQ Sandwiches

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It seems like we are always on the run, wrestling matches, piano lessons, school this – school that, whatever it is it puts a pinch on time to fix dinner.  I know everyone can relate with their own busy schedules. I love a tasty recipe that can be on the table in a jiff on a busy night. This one literally just takes a few minutes to throw together and no one will even know it’s a speedy recipe!!  This recipe is also easily adjusted to make double the amount if you need to feed a crowd.  

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Ingredients:

  • 2/3 c. ketchup
  • 4 T. water
  • 2 T. brown sugar
  • 2 T. apple cider vinegar
  • 1 ½ T. mustard
  • 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ tsp. onion powder
  • ½ tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/8 tsp. black pepper
  • 1/8 tsp. salt
  • 1 ¼ lb. thinly sliced lean deli roast beef

In a small saucepan, combine everything except roast beef, over medium low heat.   Allow to simmer for about 10 minutes.  

Heat roast beef by stirring into sauce and mixing to combine well.  (You can also heat roast beef separately in skillet or microwave, serving sauce on top.)     Serve on hamburger buns with thinly sliced red onion.    

The Best Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa

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Over the years I’ve seen lots of different recipes for Barbacoa.  Some had ingredients that I thought were a little weird, some had sugar, and some had dizzyingly long lists of ingredients.  The version that I’ve created has the perfect amount of spicy flavor, and it cooks to fall apart tender. It’s tasty enough that my oldest, who usually doesn’t care for shredded beef dishes, asked me to make him his own batch to take back to college with him.  He’s also not a fan of leftovers, so here’s hoping that this helps keep him (and his debit card) out of the Chick-Fil-A drive through! But let’s be honest, one of the best things about this dish is that it takes a few minutes to dice two ingredients and the rest is simply tossing stuff into the slow cooker.  My favorite way to eat this is on a soft taco with a little cilantro, a squeeze of lime juice, and of course, cheese, but it also makes a great base for shredded beef enchiladas. I think it’ll quickly become one of your favorites (and it’s only 3 WW points per serving)! ~Tracy

Ingredients:
  • ~One beef rump roast, approximately 3 lbs., with fat trimmed
  • ~1, 5 oz. can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (I use Embasa brand)
  • ~1, 4 oz. can diced green chiles
  • ~1 cup diced white or yellow onion
  • ~5 large cloves garlic, minced
  • ~juice of one lime, freshly squeezed
  • ~2 T. apple cider vinegar
  • ~3 to 4 bay leaves
  • ~1 ½ tsp. salt
  • ~1 tsp. black pepper
  • ~1 T. ground cumin
  • ~1 ½ tsp. oregano
  • ~1 c. fat free beef broth or prepared beef bouillon
  1. Place rump roast in slow cooker (I highly recommend using slow cooker liner. They make cleanup so much easier!)
  2. Remove the adobo peppers from the can and roughly chop them. Use the entire can if you like things fairly spicy. When cooking for my family, I use the entire can, but if you don’t love things very spicy, or are cooking for others, use half the can.
  3. Add the peppers (including seeds and some of the sauce) to the pot with the roast.
  4. Add all other ingredients.
  5. Place lid on slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.
  6. Remove the roast from the slow cooker using tongs or a large spatula.
  7. Remove the bay leaves from the pot while you have the meat removed.
  8. Shred the meat and return to the slow cooker to let it simmer in the juices for another 15-20 minutes before serving.
  9. Remove the meat from the liquid and serve.

WW Freestyle Info.: This recipe makes 15, 3 oz. servings that are 3 points each.

Skillet Cube Steak

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My 11-year-old daughter recently shot her first deer. We hunt for the meat, not for the sport, but I will say there is something rewarding about harvesting your own dinner. My girl was excited and proud to get her first buck!

Venison is delicious, not to mention good for you. It’s a very lean red meat with hardly any fat. Our meat processor tenderizes ours for us so that, it’s so tender, you can cut it with a butter knife. If you don’t have the luxury of hunting your own venison and having it tenderized, you can buy beef cube steak (also known as tenderized round steak) at your local grocery store. We like either/or in this house! ~Erin

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ lbs. cube steak, carefully trimmed of all fat and cut into small (approximately 2 inch) pieces
  • ½ c. all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. black pepper
  • 3 T. olive oil, divided

In a gallon-sized baggie, place all the trimmed meat along with the flour, salt, and pepper. Keep a lot of air in the bag and seal it well. This allows space for the meat and seasonings to shake around in the bag. Flip and shake the baggie until all the meat is coated evenly. Lay the meat out in a single layer on wax paper or plastic wrap near the stove and let it rest for 3-5 minutes. This helps the flour adhere to the meat.

Preheat a medium-sized heavy nonstick or well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add one Tablespoon olive oil and swirl to distribute evenly. Allow the oil to get hot for about a minute; then add about 1/3 of the meat in a single layer, being careful not to overcrowd the skillet. My skillet would fit about 1/3 of the batch of meat so I used 1 Tablespoon of oil per batch for a total of 3 Tablespoons. If you have a large skillet, you may be able to cook it all in two batches, using half of the 3 Tablespoons of oil for each of the batches.

Do not move the meat around after laying it in the pan; let it cook for 4-5 minutes undisturbed. Flip each piece and continue to cook for 3-4 more minutes or until the pieces are golden brown on both sides. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. My family would organize an uprising if I didn’t serve this with mashed potatoes and cream gravy so I suggest you do too. 🙂

WW Freestyle Info.: This recipe makes 5 servings of about 4 ounces each. Each serving is 7 points, whether you use venison or beef.

French Onion Stew

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When my younger son was in grade school he started ordering French onion soup in restaurants like Panera Bread.  He’s always been a fairly adventurous eater, but that one surprised even me.  I decided that if he was going to eat it, I’d learn to make it….but, I must make a confession, I’m not a fan of plain French Onion soup. It tastes so much like onion (go figure).  So, I experimented with several components of soup that I do like and came up with this recipe.  It has turned into a meal that we can all agree is the perfectly indulgent meal. ~Tracy

FrenchOnionStew

Ingredients:
  • 3.5 oz. Shiitake mushrooms (usually one small container), chopped
  • 8 oz. baby Portabella mushrooms (chopped)
  • 1 ½ to 2 medium yellow onions, halved and sliced
  • 2 t. freshly grated ginger
  • 4 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 ½ tsp. black pepper
  • 1 ½ c. shredded beef, such as a rump roast cooked in this method
  • 2 c. fat free beef broth
  • 1 10 ½ can beef consume (such as Campbell’s)
  • 3 T. low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 ½ – 2 c. water (adjust as needed if stew is too thick when barley cooks)
  • 1 c. uncooked barley

Instructions: 

  1. Place chopped mushrooms into a bowl.
  2. Cover with boiling water and let stand approximately 30 minutes.
  3. Spray the bottom of a large stock pot with cooking spray.
  4. Saute onions, garlic, and ginger in sprayed approximately 10 minutes or until softened and just beginning to brown.
  5. Add mushrooms, beef, and a tablespoon or so of the mushroom liquid to aide in the saute process.
  6. Continue to saute for another 5 minutes.
  7. Add soy, consume, broth, water, and barley.
  8. Simmer 30 minutes until barley is tender.
  9. Transfer servings of stew to oven-safe bowls.
  10. Top with your favorite cheese such as grated parmesan, or swiss.
  11. Place bowls under the broiler for only a couple of minutes until cheese melts and begins to lightly brown.
  12. Carefully remove bowls from oven and serve with your favorite bread.

WW Freestyle Info.: This soup makes approximately 10 one-cup servings. Each serving is 3 points each without cheese.

 

 

Beef Tamale Pie

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October is a big month in my family.  My birthday is Saturday, and so is Mom’s.  Then Dad’s is 4 days later.  Lots of celebrating to do!  To top it all off, we take our annual sisters’ trip in October.  Can. Not. Wait!  Yes, October is a fun, busy month.

With all of that happening, we won’t be home much on the weekends, which is when I do the majority of my cooking.  Without my big weekend meal prep sessions, I’ll need quick dinners I can whip up after work.

This is one of those easy, speedy meals, prepped and in the oven in very little time.  It’s certainly easier than making actual tamales but just as tasty!  ~Erin

Beef Tamale Pie from Four Sisters Dish

Ingredients:
  • 1 ½ c. yellow cornmeal
  • ½ c. all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp. baking powder
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1 c. hot tap water
  • 1 egg
  • 3 T. light butter, melted (I use Land O’ Lakes Light)
  • ½ lb. 96% lean ground beef
  • ½ medium onion, optional
  • 1 (16 oz.) jar fat-free chunky salsa
  • 1 (15.5 oz.) can red kidney beans, drained & rinsed
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 ½ tsp. chili powder
  • ½ tsp. ground cumin
  • ¾ c. reduced fat Mexican blend shredded cheddar cheese
  • Nonstick cooking spray

Instructions: 

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  2. Spray a deep-dish pie plate with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. You can use a 9×13 pan instead, your layers will just be thinner.
  3. In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt with a whisk.
  4. Add hot water, melted butter, and egg to the cornmeal mixture; whisk until well-combined.
  5. Pour the cornmeal batter into the bottom of the pan and spread evenly; set aside.
  6. Cook the beef and onion (if using) in a large skillet over medium heat, until beef is no longer pink.
  7. Add the salsa, beans, garlic powder, chili powder, and ground cumin; stir to combine.
  8. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat and stir until heated through.
  9. Spoon the meat mixture over the cornmeal batter to within half an inch of the edge.
  10. Bake 20-25 minutes, until crust is set.
  11. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with cheese.
  12. Let stand 5 minutes until cheese is melted.
  13. Cut into wedges and serve with additional salsa, if desired.

WW Freestyle Info.: This recipe makes 8 servings. Each serving is 6 points.

Mongolian Beef

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I’m like many of you, always looking for ideas to mix up our dinner routine. I love Asian inspired foods, and this is a hit at our house. A little smoky and a titch spicy, it’s the perfect recipe for all the picky eaters around here! ~Kathy

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Ingredients:
  • 1 T. cornstarch
  • ¾ c. reduced sodium chicken broth
  • 2 T. reduced sodium soy sauce
  • 1 heaping T. hoisin sauce (which ever brand you love as they vary a bit)
  • 1 dash liquid smoke
  • ½ to 1 tsp. red pepper flakes, optional
  • 3-4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
  • ½ tsp. garlic salt
  • 1 tsp. sesame oil
  • 1 lb. boneless top sirloin steak, cut into thin strips
  • 1 ½ tsp. olive oil
  • 8 green onions
  • 3 c. hot cooked rice (just cook using instructions on box)

Instructions: 

  1. Begin cooking rice; follow instructions on your box.
  2. In a small bowl, combine broth and cornstarch until smooth. Stir in the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, liquid smoke, pepper, garlic, garlic salt, and sesame oil; set aside.
  3. In a large nonstick skillet, stir fry beef in 1 ½ teaspoons olive oil until no longer pink. Remove from pan and keep warm.
  4. In the same skillet, stir fry the onions to crisp tender in remaining olive oil. Stir the cornstarch mixture gently then add to the pan. Bring mixture to a boil over medium high heat, stirring for 2 minutes, or until thickened.
  5. Reduce the heat, add beef and heat through. Serve over rice with additional soy sauce, if desired.
  6. Garnish with fresh, thinly sliced green onions.

WW Freestyle Info.: Makes 4 three-ounce servings of beef mixture at 5 points each. (Point total does not include rice, so that you can adjust for the type and quantity of rice you prefer.)

Super Duper Spaghetti with Beef

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We are huge fans of spaghetti at our house; it was (and still is!) always a favorite of both of my picky kids even when they were little…maybe that’s why we started calling it “super duper” — and it stuck!  (As you’ll see it the picture, it literally stuck everywhere too!  Luckily, since it’s been four years since this pic, they’re a bit neater these days!)  At any rate, all the prefab sauces are either way too sweet (yuck!) or just painfully bland – not to mention full of a zillion unnecessary additives and sugars.

My own recipe is almost as fast as opening a jar.  Plus you have to wait for the noodles to cook anyway; may as well take those few minutes to throw together this super flavorful, super healthy, super duper version!  ~Robin

Ingredients:
  • 1 ¼ lb. 95% lean ground beef*
  • 3 cloves of fresh garlic, minced (or 1 ½ tsp. jarred, minced garlic)
  • 14.5 oz. (1 large can) Hunt’s tomatoes, petite diced, undrained
  • 15 oz. (1 large can) Hunt’s diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 12 oz. (2 small cans) Hunt’s tomato paste
  • 6 oz. water (one small tomato paste can-full)
  • 4 tsp. dried oregano
  • ½ tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 4 tsp. Italian seasoning (I like McCormick’s)
  • 2 -3 tsp. garlic salt, as preferred
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder

Instructions: 

  1. Put your spaghetti noodles on to boil (whatever your favorite brand is; I use Ronzini Healthy Harvest 100% Whole Grain); cook to al dente.
  2. While noodles are boiling, in a large stock pot, brown the ground beef with the minced garlic. Once cooked, drain any excess oil.
  3. In the same pot, add diced tomatoes, petite diced tomatoes, and tomato paste.
  4. Add the 6 oz. of water.
  5. Finally, add all the spices. (Add garlic salt 1 tsp. at a time so that you can measure it to your own taste.)
  6. Simmer for 5-10 minutes until heated throughout and flavors have combined well.
  7. Add the sauce to your al dente pasta and enjoy!

*My package of beef was just a little bigger than usual, but the points are the same and all the other ingredients amounts don’t differ if you use exactly one 1 lb of 95% lean beef instead – I just went ahead and used this much since I had it.

WW Freestyle Info.: This meat sauce is only 2 points per ½ cup serving. Makes 15 servings; freezes very well. (Remember to count the points for your pasta.)

Hamburger Steak with Caramelized Onion Gravy

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My husband loves beef.  Maybe it has to do with the fact that he’s a cattle rancher and was raised by cattle ranchers, or maybe it’s just a man thing.  Whatever the reason, he loves a good steak or burger.  Stands to reason that he would love this hamburger steak.  And he does.  We all do.  I’ve been making it for years and it always hits the spot!  Seasoned hamburger steak, smothered in caramelized onion brown gravy, and served over mashed potatoes… it’s country cooking at its finest.  ~Erin

Hamburger Steak with Caramelized Onion Gravy

Ingredients:
  • 2 large yellow onions
  • 1 T. light butter (I use Land O’ Lakes Light)
  • Olive oil cooking spray
  • 1 lb. 93% lean ground beef
  • ¼ tsp. black pepper
  • 1 T. dehydrated onion flakes
  • 1 tsp. dry ground mustard
  • 1 tsp. Wyler’s beef granules (or one crushed beef bouillon cube)
  • 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 T. ketchup
  • ½ tsp. seasoned salt
  • ¼ c. Progresso garlic & herb seasoned breadcrumbs
  • 1 (0.87 oz.) package reduced sodium brown gravy mix (I like McCormick brand.)
  • 2 T. dry Lipton Onion Soup & Dip Mix
  • 2 cups water

Instructions: 

  1. Thinly slice the onions (I use my mandolin slicer).
  2. In a medium sized skillet, melt 1 T. light butter over low heat and add onions; stir them to coat them with the butter.
  3. Cook the onions over low heat for 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until caramelized. You can let them cook while you prepare the rest of the recipe, just don’t forget to stir them once in a while. (If you are making mashed potatoes, now is a good time to start those boiling too.) If the onions start to look too dry, give them a quick spray with the olive oil cooking spray.
  4. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together ground beef, pepper, onion flakes, dry mustard, beef granules, Worcestershire, ketchup, seasoned salt, and seasoned breadcrumbs, until incorporated. Do not overmix.
  5. Divide into 4 patties. If you’d like to be precise, mine were exactly 4.6 ounces each.
  6. Spray a medium skillet with cooking spray and cook the patties over medium heat on each side until brown and cooked through; set aside.
  7. Clean any residual oil from the pan with a paper towel.
  8. Add the dry gravy packet and 2 T. onion soup mix; whisk in water.
  9. Bring the gravy to a boil over medium-high heat, then immediately reduce heat to low.
  10. Add the caramelized onions and the hamburger patties to the gravy; simmer for 3-5 minutes until gravy is thickened and the meat is heated through.
  11. Serve over mashed potatoes.

WW Freestyle Info.: This recipe makes 4 servings. One hamburger steak patty with half a cup of onion gravy is 8 points.

Corned Beef Done Right

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After I created this recipe, my family has become fans of corned beef. This isn’t the extremely salty, painful-to-eat corned beef you might have tasted in the school cafeteria or from the can (eeewww!). It is tender, juicy and flavorful. The slow cooker does all the work while you are busy through the day. Serve alongside mashed potatoes, a veggie or salad and dinner is served. Used leftovers to make a Reuben sandwich that will knock your socks off! ~Kathy

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Ingredients:

1 packaged corned beef, flat cut*

1 medium onion

1 c. beef broth

1 garlic clove

1/8 tsp black pepper

Red pepper flakes

Instructions:

Slice onion into thick slices or wedges. Place half of the onion into the bottom the slow cooker. Crush or mince garlic clove and place in slow cooker with onion. Add beef broth to slow cooker.

Remove corned beef from package. Discard seasoning packet. Rinse well to remove brine. Trim fat and discard. Place into slow cooker on top of onion and broth.

Top beef with black pepper, a pinch of red pepper flakes and remaining onion.

Cover, cook on low for at least 8 hours.

When tender, remove to a platter and slice about ½ inch thick, against the grain.

*Packaged corned beef comes in two cuts: flat cut and point cut. They are labeled on the top of the package. You will want to ensure you have the flat cut for the best results.

Weight Watchers Info: Each 3 ounce serving is 6 SmartPoints.