Beef Tagine with Butternut Squash

When Tyler told me the name of this dish I was a bit skeptical but figured I’d give it a try.  Typically not a fan of squash but I loved it in this dish.  We served it over couscous with some scallions mixed in.  Great dinner, and great for lunch the next day too!

Beef Tagine with Butternut Squash (from Cooking Light)

Ingredients

• 2  teaspoons  paprika
• 1  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
• 3/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  ground ginger
• 1/2  teaspoon  crushed red pepper
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1  (1-pound) beef shoulder roast or petite tender roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1  tablespoon  olive oil
• 4  shallots, quartered
• 4  garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2  cup  fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
• 1  (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
• 3  cups  (1-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 pound)
• 1/4  cup  chopped fresh cilantro

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add beef; toss well to coat.

2. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef and shallots; cook 4 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes. Add squash; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until squash is tender. Sprinkle with cilantro.

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Beef Dip Sandwiches

This was such an easy meal and SO good.  Definitely a keeper.  Great to come home to dinner ready for you on a Monday night!

Best Beef Dip Sandwiches (from Joelen/All Recipes)

Ingredients:

4 lbs beef chuck roast
1 T minced garlic
1 T dried rosemary
3 bay leaves
1 cup soy sauce
6 cups water

Place roast in slow cooker. Season with garlic, rosemary, and bay leaves. Pour in soy sauce and water. Cook on low setting for 6 to 10 hours.  Serve with your preferred cheese (I used monterey jack) on the rolls/buns of your choice.

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Chili-Espresso Rubbed Steaks with Warm Tomato Sauce

Tomatoes are ripening left and right and we decided to take advantage!  Not only did the grape tomatoes come from our garden but the parsley did as well.  We actually didn’t have espresso powder on hand but the steak was very flavorful without it.

Chili-Espresso Rubbed Steaks with Warm Tomato Sauce (from Cooking Light)

Ingredients:

• 2  teaspoons  espresso powder
• 1  teaspoon  garlic salt
• 1  teaspoon  ground cumin
• 1  teaspoon  dried oregano
• 1  teaspoon  chili powder
• 1  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 2  (12-ounce) flat-iron steaks
• Cooking spray
• 1  cup  grape tomatoes
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh parsley
• 1  teaspoon  extra-virgin olive oil
• 1  teaspoon  sherry vinegar

1. Combine first 6 ingredients; stir well. Rub spice mixture evenly over both sides of steaks; cover and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

2. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

3. Place steaks on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from grill; let stand 10 minutes.

4. Place tomatoes and remaining ingredients in a mini chopper or blender; process until coarsely chopped. Spoon tomato mixture into a microwave-safe bowl; microwave on HIGH 1 minute. Cut steaks diagonally across grain into thin slices. Place 3 ounces steak on each of 4 plates (roughly 2/3 of cooked meat). (Reserve remaining steak for Sunday brunch.) Top each serving with 2 tablespoons sauce.

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Beef Stew with Red Wine

Tyler found this recipe online that made use of many of the leftover ingredients we had from the bolognese the other night (needed to use up that red wine since we don’t really like to drink it).  This stew took just over an hour to make and was delicious!  Next time we will definitely add potatoes though!

Red wine beef stew (adapted from this recipe)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds stew beef

3/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

1 to 2 medium carrots, sliced

2 ribs celery, sliced

1 medium onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 cups beef broth

1 cup dry red wine, such as Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon

1/2 teaspoon fresh chopped rosemary, or a dash of crumbled dried rosemary

1 jar (15 ounces) small onions, or 10 to 16 ounces frozen small onions, thawed

Preparation:

Trim stew beef and cut in small bite-size pieces. Put in a food storage bag with the flour, onion powder, and seasoned salt; toss to coat well.

Heat oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven; add beef to hot oil and cook, stirring, until lightly browned. Add the onion and celery; continue cooking, stirring, for about 3 minutes. Add carrots, garlic, broth, wine, and rosemary; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add drained or thawed onions. Continue cooking for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until beef is tender. Serve with biscuits or hot cooked noodles

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INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

6 tablespoons soy sauce

1/4 cup minced garlic

1/2 medium onion, chopped

2 tablespoons salt

1 tablespoon pepper

1 tablespoon crushed dried rosemary

3 tablespoons steak seasoning

3 tablespoons steak sauce (e.g. A-1)

4 (10 ounce) Delmonico (rib-eye) steaks

DIRECTIONS

Combine the olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, rosemary, steak seasoning, and steak sauce in the container of a food processor or blender. Process until well blended.

Prick steaks on both sides with a fork, and place in a shallow container with a lid. Pour marinade over steaks, cover, and refrigerate at least 3 hours, or overnight.

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat, or light charcoal, and wait until coals are completely white. Soaked wood chips may be added to the coals when ready for a smoky flavor, if you like.

Remove steaks from marinade, and discard the marinade. Lightly oil the grilling surface, and place steaks on the grill. Cover, and grill steaks for about 10 minutes on each side, or to your desired degree of doneness.

We celebrated our third anniversary with steaks grilled on our new gas grill.  They were so delicious no steak sauce was necessary!  KC Strip is not cheap but it was delicious!  We will definitely use this recipe again

Delmonico Steak Marinade (from allrecipes.com)

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

6 tablespoons soy sauce

1/4 cup minced garlic

1/2 medium onion, chopped

2 tablespoons salt

1 tablespoon pepper

1 tablespoon crushed dried rosemary

3 tablespoons steak seasoning

3 tablespoons steak sauce (e.g. A-1)

4 (10 ounce) Delmonico (rib-eye) steaks

DIRECTIONS

Combine the olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, rosemary, steak seasoning, and steak sauce in the container of a food processor or blender. Process until well blended.

Prick steaks on both sides with a fork, and place in a shallow container with a lid. Pour marinade over steaks, cover, and refrigerate at least 3 hours, or overnight.

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat, or light charcoal, and wait until coals are completely white. Soaked wood chips may be added to the coals when ready for a smoky flavor, if you like.

Remove steaks from marinade, and discard the marinade. Lightly oil the grilling surface, and place steaks on the grill. Cover, and grill steaks for about 10 minutes on each side, or to your desired degree of doneness.

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Steak Tacos of Yumminess

We have a grill ya’ll.  A bonafide gas grill with three burners.   One of the many priveledges of being a homeowner!  So far we have made hamburgers and steak tacos.  I foresee much more steak in our future now that we have a fabulous way to cook it!  Tyler picked this recipe out and made it himself.  Delicious!  We did not actually make the salsa, I chose to make guacamole instead since I had the ingredients on hand and love guac!

Grilled Flank Steak Soft Tacos with Avocado-Lime Salsa (adapted from Cooking Light)

Ingredients:

• STEAK:
• 1  tablespoon  chili powder
• 2  teaspoons  grated lime rind
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  chipotle chile powder
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1  (1-pound) flank steak, trimmed
• Cooking spray
• SALSA:
• 1  cup  diced peeled avocado
• 3/4  cup  finely chopped tomato
• 1/3  cup  finely chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion
• 1/4  cup  chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2  teaspoon  grated lime rind
• 2  tablespoons  fresh lime juice
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
• 
  
• 8 corn tortilas
• lettuce

Directions:

1. To prepare steak, combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Score a diamond pattern on both sides of steak. Rub chili powder mixture evenly over steak. Cover and chill 1 hour.

2. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

3. Place steak on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 8 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices.

4. To prepare salsa, combine avocado and next 7 ingredients (through pepper sauce) in a medium bowl.

5. Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon steak mixture evenly over each of 8 tortillas. Top each taco with 1/4 cup salsa and 1/4 cup cabbage.

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Something Different

Here’s another recipe I pulled out of an old issue of Real Simple. We were really pleased with it, I was surprised by how flavorful the mini-burgers were, and of course I loved the salad since I am a lover of all things couscous! This was such an easy meal to whip up, Tyler made the burgers and I made the salad. It was different than any other meal we’ve had before but it was so delicious! Definitely recommend it, make it with some fresh summer tomatoes and cucumbers!

Spiced Mini Burgers with Couscous Salad (from realsimple)

1 10-ounce box couscous (we used whole wheat)
1 pound ground beef
Kosher salt and pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 scallions, trimmed and sliced
4 Roma (plum) tomatoes, quartered
1 seedless cucumber, sliced into half-moons
3 tablespoons tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 8-ounce container hummus (optional)

Place the couscous in a medium bowl and pour 1 1/2 cups hot tap water over the top. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.

Form the beef into 12 small 1/2-inch-thick patties. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, the cumin, and oregano.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the patties and cook to desired doneness, 4 minutes per side for medium.

Combine the couscous, scallions, tomatoes, cucumber, lemon juice, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and the remaining oil in a large bowl.

Divide among individual plates. Serve with the burgers and hummus, if desired.

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Easy Mexican

I’ve been craving Mexican a lot recently, in fact I have a date with a friend to go out for Mexican food tomorrow night, free espinaca dip, mmmmm! Love those coupons Clearly my cravings were acting up when I made our meal plan for the last week. Chicken enchiladas (I’ll post those later) and steak fajitas! Tonight we made the fajitas and they were delicious and really easy to whip up. So much cheaper than the ones you’d pay $10-15 for at a Mexican restaurant too! I made these with a side of cilantro lime rice which was good but not excellent. I went ahead and put it in my fajitas (Chipotle style!) since the rice was a bit mushy and not very appetizing as a side dish! Fajita marinade was great though! Thanks to the hubby for cooking them up! We cooked the meat and veggies in our wok since the grill pan smokes up the apartment! I found this recipe by doing a search within my Google Reader, I love love love Google Reader! I can always do a search there and find great recipes by other food bloggers that I know and love and this was no exception!

Steak Fajitas (adapted from Joelens Culinary Adventures)

Ingredients:

1 lb beef skirt steak or round, cut in thin strips
colorful bell pepper slices of your choice (We used red pepper)
1/4 large red onion, sliced
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons worchestershire sauce
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
pinch of kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper to taste
olive oil for cooking

Directions:
In a grill pan, add a touch of olive oil.
Add beef strips and all ingredients except the bell peppers and onions (We marinated the steak in the sauce for 2 hours, then added the steak and the marinade to the wok for cooking)
Allow the beef to cook through.
When beef is almost cooked, add onions.
When onions have slightly softened, add bell peppers.
Season with additional salt & pepper to taste.

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A WW winner

Love this recipe! Hallelujah! I actually didn’t make it since Tyler is the “stir-fryer” in this household, but I chopped up some stuff and “supervised” and ate it and oh my it was delicious! This is from the “15-minute dishes” portion of the cookbook. Can’t wait to have it again

Stir-Fried Beef and Snow Peas

Ingredients:

3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T minced peeled fresh ginger
3/4 lb boneless sirloin steak, trimmed and cut into thin 2-inch-long slices
1/2 lb fresh snow peas, trimmed, or thawed frozen snow peas
1 cup canned sliced water chestnuts, drained
2 T reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 T orange juice
1 t cornstarch
1 T water

Directions:

1. Spray a large nonstick wok or deep skillet with nonstick spray and set over high heat until a drop of water sizzles in it. Add the scallions, garlic, and ginger; stir-fry until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the beef and stir-fry until browned, about 3 minutes. Add the snow peas and stir-fry about 1 minute. Add the water chestnuts and stir-fry 30 seconds. Stir in the soy sauce and orange juice; bring to a simmer and cook 20 seconds.

2. Stir together the cornstarch and water in a small bowl until smooth. Add to the wok and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce bubbles and thickens, about 30 seconds.

serving size = 1 cup (recipe serves 4)

WW points per serving = 2 (wow!!)

I had mine over brown rice and Tyler had his over some leftover whole wheat spaghetti we needed to use up.

Source: Weight Watchers All-Time Favorites, 2008. p.251

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A healthy chili option

Well according to the menu plan we were supposed to make this on Friday night, but all of our weekend plans got shifted around so Tyler made it for lunch today instead. We had been hesitant to try a new chili recipe since we are so happy with the one we usually use, but this one was great too, and has a lot of veggies in it so it’s a bit healthier. We’ll definitely make it again, and it will be great for taking for lunch this week! Only 4 points per serving and SO filling.

Beef and Black Bean Chili

Ingredients:

1/2 lb 93% lean ground beef
2 onions, chopped
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (be careful not to touch the seeds, they burn!)
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups water
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
(cheese and cilantro for topping if desired)

Directions:
Spray a large nonstick saucepan with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, 3-5 minutes. Drain off any fat.

Add the onions, celery, bell pepper, jalapeno, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes, beans, water, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper, bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the chili is thickened, about 45 minutes.

Serves 4 (each serving is 2 cups)

WW points per serving: 4

Source: Take-Out Tonight: 150+ Restaurant Favorites to Make At Home, Simon & Schuster, New York, 2002

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