Tag Archives: Beef

Beef, Dinner, Kid Friendly, Lunch, Soups

Meatball and Escarole Soup

December 14, 2012 admin Leave a comment

I just love meatball soup and when you use the frozen prepared meatballs, it takes all the hard work out of it. Just heat up some broth, add meatballs and some veggies and you have a great complete meal. Here is one of my favorite ways to serve.

4 servings
315 calories per serving

24 frozen cocktail meatballs
8 c chicken broth
1 6.5 oz. can sliced mushrooms, drained
4 c cleaned and torn escarole leaves
1 c shredded or julienned carrot
Salt and pepper to taste
1 t garlic powder
1 T dry minced onion
½ t oregano flakes
½ t parsley flakes

Mix all together and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 10 minutes.

Beef, Kid Friendly, Lunch, Sandwiches

French Dip Sandwich

December 7, 2012 admin Leave a comment

This is your classic French dip with a twist – you add some sauteed peppers and onions to make an already good sandwich just GREAT ! You will find yourself making this one again and again !

4 servings
278 calories per serving

1 jar au jus gravy
32 slices thin sliced deli roast beef (Oscar Mayer pre-packaged meats are great)
4 small Club rolls
1 small onion, sliced
1 bell pepper, sliced
Pam

Saute onion and pepper in a pan sprayed with Pam. Add a tablespoon of water at a time if needed to keep moist. Cook until veggies are tender, about 7 minutes. In a skillet heat the gravy and add the roast beef to heat it through. Place meat on rolls and top with peppers and onions. Serve with dipping sauce.

Appetizers, Beef, Crock pot

Cocktail Meatballs (Crock Pot)

September 14, 2012 admin Leave a comment

These are always a hit at parties and they take no time to prepare. Just keep them simmering in a crock all during the party and you’ll see that they disappear pretty quickly. I like to serve them for dinner sometimes – make a salad on the side and you don’t have to wait for a party to enjoy these little stars !

6 servings
247 calories per serving (1 serving = 6 meatballs)

22 oz. frozen cocktail meatballs
2 cans fat free beef gravy (sometimes I use one that has onions in it)
salt and pepper to taste
½ t garlic powder
½ t onion powder

Mix gravy and spices. Defrost meatballs in the microwave or in a pan on the stove. Place meatballs in the crock and pour over the gravy. Cover and cook on high until heated through (about one hour). Then move to the low heat setting and you can keep these going another 3 hours while people pick at them.

Beef, Dinner, Mexican, Summer

Grilled Steaks with Chimichurri Sauce

June 25, 2012 admin Leave a comment

Chimichurri sauce is a great condiment – super low cal, but bursting with flavor. Served atop this already super savory steak, you can’t go wrong.

6 servings
322 calories per serving

Meat and rub:
3 boneless beef chuck flat iron steaks, ¾ inch thick – use sirloin steaks
1 t Kosher salt
½ t garlic powder
½ t ground cumin
½ t chili powder
½ t pepper
¼ t cayenne pepper

Sauce:
1 c cilantro leaves
1 c flat leaf parsley
¼ c white vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ t Kosher salt
½ t red pepper flakes
¼ c olive oil

Place meat on a baking pan. Mix together the meat rub spices and sprinkle on both sides of the meat then rub it in and cover with plastic and chill 1 hour.

Mix the chimichurri ingredients other than the oil in a blender or food processor then slowly add oil as mixture is blending. Heat grill and cook meat 5-6 minutes each side or until desired doneness. Serve with sauce.

Product Reviews

Bella Sun Luci – Not Just Sun Dried Tomato Products

June 14, 2012 admin Leave a comment

Bella Sun Luci produces more than just Sun Dried Tomato products. Just like their line of sun dried tomato items, their marinades that I tried had fantastic flavor. This company knows their food and they do it right !

The marinades are only 10 calories per tablespoon – so you just can’t go wrong ! And the amount of flavor you get is phenomenal. The Carne Asada and Basque Norte marinades are great on chicken and beef alike. The Carne Asada was perfect on a thin, thin sirloin that I grilled. When done, I sliced it up and had it inside flour tortillas with some salsa and caramelized onions – OH SO GOOD !!

Be sure to look for these products are your favorite grocer. They are definitely superior products from a company that cares about quality and value.

Appetizers, Beef, Kid Friendly, Mexican

Mexican Meatballs

April 29, 2012 admin Leave a comment

A great appetizer – easy to make, smothered in heavenly salsa verde, easy to keep warm in a crock pot, and good to the last bite.

12 servings
159 calories per serving (4 meatballs)

1 1/4 c salsa verde
1 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1 egg
3/4 c finely crushed tortilla chips
1/2 c minced green onions
Pam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix 3/4 c salsa verde, beef, tortilla chips and onions. Make into 48 meatballs and place on a cookie sheet sprayed with Pam. Bake 15 minutes or until done. Serve with the rest of the salsa verde. Once baked, I usually place in a crock pot and cover with the rest of the salsa verde and this becomes a great party dish that can be kept on low heat to keep warm.

Beef, Dinner, Kid Friendly

Steak with Mushroom Gravy

March 14, 2012 admin Leave a comment

This is a very satisfying and enjoyable meal. The gravy is very tasty and there are just enough noodles to really make this dish not seem too ‘dietish’. Serve with Roasted Green Beans for a great complete meal.

4 servings
344 calories per serving

2 c raw egg noodles
Pam
1 lb. sirloin steak or filet mignon cut into bite sized pieces
1 T butter
2 T thinly sliced shallots
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 T minced garlic
1 T low sodium soy sauce
3 T flour
1 1/2 c fat free beef broth
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t salt

Cook noodles according to package directions and keep warm. Heat a large skillet on medium high and then spray with Pam. Add steak and cook 5-8 minutes to brown all sides. Remove from pan, cover, and keep warm. Melt butter in pan and cook shallots and mushrooms 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook a minute longer. Stir in soy and then sprinkle with flour. Cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Add broth a bit at a time. Add salt and pepper and bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes. Return beef to pan and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Beef, Dinner, Kid Friendly, Mexican

No Fuss Ropa Vieja (Pressure Cooker)

March 12, 2012 admin Leave a comment

Not quite authentic, but a great no fuss alternative to the awesomely delicious dish named Ropa Vieja. Serve next to rice or use as a filling in flour tortillas. This has WOW taste, great texture and is so, so satisfying.

10 servings
271 calories per serving

1 c beef broth
1/4 c sherry vinegar
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
15 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 T ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
3 lb. flank steak, trimmed of fat, each steak cut into thirds
1/2 c cilantro, chopped
10 flour tortillas, heated in oven or microwave

Place beef in pot. Mix broth, vinegar, celery, onion, pepper, tomatoes and spices and pour over the beef. Cover and 1 1/2 hours on high pressure. Let naturally cool down. Place meat on a large platter and let cool 10 minutes then using 2 forks, shred it well. Place it back in the pot with the cilantro and let sit 10 minutes. Serve with tortillas.

Beef, Crock pot, Dinner

Beef and Mushrooms (Crock Pot)

January 24, 2012 admin Leave a comment

Crock pot recipes are super for busy days – just get it all together in the morning and leave it to cook for hours. This one is especially easy to prep and tastes just delicious !

4 servings
215 calories per serving

1 lb. lean beef cut into stew sized pieces
1 can low fat cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c water
1 pack of dry onion soup mix
8 oz. fresh mushrooms

Brown meat in a skillet over medium high heat. Place meat in crock pot. Top with mushrooms. Make a sauce with the soup, water and onion soup. Pour over the meat and cook on low 5-6 hours.

Beef, Dinner

Peppered Filets with Sauteed Spinach

January 1, 2012 admin Leave a comment

Tender filets in a bourbon cream sauce … to die for !

2 servings
287 calories per serving

Beef:
2 4 oz. filet mignons
¼ t kosher salt
½ t cracked black peppercorns
2 t oil
2 T bourbon
¼ c beef broth
1 T shallots, minced
2 T half and half

Spinach:
½ t oil
½ c grape tomatoes, halved
1 t garlic clove, minced
6 c fresh spinach
1 t lemon juice
1/8 t kosher salt
1/8 t black pepper

Season filets with ¼ t salt and press the peppercorns into one side of each filet. Heat oil in a skillet and add filets. Cook 6-7 minutes per side then remove from pan and keep warm. Remove pan from heat and add bourbon – be very careful –the alcohol will ignite and burn off in this step… return to heat and burn off alcohol then simmer until sauce is reduced by half then add the half and half. Heat ½ t oil and sauté tomatoes and garlic for a few minutes and then add spinach and sauté for 2 minutes. Season with juice, salt and pepper. Plate steak with sauce over top and the spinach on the side.