Beef and Vegetables Stew

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp. butter, divided
• 1 lb. diced beef
• 1/2 cup pearl onions or chopped onions
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 8 oz. Portobello mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
• 1 cup diced turnips
• 1 tsp. gelatin powder
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1/4 canned white beans, rinsed and drained (optional) 
• 2 tbsp. chopped parsley

Makes 4 Servings

1. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat in a large stockpot or Dutch oven. 
2. Pat the beef dry and season it with salt and pepper to taste. Add the beef to the pot and brown it for 4-5 minutes on each side. Remove the beef and set aside. 
3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of the butter to the pot and melt.
4. Add the onions, celery, and carrots to the pot. Cook for an additional 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
5. meanwhile, pour 1/4 cup of water into a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the top. Set the mixture aside to soften for at least 5 minutes. 
6. Add the garlic to the pot and cook for 1 minute, until golden. 
7. Add the lemon juice, tomato juice, and beef broth and stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. 
8. Add the beef and beans (if using) to the pot and bring the stew to a boil. Once it is boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low. 
9. Whisk the gelatin into the water and blend to dissolve it; then add the mixture to the stew. Simmer the stew for 15-20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the broth is slightly thickened. 
10. When you are ready to serve, ladle the stew evenly into 4 bowls and garnish with the parsley. 

WW POINTS VALUE: 11 pts. with or without the beans

Note: This recipe appears in the New Keto-Friendly South Beach Diet book. Beef stew is an elegant and wonderful comfort food to enjoy. This version of beef stew is filled with tender beef, pearl onions, mushrooms and the options of white beans. If you want to make this stew with fewer carbs, make it without the beans and add a touch of diced tomatoes instead and the stew will be just as flavorful. 

Seared Beef Tenderloin with Orange and Olives

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. beef tenderloin, cut into 4 steaks (each about 3/4-inch thick)
• 4 large oranges
• 2 tsp. fennel seeds, crushed
• 2 tsp. black peppercorns, crushed
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, quartered
• 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 4 Servings

1. Season beef with salt and pepper. Let sit for 15 minutes.
2. Finely shred enough orange peel to make 2 teaspoons. In a small bowl, combine orange peel, fennel seeds, peppercorns, and salt. Sprinkle mixture evenly over beef. 
3. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat; add the meat. Reduce until desired doneness (135 F for medium-rare or 145 F for medium), turning once. Slice meat across the grain into thin slices.
4. Meanwhile, peel oranges, removing all of the white pith, Section oranges. In a large bowl, combine orange sections, red onion, olives, parsley, lemon juice, the 2 remaining tablespoons olive oil, garlic, and paprika. Stir gently to combine.
5. Add arugula to orange mixture; toss to combine. Divide arugula mixture among four dinner plates. Serve with sliced meat.

WW POINTS VALUE: 7 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the New Sonoma Cookbook. This dish takes on vibrant flavors of citrus, olives and herbs. The beef is flavorful and juicy. If you don't want to sear the beef, grill it instead and it will be just as flavorful and juicy. The salad adds a lot of juicy flare to the dish. You can also use lamb in place of the beef and replace the arugula with spinach or kale and the dish will still be delicious. 

Sunday Pot Roast

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp. herbes de Provence
• 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (2 1/2-lb.) lean beef round roast, trimmed
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 lb. shallots, peeled
• 6 large garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 2 cups water
• 3 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 bay leaf
• 3/4 lb. carrots, cut into 1/2-inch slices

Makes 8 Servings (2 slices meat & about 1/3 cup sauce with vegetables)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Mix together herbes de Provence, 1 teaspoon of salt, and the pepper in cup; rub all over roast.
3. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef and  cook until browned on all sides, about 7 minutes. Transfer to plate.
4. Add shallots and garlic to Dutch oven; cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add wine and cook until slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Stir in water, tomato paste, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the bay leaf; bring to boil. Return meat to pot. Cover and transfer to oven; bake 2 hours.
5. Remove roast from oven. Stir in carrots. Cover and bake until meat is fork tender, about 1 hour, turning meat over after 30 minutes. Transfer roast to cutting board; cut into 1/4-inch slices. Return sliced meat to sauce in Dutch oven; keep warm until ready to serve. Discard bay leaf.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW Family Meals Cookbook. Pot roast is a wonderful comfort food to enjoy on the weekend. It's flavorful, comforting and delicious when it's done right. Don't forget to get good stew meat for this dish so the meat won't be tough. I highly recommend using reduced-sodium beef broth in place of the water for a more flavorful pot roast. 

Spinach & Basil Salad with Beef

Ingredients:

• 1/2 small very ripe pear, cored & peeled
• 1 tbsp. white wine vinegar or cider vinegar
• 1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups lightly packed torn fresh spinach
• 1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
• 6 oz. sliced cooked beef, cut into thin strips (about 1 cup)
• 2 small oranges, peeled and sectioned, or 1 (11 oz.) can mandarin orange sections, drained
• 2 tbsp. sliced almonds

Makes 2 Servings

1. For dressing, in a blender or food processor combine the pear, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper. Cover and blend or process until smooth.
2. In a bowl toss together the spinach, mushrooms, and basil leaves. Add the beef strips and orange sections. Toss lightly to mix. Add the dressing; toss to mix. Sprinkle each serving with almonds.

WW POINTS VALUE: 8 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the New Sonoma Cookbook. Who knew that beef salads could be so tasty? A beef salad  can be succulent, juicy and flavorful when mixed with the right ingredients. The combination of basil and spinach put a Mediterranean twist on the traditional salad along with juicy oranges, beef and mushrooms. The pear dressing gives a vibrant flare to the salad too. Don't forget to season your beef with salt, freshly ground black pepper and minced garlic when you cook your beef for a flavorful piece of meat.

Slow-Cooker Pulled Beef

Ingredients:

• 1 (14.5 oz.) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, drained, juices reserved
• 3/4 cup red wine
• 1 large red onion
• 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 apple, peeled and cut into chunks
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 tsp. coarse kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly  ground black pepper
• 1 bottom round rump roast (3 1/2 lbs.)
• 1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. chipotle chile powder

Makes 12 Servings (3/4 cup per serving)

1. In a 6-quart slow cooker, combine the diced tomatoes (without the juice), wine, onion, bell pepper, apple, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and the black pepper. Set to high and cook while you brown the meat.
2. Pat the meat dry. Untie the meat if it was tied as a roast and cut off any external fat. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt over bottom of the pan. Add the meat and lightly brown on all sides, including the ends, 5-7 minutes total.
3. Nestle the meat into the tomato mixture in the slow cooker. Add the reserved juice from the tomatoes to the skillet and stir to get up any browned bits. Pour the liquid over the meat. Sprinkle the meat with chipotle powder. Turn the heat to low and cook for 4 hours. Turn the roast over and cook on low until the beef is tender and you can pull it apart with a fork, 3-4 hours longer (check at 3 hours and if it needs more time, turn the roast over again and cook for another hour).
4. Remove the beef from the cooker and put onto a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, use two forks to pull the beef into shreds.
5. With an immersion blender, puree the sauce in the slow cooker (taste and add more chipotle powder, if desired), then return the beef to the sauce. Serve on its own or spoon over 1/2 cup cooked quinoa, if you like.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts. without quinoa, 8 pts. with quinoa

 

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Gluten Solution Cookbook. If you love beef stew, this dish is for you. Beef stew is a wonderful comfort food to enjoy when it's done right. The people at South Beach have done it again with beef and comfort food. You can use any color bell pepper in this dish and it will taste just as good. If you don't want to add an apple in this stew, add diced carrots or parsnips and it will still hearty and delicious. This stew also makes nice leftovers too.  

Salsa Steak

Ingredients:

• 1-1 1/2 lbs. boneless round steak cut 1/2-inch thick
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
•  1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 medium green bell pepper, cut into bite-sized strips
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
• 1 (2 1/4 oz.) can sliced pitted riped olives, drained
• 2-3 tsp. chili powder or Italian seasoning

Makes 4-6 Servings

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Trim fat from meat. Season both sides of meat with salt and pepper. Cut meat into 4-6 serving-size pieces. In a large skillet, brown the meat in hot oil, turning once. Transfer meat to a 2-quart square baking dish.
2. In the same skillet cook the mushrooms, bell pepper, onion over medium heat for 5-8 minutes or until tender (add more oil if necessary). Stir in tomato sauce, olives (if desired), and seasoning. Cook and stir until bubbly.
3. Pour mushroom mixture over meat in baking dish. Cover and bake about 45 minutes or until meat is tender.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the Sonoma Diet Cookbook. This colorful dinner is flavorful and delicious. This salsa-smothered steak calls for colorful vegetables to be served alongside the steak. This salsa also goes great with pork, chicken, turkey, and even certain kinds of fish. This salsa even tastes great with eggs too. I highly recommend using Italian seasoning in this recipe for a more authentic Italian flare. I highly recommend using minced garlic in this recipe because garlic always makes everything taste better. Sparkling Semisweet is the recommended wine to pair with this dish.

Braised Pot Roast

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs. beef top round, lean
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cups onions, diced
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 1 cup carrots, diced
• 1 cup mushrooms, cut into 1/6-inch thick
• 3 cloves, garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. dry mustard
• 1 tbsp. thyme, chopped
• 1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 cup low-sodium beef stock
• 1 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• 1 tbsp. finely chopped parsley
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Makes 10 servings

1. Season meat with salt and pepper
2. Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and meat. Sear meat all over until nicely browned. Remove from pan and place in crockpot.
3. Add onion, celery, and carrots to sauté pan; sauté for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and turn up heat to brown. Add garlic and spices; cook until aromatic. Add tomatoes and red wine; reduce by half. Add beef stock and soy sauce. Pour over meat in crockpot. Turn crockpot on low, cover, and let cook for 6 hours or until the meat is tender.
4. Remove the meat from the crockpot. Place on a cutting board. Let sit. degrease the sauce; adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and lemon zest. Stir in parsley. Slice the meat. Add to sauce and serve.

WW POINTS VALUE: 5 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the New Sonoma Cookbook. This meal is a great comfort food for whenever you're feeling cold and you want some comfort. You can make this meal in the morning and let it sit in the crockpot in the morning and let it cook nice and slow so it will be delicious after a long day. The amount of cooking that is necessary will depend on the shape of the roast. The longer and skinnier the roast, the shorter the cooking time. The more dense the roast, the longer it needs to cook.  There is also a healthy portion of vegetables in this meal which will fill you up. The original recipe calls for chicken stock so I use beef stock instead for a more beefy flavor. Don't forget to serve potatoes alongside the pot roast. What's a great meat dinner without a side of potatoes?  

Sicilian-Style Beef Flank Steak

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. boneless beef  flank steak, cut 1-inch thick
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tsp. fresh oregano, chopped
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes
• 3/4 cup sliced pitted ripe olives
• 1 tbsp.capers, drained and finely chopped
• 2 tbsp.fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped 

Makes 4 Servings

1. Trim fat from meat. Season meat with salt and pepper.
2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add meat, cook for 8-10 minutes or until browned, turning once. Remove meat from skillet.
3. In the same skillet, cook celery over medium-low heat about 4 minutes or just until tender. Add garlic, oregano, and crushed red pepper; sauté 1 minute until aromatic. Stir in tomatoes, olives and capers. Bring to boiling; reduce heat Simmer, uncovered, until liquid begins to thicken. Return meat and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Simmer, uncovered, for 5-10 minutes or until meat reaches desired doneness (135 F for medium-rare or 140 F for medium).
4. To serve, remove meat from tomato mixture; cut into thin slices. Stir parsley into tomato mixture in skillet; serve over meat.

WW POINTS VALUES: 7 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the New Sonoma Cookbook. You can enjoy the flavors of  Sicily in your home without going out to a fancy Italian restaurant. This meal is even tastier than what you would get at a steakhouse. This meal is bursting with flavor with the tomatoes, capers and olives. I highly recommend using fresh tomatoes because fresh tomatoes are always better than canned tomatoes. You can also use sirloin steak, pork chops, pork tenderloin, or boneless chicken breasts and your dish will still be delish. I highly recommend using Garlic Infused Olive Oil from the Imperial Olive  for a more authentic Italian flare. For more information, visit www.TheImperialOlive.com.

 

1. 

Beef Satay with Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:

Satay:

• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 1/2 lbs. top round beef, trimmed and cut into 3/4-inch thick slices

Sauce:

• 1/4 cup creamy trans-fat-free peanut butter
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp + 1 1/2 tsp rice vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

Makes 4 servings

1. For the satay: In a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish, combine garlic, lime juice, ginger and oil. Add beef and turn to coat with marinade. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and marinate beef at room temperature for 20 minutes.
2. For the sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together peanut butter, water, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic and pepper flakes.
3. Lightly coat a grill or grill pan with cooking spray and heat to medium-high. Thread equal amounts of sliced meat onto 4 skewers. Grill meat 5-7 minutes per side for medium-rare. Serve warm with peanut sauce drizzled evenly over the meat or on side for dipping.

WW POINTS VALUE: 8 pts

Note: This recipe appears in the South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook. You ever have one of those days where you're craving a fancy steak or you want to go to an upscale Asian restaurant and order a fancy steak dinner? This dinner is DEFINITELY for you! This dinner was surprisingly delicious because the peanut sauce was rich, creamy and spicy and the marinated beef in Asian flavors was moist and spicy as well. Even though the recipe calls for skewers, you can enjoy this dinner without the skewers. You can also serve the satay sauce with chicken, pork or noodles for other Asian inspired dishes as well. 

Lomo Saltaldo

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. raw  beef tenderloin, cut int 1/2-inh tick strips
• 2 garlic clove, minced
• 1 1/2 tbsp salt, divided
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, divided
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 6 medium uncooked Yukon Gold Potatoes, cut into 8 wedges each
• 4 sprays, olive oil cooking spray, divided
• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 2 medium red onions, thinly sliced
• 2 serrano chiles, cut into thin strips
• 2 medium red bell peppers, cut into thin strips
• 2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges

Makes 6 Servings

1. In a nonreactive bowl, combine beef, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, cumin, 2 tablespoons of cilantro and lime juice; cover and marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450ºF. Coat a nonstick baking sheet with cooking spray; place potatoes on top. Coat potatoes with cooking spray and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil; sprinkle with remaining teaspoon of salt. Turn potato wedges over several times to coat. Roast for 15 minutes; turn over and roast until both sides are crisp yet tender inside, about 12 to 17 minutes more.
3. While potatoes are baking, coat a large skillet with cooking spray and add 1 teaspoon of oil; heat over medium-high heat. Brown beef, flipping once, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side; remove beef and set aside.
4. Add remaining 2 teaspoons of oil and cook onions, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Add chiles, peppers and tomatoes; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes more. Add beef to skillet and toss to coat. Serve immediately, topped with fries and garnished with remaining 2 tablespoons of cilantro. Yields about 1 1/3 cups of beef mixture and 8 potato wedges per serving.

WW POINTS VALUE: 9 pts

Note: This recipe appears on www.weightwatchers.com. Weight Watchers always has good recipes for any occasion and this recipe was in the most recent grilling article and it looked too deicious to pass up. Lomo saltado is a Peruvian dish with Asian influences consisting of sirloin strips marinated in vinegar, soy sauce and spices, then stir fried with red onions, parsley and tomatoes. It's served traditionally over white rice with homemade french fries that look more like potato wedges. With this recipe, the salt, lime juice and cilantro give the beef so much flavor. The vegetables also add flavor and fill you up. The baked potato wedges are so delicious and filled with so much flavor with very little ingredients.

 

 

Spicy Tangerine Beef

Ingredients:

• 2 tangerines
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 4 tbsp water
• 3/4 -1 lb. boneless sirloin steak, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 3 cups small broccoli florets
• 3 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths
• 1 small red bell pepper, cut into strips or 1 cup chopped mixed bell peppers
• 2 garlic cloves minced or 2 tsp minced garlic
• 3 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper or cayenne pepper
  
  

Makes 4 Servings

1. Grate the zest from the tangerines; set aside. Peel the tangerines and separate into sections; reserve the sections. Stir together the cornstarch and 2 tbsp of the water in a cup until smooth; set aside.
2. Spray a nonstick wok or large deep nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat. When a drop of water sizzles in it, add half of the beef and stir-fry until browned, about 3  minutes, using a slotted spoon to transfer the beef to a bowl. Repeat with the reamining beef.
3. Add the broccoli and the remaining 2 tbsp of water to the wok; cook, covered, about 2 minutes. Increase the heat to high. Add the scallions, bell pepper(s), garlic, tangerine zest, soy sauce and crushed red pepper; stir-fry about 1 minute. Stir the cornstarch mixture and add to the wok; stir-fry until the sauce thickens and bubbles, about 1 minute. Return the beef to the wok along with the tangerines; stir-fry until heated through, about 1 minutes longer.

WW Points Value: 4

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW in 20 Minutes Cookbook. This is a dish that Super Chef Emril Lagasse and Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto would create (with all the flavors involved!). This dish is so delicious and so filling you will not be hungry for the rest of the evening. You can substitute canned mandarin oranges for the tangerines and 1 cup of chopped mixed bell peppers for 1 red bell pepper.

Steak with a new Flavor: Filet Mignon with Herb Butter

Ingredients:

• 4 tsp butter, softened
• 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme, or dried
• 1 tsp chopped fresh tarragon, or dried
• 1 tsp chopped chives
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 4 (3oz) filet mignons, 1/2 inch thick, trimmed
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Make 4 servings

1. With a fork, mash together the butter, thyme, tarragon, chives, lemon zest and 1/4 tsp of the salt in a cup, set aside.
2. Sprinkle the beef with the remaining 1/2 tsp salt and the pepper. Spray a large nonstick skillet with nonstick spray; set over medium-high heat. Add the beef; cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the side of a steak registers 145 F for medium, about 4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a platter and top each steak with one-fourth of the herb butter.

Note: This recipe appears in the WW in 20 Minutes Cookbook. I've cooked this recipe a couple of times and it's a nice and different flavor of steak. You can use any kind of steak for this recipe. It's also a great dinner for someone who's had along day or is going out for a long night; you can cook this dish in 15 minutes or less.