Beef, It's What's For Dinner

I promised myself that I wouldn't do a blog about chicken this time! I like other foods too! I promise.

So, I decided to focus on beef this time. If you are addicted to beef, then you'll love this website: www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com

The first recipe was given to me by my husband. It is his family's signature recipe for flank steak and it is scrumdiddlyumptious. If you don't like mushrooms, you can omit them (or pick around them!).

The next recipe is a beef stew recipe (I know it's not soup, stew, or chili season, but it fits with my theme!). It is a South Beach recipe I found while planning meals for my in-laws. It is hands down the best beef stew recipe I've ever made! It is so flavorful. It has a kick to it (which I love). I did add a few more potatoes than called for in the original recipe. I wanted the stew to go farther and come on...it's beef stew! You can't have beef stew with only one potato! Besides beef, potatoes are one of the things that make beef stew...beef stew! Again (I know I'm a broken record here), I don't agree with low-carb diets, but I believe that you can find a good recipe anywhere!

I hope you like them.

Washburn Flank Steak (pictured above)

Ingredients:

1 bottle of Kraft Light Zesty Italian Dressing
1 Flank Steak
4 Tbsp.-1/3 cup Worchestershire Sauce (flavor according to your taste)
4 Tbsp.-1/3 cup Soy Sauce (flavor according to your taste)
2 cans mushrooms (pieces and stems)

Optional Ingredients (to make a rounded out meal):

Instant mashed potatoes (even flavored ones work great here. I prefer the Idahoan brand that you can buy in the pouch)
Side salad or vegetables

Directions:

Put flank steak in a ziploc bag. Cover with whole bottle of Italian dressing. Add in Worchestershire Sauce and Soy Sauce. Squish the bag to mix dressing, Worchestershire Sauce and Soy Sauce. Marinate overnight (you can marinate for only an hour if you don't have enough time).

After marinating, put flank steak (without sauce) on a foil lined cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. Broil on high for 5-7 minutes per side (depending on how well done you want your steak). If this is done too far in advance, you can leave the steak in the oven on low broil while you finish the rest of the dinner.

Put marinade in a pan on medium-high heat. Add both cans of mushrooms. Cook until well-heated.

Thinly slice flank steak and serve sauce on top.

This goes very well with instant mashed potatoes (again, use the sauce as a gravy on top of the potatoes) and a side salad or vegetables.

Source: My husband said that either his dad made up this recipe or found it in the New York Times 10-15 years ago.

Notes: For medium-rare, broil for 6 minutes per side. For medium-well, broil for 8 minutes per side. For well done, broil for 9 minutes per side. The picture at the very top is well done because I made it while pregnant and couldn't eat rare meat. I usually prefer mine medium to medium-well and my husband prefers his medium-rare. The picture just above is cooked to medium-rare.


South Beach Pepper-Spiked Beef Stew

Note: This stew freezes well, so you might want to simmer up a double batch and freeze half of it. You can also substitute sweet potatoes or even butternut squash for the potatoes and carrots, if desired.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 pounds lean round steak, top or bottom, trimmed of all visible fat and cubed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 onions, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups beef broth
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) stewed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
1 potato, scrubbed and cubed (I used 3 large potatoes)
4 carrots, sliced

Directions:

In a large zip-top plastic bag, combine the flour, 1 teaspoon of the chili powder, and the salt. Add the beef, seal the bag, and toss to coat well.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7 minutes, or until browned. Add the onions, garlic, and oregano. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes.

Add the broth, tomatoes (with juice), red-pepper flakes, and the remaining 2 teaspoons chili powder. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally, or until the beef is tender. (Note: do not boil during this time as it will not speed up cooking time--it will only make the beef tough).

Add the potatoes and carrots. Cover and cook for 30-60 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition information:

190 calories, 5 g fat, 1 1/2 g saturated fat, 24 g protein, 19 g carbohydrate, 4 g dietary fiber, 45 mg cholesterol, 440 mg sodium.

Source: The South Beach Diet Cookbook.