beef

Asian Beef & Broccoli

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Posted by Erin

The only “vegetables” (even if you can call them that) I at as a child were potatoes and hominy.  Hominy… not sure that even qualifies as a vegetable, it’s so over-processed.  My mom tried everything to get me to eat my vegetables.  She tried making me sit at the table until I ate them… I was apparently a very strong willed child.  She tried seasoning them differently or “hiding” them in casseroles… I didn’t fall for that.   She even tried paying me.  That one actually worked… until she quit paying me, then I quit eating them.  My poor mom.  Fortunately, my taste buds have changed and now I’m a lover of all foods, meat and vegetables alike.  Luckily for me, my kids are a lot better eaters than I was as a child.  One of their favorite veggies is broccoli so we have it a lot.  We like it roasted, steamed & seasoned, covered in cheese, or incorporated into a dish such as this one.  This Asian Beef & Broccoli is a one-pan meal, which you know I love!  (Okay, two pans if you count the one you cook the rice in.)  It’s fast & easy to prepare and tastes like Chinese take-out!

Ingredients:

  • ½ c. beef broth (I use water & beef bouillion)
  • 3 T. cornstarch, divided
  • 2 T. sweet chili sauce (found in the Asian section of the grocery store)
  • 4 T. low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 T. garlic, minced
  • ½ tsp. fresh ginger or ginger paste
  • ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 1 T. sesame oil, divided
  • 1 (12 ounce) bag frozen broccoli florets, thawed and drained on paper towels (I chop them smaller so they spread more evenly throughout the dish & cook faster.)
  • ½ a medium onion, chopped
  • 1 lb. tenderized round steak (a.k.a. cube steak), trimmed and cut into small strips
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. onion powder
  • Salt & pepper
  • Cooked rice, for serving (We also like to have more soy sauce on hand to season our rice.)

Instructions:

In a small bowl, combine beef broth, sweet chili sauce, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, minced garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes (if desired); set aside.

In a large skillet or wok, heat ½ tablespoon sesame oil over medium-high heat.  Sautee the broccoli, stirring frequently, until it gets some brown coloration on it.  Turn off heat, remove broccoli from the pan, and set aside.

In a bowl or plastic baggie, sprinkle steak strips with corn starch, garlic powder, onion powder, and a dash of salt & pepper; toss to coat.

Heat remaining ½ tablespoon sesame oil in the skillet again over medium high heat.

Add beef; cook and stir until brown and juice runs clear.

Add broth mixture & broccoli to pan with beef.

Reduce heat to low.

Simmer & stir about 5 minutes, until broccoli is tender and sauce is thickened.

Serve over rice; add more soy sauce, if desired.

WW Freestyle Info:  Each 8 ounce (weight) serving is 6 points; makes 4 servings.

Hearty Beef Chili

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Hello all!  Tracy here.  It was unseasonably cold and rainy here in our neck of the woods recently.  On days where I find myself putting my warm clothes on, I start to look for comfort food – preferably something that I know my family of meat loving boys will eat.  Even the pickiest of eaters in your family will love this chili recipe – especially if you top it with cheese and serve it with a pile of Fritos.  If you like things a little spicy, like we do, you can also add some diced jalapenos to the top.  If you follow Weight Watchers (or attempt to, like me), this comes to 2 Freestyle Points for a one cup serving!  With the new Freestyle program I’ve added extra beans so it’s extra filling with lower points! Makes 8 servings.

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ lbs 95% lean ground beef (You can also use half ground beef, half ground venison, as we often do).
  • 1 c. chopped onion
  • 3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 ½ T. chili powder
  • ¾ tsp. salt
  • 1 ½ tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 ¼ tsp. dried oregano leaves
  • ¼ tsp. ground cayenne pepper
  • 2 cans (16 oz. each) petite diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
  • 1 can (16 oz.) dark red kidney beans, drained
  • 1 can (16 oz.) light red kidney beans, drained
  • 1 can (16 oz.) pinto beans, drained

Instructions:

Cook beef, onions, and garlic in a large sauce pan until beef is browned; drain away any excess fat.

Stir in all remaining ingredients except the beans.

Gently stir as mixture heats to boiling, breaking up tomatoes.

Once mixture boils reduce heat to simmer; cover and simmer on low heat for approximately 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in cans of beans, heat to boiling; reduce heat and simmer on low, uncovered, for about 20 minutes longer.

Serve topped with cheese, over Fritos, or with your favorite southern cornbread.

Weight Watchers Info.:  Figured with 95% lean ground beef this recipe comes to 2 Freestyle Points for a 1 cup serving.  

Skillet Fiesta

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This is probably one of the more versatile recipes in our family recipe box.  We usually eat this dish with chips, but friends have put it in a taco shell or rolled it up in a tortilla.  Any way you eat it, it’s delicious!  Another great thing about this dish is that it’s only 6 SmartPoints per serving (minus the chips, of course)!

Ingredients: 

  • 1 lb. lean ground beef
  • ½ c. diced onion
  • ½ t. salt
  • ½ t. black pepper
  • 1 t. garlic salt
  • 2 t. chili powder
  • 1, 16 oz. can petit diced tomatoes
  • 1 c. frozen corn (or one small can, drained)
  • ½ c. c. chopped green bell pepper
  • 1 ½ c. prepared beef bullion
  • 1 ½ c. minute rice

Instructions: 

Cook meat and onion together until meat is browned.  Stir in salt, pepper, garlic salt, and chili powder.  Stir in tomatoes, corn, and green pepper.  Bring to a boil.

Stir in rice and bullion.  Cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until rice is cooked through and liquid is mostly absorbed.

Serve with tortilla chips.

WW Freestyle Info.:  6 points per serving; makes approximately 6 servings.

Italian Beef Sandwiches

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These sandwiches are the easiest thing you will ever make (even if you’ve never cooked a meal in your life, you can make these) and people will think you slaved in the kitchen.  This beef is fall-apart tender and melt-in-your mouth delicious.  They have a whopping 5 ingredients, and prep time is less than 5 minutes.  Set it and forget it! ~Erin

Ingredients:

  • 3 pounds top round (or similar cut) beef roast
  • 2 or 3 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 (0.6 oz.) packet Good Seasons dry Zesty Italian dressing mix
  • 1 (16 oz.) jar whole or sliced pepperoncini peppers
  • 8 to 10 ounces fat-free Zesty Italian dressing
  • Buns for serving
  • Cheese for sandwiches, optional

Instructions:

Place roast in a slow cooker.

Top with garlic and dry zesty Italian seasoning mix.

Discard all but about a quarter of the juice out of pepperoncini jar; pour remaining juice and all the peppers over the roast.

Pour in liquid zesty Italian dressing.

Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or high for 3-4, or until meat is fully cooked and shreds easily.

Shred the beef & serve it hot on a toasted bun with the cheese of your choice.

WW Freestyle Info.:  The beef/pepper mixture calculates to 5 points per 4 ounce serving.