Tangy Italian Beef

I saw this recipe in the new Cooking Light magazine. I tried it today and it was so good! Of course I didn't follow the directions exactly but what I did worked great, so below is my version.

Ingredients:
Chuck Roast 3-4lbs (I buy the Publix Greenwise beef)
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 T onion powder
1 T garlic powder
1/2 paprika
salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
1/2 jar of whole pepperoncini peppers and the juice (good quality)
2 T olive oil

Directions:
Into the crock pot add the vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, peppers with juice, salt and pepper and turn to low. Heat a skillet and add the olive oil. Season the meat with salt and pepper and light sprinkle with onion power. When the oil is hot add the meat, sear both sides about 4-5 min per side, until a nice crust forms. Add the meat to the crock pot and cover. Cook on low for 7-8 hours. When the meat is fork tender the meat is done.

This the vinegar, pepper and spices waiting for the yummy seared beef.

Seared beef ready to be slow cooked.

After 8 hours in the slow cooker this yummy piece of beef is ready to be shredded and eaten! (just ignore the little whole in the center, I had to taste it :)

I served this two ways. For my husband and kids I bought small dinner rolls (the one from the Publix Bakery) we put mayo on them then the meat, a slice of provolone cheese, topped with banana peppers and they were delicious! The tangy sauce left over from the meat was delicious to dip in, it reminded me of a french dip sauce but with so much flavor! We had it with fresh veggies and sweet potato fries.
I ate the shredded meat over a large green salad, topped with tomatoes, cucumbers, banana peppers and drizzled the tangy sauce on top. It was so good I had to post it tonight!

Hope you all enjoy this as much as we did!

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

I wasn't planning to blog this, (which is why I only have 1 picture, but this was too good and simple not to share) I am always nervous about making a stir fry because I think the meat is usually tough. Today I went to Publix and ask the butcher for a piece of grass-fed "greenwise" organic beef sirloin. I brought the meat home and sliced it in half-lengthwise then cut the meat against the grain into very thin slices. This was key to very tender beef in the stir fry tonight! It has taken many times but I am sure this helps, when the meat slices are too large they are just tough and chewy which don't make for good eats.

Ingredients:
1 lb sirloin steak (preferably grass fed, hormone free), sliced thin
1 t cornstarch
3 T soy sauce (I use Tamari, gluten free)
1 T canola oil
1-2 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 cup carrots, sliced thin
1 small onion, sliced thin
4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1-2 t honey (local if possible)

Sauce:
3 T Soy sauce (GF)
2 t cornstarch
2 t brown sugar
2 T water

Directions:
Whisk 3 T of soy sauce and 1 t of cornstarch in a large bowl, add sliced beef and gently toss to combine.  Whisk the ingredients for the sauce together and set aside. Heat a wok to high, add the canola oil once hot, add beef, discard marinade. Cook beef for 3-4 minutes then remove from heat and set aside. To the hot wok add the broccoli, carrots, onions, and garlic and stir fry for 3-4 minutes, adding the sauce in the last minute. Finally add the beef back to the wok stir to combine. Lightly drizzle honey over the top. Serve over brown rice.

This Week's Menu

Finally the original intent of this blog comes to fruition! When I first started this blog the point was to share my weekly menus with those who wanted some healthy recipe ideas to feed their family for the week. I am a total planner! I find that when I plan ahead for the week I am more successful in so many ways. I spend less money at the grocery store, because I know exactly what I need and what I'm going to make each night so I don't make multiple trips to the store during the week. I eat healthier because I plan healthy meals and I can plan my day and even lunches because I know what I'm going to make each night. I look at my calendar and plan accordingly, for example this week my son is in a basketball tournament on Monday and Thursday  my daughter also has dance on Monday and I teach a 4pm yoga class, there is no way I am going to be able to make a healthy dinner that night if I don't plan ahead! I had to make meals that I can make ahead of time or in the crock pot because I am not going to have much time for prepping.

I typically get the paper on Sunday mornings and while having breakfast and coffee with my family on I ask for everyone's input on what they want for dinner during the week I plan my menu and my big Sunday grocery shop. This also helps during meals times when my kids try to complain about what we are having I can remind them that they each made suggestions on Sunday so to zip their mouths up if they have something negative to say. Ha!

Now that I am working and have less time to plan and prepare meals I am feeling grateful  that I have so many recipes on this blog to pull from. This morning my daughter and I went through recipes on my blog and picked out what we wanted to eat this week.

Today I am heading to the store. I am going to buy all the ingredients we need for the week! Fingers crossed that I get it all. I am leaving my kids home with my hubby so I can focus when I am there!

Weekly Menu (Just click on the meal name and it will take you to the recipe link)

Sunday: Brunswick Stew

Today is Super Bowl Sunday, we are still depressed since the Falcons didn't make it so we aren't planning anything big for tonight, just a bowl of sweet southern comfort to ease our pain.

Monday: BBQ Pork in the Crock Pot

We will have these sliders with left over Brunswick stew and I will whip up some quick slaw!

Tuesday: Skillet Lasagna

We have swim lessons at 4:50pm on Tuesdays so I need something quick this busy weeknight! This is so easy, lasagna in 30 minutes...sign me up!! Sever with a quick salad for the perfect meal!

Wednesday: Sweet and Sour Pork

This is a total family favorite. I usually serve this with edamame in the shells my kids love those!

Thursday: Mediterranean Chicken 

This is one of my favorite dinners ever! Can't wait for Thursday night!

Enjoy and have a great week!
Cheers!

Brunswick Stew

Oh my my...I have been a bad bad blogger! One problem is not enough daylight to take pictures of food! Half the stuff I make I haven't been photographing because I refuse to use a flash! I have probably 10 recipes to upload but have been completely slammed with the holidays and one other very important thing in my life right now, opening a yoga studio with my mom!
We are opening a yoga studio down the road from where we live and we have been working non-stop! Check out our website at http://www.breatheyogaatlanta.com/ and if you like us on Facebook then you get a free class... https://www.facebook.com/BreatheYogaAtlanta We haven't officially opened yet but have done a couple donation classes and raised money for some great causes. We will open in January.

I have made lots of things and have a really yummy lemon chicken that I made the other night but tonight I am going to post a family favorite and a fool-proof way to make Brunswick stew. It is easy as pie and out of this world delicious! It's my mom's recipe and it is always amazing but for some reason it always intimidated me. Now that I made it I have no idea why it is really a dream it's so easy. I didn't take any pictures in the beginning and and just took one of the final product when I realized it was way to good not to share!

So here goes.

Ingredients:

2 large onions, chopped

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 lb lean ground beef, browned 

3 cans cream corn

1 cup corn (fresh or frozen)

1 28 oz can crushed or diced tomatoes

1 cup Lima beans

1/2 cup ketchup

1 cup chicken stock

1/4 c. Worcestershire sauce

2 T butter cut up

2 T cider vinegar

2 T Mustard

salt and pepper to taste

hot pepper sauce to taste

Directions:
Place onion in a large slow cooker, place chicken over onion.  Add all other ingredients, EXCEPT the browned ground beef. Cook covered at HIGH 6 hours.  Remove chicken and shred, return to stew.  If desired, cook and brown 1 pound ground beef, add to stew. It is even better the next day!

Weight Watcher Friends:
Each cup has 5 points. Recipe makes 12-13 cups.So hearty and delicious!!!!

Skillet Lasagna

My mom has been making this for that past few months and telling me that I HAVE to make it. I have tried it at her house and loved it but I just never made it, not really sure why. This week with it being the start of school I wanted to be super organized, I planned my menu on Sunday and shopped for everything. I am so excited this is the 1st week in forever that I have actually only been to the grocery one time and not back for 3-4 extra trips where I spend $40-$60 each time...it starts to add up after a while! Ooops let me get back to this lasagna, so here is the thing about lasagna to me, I love it, it is such a hearty, filling meal but it is just so much work that I never want to go through all the trouble, well trouble no more with this one-pot-wonder, we can have lasagna all the time.When I brought it to the table my kids were already drooling...it smelled amazing! And although it doesn't look quite as pretty as layered lasagna, it tastes just the same, and oh so much less work and ready in 30 minutes, what's not to love?

Ingredients:
1 t olive oil
1 lb lean ground beef (I use 93% lean)
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
1 14oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 of a 14oz can of tomato sauce
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 t onion powder
1 t garlic powder
1 t salt
fresh cracked pepper to taste
1 T fresh chopped parsley (that's what I had on hand)
3 whole wheat lasagna noodles, broken into 3-4 pieces each
1/2 cup cottage or ricotta cheese (my husband HATES ricotta so I used cottage)
1/4 cup grated parm
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided 1/4 cup and 3/4 cup
2 T liquid egg whites or 1 whole egg

Directions:
Using a large skillet add the olive oil and heat to high, then add the ground beef. Cook until beef is mostly brown, breaking into small pieces with your spoon, then add the onion and garlic and saute for 3-4 minutes. Next, add both cans of tomatoes and half the can of tomato sauce then season with the garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper, let cook for 3-4 minutes then taste the sauce and add more seasoning if needed next, add your fresh herbs. Now take the broken lasagna noodles and shove them into the meat sauce, make sure they are covered by the sauce so they cook through, put the top on and turn the heat to medium. Set a timer for 20 minutes. While that is cooking together, in a small bowl mix together the cottage cheese, 1/4 cup grated parm, 1/4 cup of the mozzarella and 2 T of liquid egg white. I usually season this mixture with a little garlic and onion powder, one or two shakes of each. After 20 minutes open the top of the skillet at this point the noodles should be cooked through but if they aren't yours may need 5 minutes more. Next spoon the cheese mixture randomly on top of the sauce then top with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Put the lid back on for 5 minutes just to melt the cheese. Remove from heat and let sit for 5-10 minutes then serve.

It is hard to make ground beef look appetizing but had to show you this step...

There add some tomatoes and it looks much better!

Break the noodles into your sauce (don't leave them like this, cover them with sauce or they won't cook)

Mix up your cheeses...

Dollop the cheese on top!

Then add more cheese, YUM!

Put the top back on and just like that you made lasagna without all the fuss!

 It looks great on the plate so eat up!

Weight Watcher Friends: This makes 6 servings and each serving has 7 points! Not bad for a yummy hearty dinner!

Beef Tostadas

Well life has been crazy to say the least, good but crazy for sure! I used to have this idea of the "lazy days of summer" but that has definitely not been the reality for us so far. We are up and out early each morning for swim team and then the days haven't seemed to stop until bed time, play dates, dr. appts, birthday parties, etc. We did get to go on a last minute beach trip with some precious friends last week and that was super great, relaxing and made for a perfect weekend getaway! I have been cooking a lot lately but I have been making some of my favorites that have long been posted. I threw this together last night and when I say threw, I mean it! I had extra kids over at my house from 10am-4:45 so I had no time to shop, so I loaded up my kids in the car at 5pm for our weeks grocery shop, which any mom knows is NOT an ideal time to take two kids to the grocery store, wait... is there ever an ideal time to take two kids to the grocery store?? I knew I had set out ground beef and I had seen these precious little taco cupcakes on Pinterest, where you use a wonton in a cupcake pan and fill it with taco meat and top with cheese and salsa, and I thought my kids would love it and it would be fun. I don't really care for wontons so I wanted to try it with a corn tortilla but my daughter saw the tostadas and everything changed. We just  had to try those 'giant chips'! And so my taco cupcakes flew out the window and I made these instead.

Ingredients:
1lb lean ground beef (I usually buy Laura's Lean Meat)
1 cup sweet onion, diced
1 small green bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup fresh pico style salsa (I always use La Mexicana)
1 T fresh cilantro
1/2 t salt
1/2 t cumin
Fresh cracked black pepper to taste
1 Package Tostadas

Directions:
Brown the ground beef in a non-stick skillet for 2-3 minutes over medium-high heat. Add the salt, pepper, and cumin. Then once the meat is about 2/3 brown and 1/3 pink add the onion and bell pepper. Saute together until the the meat in cooked through and the onion and peppers begin to wilt. Next add the salsa and cilantro and cook for 1-2 minutes. Then just turn to low until you are ready to serve. To serve, plate a tostada then top with 1/3 cup of meat top with salsa and fresh cilantro and serve. Yum!! My kids put colby jack cheese on top and ate them like they were pieces of pizza. It was a fun dinner and super easy!

In this pic the meat was slightly pink but I don't think you can tell, it looks cooked here.

This is after you add the salsa and cilantro and it's ready to serve!

The finished Product, Yum!

I did try to put the meat mixture in a corn tortilla in a muffin tin to try the taco cups but they fell apart once I took them out of the pan, but they sure looked cute in the pan. I am going to work on this one!

Weight Watcher Friends: This could go a few ways, when I used the point builder on ww site, I got that 1/3 cup of the meat mixture had 2 points and each tostada has 1.5 points so each one made is 3.5 (without cheese, the meat mixture had enough flavor I didn't miss the cheese, and I love cheese). I had two of them. But if you divide the entire meat mixture into 4 portions each portion is 4 points and 3 tostadas have 4 points, so I think I actually could have had 3 for the same amount of points which makes no sense however I really don't think I could have eaten 3 I was perfectly happy with 2 :)

Grilled Flank Steak

I love flank steak, it's so versatile. Just throw it in a Ziploc bag with whatever seasonings you like, marinate then grill it and you have a great dinner! Most of the time I throw in onions, lime juice and cilantro and make it a Mexican meal but a few weeks ago our good friends Mark and Diana had us over for dinner and they made a wonderful flank steak with an Asian flair and it was so good!! I bought a pretty flank steak this week and called her for the recipe when she gave it to me and I found out it had a 1/2 cup of oil in it (1/4 cup sesame and 1/4 cup of vegetable oil), I then knew why it was so great! So I modified her recipe for a couple of reasons, one was to make it leaner but the other is because I didn't have some of her ingredients. Mine turned out great, my husband said if I made this every night he would be happy, so thanks Diana for the inspiration!

Ingredients:
1 lb Flank Steak
1/4 soy sauce (I use gluten free)
2 T Rice wine vinegar
1 t Canola Oil (sesame oil would have been good, but I was out)
1 T fresh ginger, minced
1 T fresh garlic, minced

Directions:
Place steak in a Ziploc bag, add the rest of the ingredients, move it all around to coat the meat. Marinate for at least 1 hour but the longer the better. Heat grill to high then cook steak  for about 6 minutes per side (or as long as you would like depending on how done you like your steak). Let the meat rest for at least 5 minutes up to 10 and slice meat thinly against the grain.

Marinate the flank steak.

Hot off the grill...

Slice thinly and against the grain of the meat for tenderness.

I served it with  Asain Broccoli Slaw and rice noodles that were tossed in soy sauce, honey and dijon mustard, thinly sliced carrots and onions topped with cilantro.

Weight Watcher Friends: This serves at least 4 adults, each serving is 4 points! Not bad for steak!! I served this with my broccoli slaw and it was great! Which makes for a nice dinner under 6 points~

Cheeseburger Slider Salad

All things cheeseburger on a salad??? I'm all in!! Since I try to steer clear of gluten products, I am always trying make dinners gluten free! I have eaten many burgers wrapped in lettuce instead of a bun. My kids love little sliders, they think a 'mini hamburger' is so cool. So I have been making them for dinner lately with sweet potato fries, my new obsession! And this recipe is definitely my favorite way to eat a burger these days! You take all the goodies a cheeseburger has to offer and put it on a bed of lettuce! Here goes:

Ingredients for the salad:
1 lb lean ground beef
3 hearts romaine, chopped
4 deli style pickles, sliced then quartered
1/2 cucumber, sliced then quartered
2 small tomatoes, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
2-3 slices of cheese

Ingredients for the dressing:
2 T mayo
2 T ketchup
1 T mustard
1 T sweet pickle relish
2 T white vinegar

Directions: 

First, make the dressing, whisk together all five ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

I use all 'real' ingredients, no low fat stuff for us, I'd rather enjoy the real thing and have a little less then eat added ingredients used as fillers to replace fat. (just a personal preference)

At only 2 points per 2 T serving I think it's well worth it on this yummy dressing!

Similar to thousand island just a little more tangy, very tasty!

Salad and Burgers:

Next make the salad, in a large bowl layer the chopped lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and top with the pickles.  Form your ground beef into small patties season with salt and pepper. Place on the grill and cook about 2-3 minutes per side. Once they are cooked, top with a 1/4 of a cheese slice.
Assemble salad in bowl, top with 2 sliders and use 2 T of dressing per salad, enjoy!

I love these pickles!

Isn't it so pretty!

This is my hubby's trick, cover a plate with a piece of plastic wrap then when you take them to the grill just remove the plastic and you can use the same plate when the burgers are done.

Grilled to perfection, then quick top with cheese, so it gets gooey!

Crumble on the salad and drizzle with the dressing!

A cheese burger in a bowl!

My daughter's plate, that girl loves her bread!! See those sweet potato fries, baked in the oven of course!

Weight Watcher Friends: Each salad has 6 points (with 2 sliders and 2 T of dressing).

Chili with Butternut Squash

I love butternut squash, I eat it roasted all the time. I love the sweetness and texture of it! I have been wanting to make a chili with butternut squash for a while but knew my husband was not going to like it...he hates all squash, since my kids and I love it I usually make it and he just doesn't eat it. But I this afternoon I decided to send him a text to warn him of what I was going to make (just in case he felt the need to stop for a burger on his way home) it went like this:
Me: honey I'm just wondering if you are going to die a slow death if I make chili tonight with butternut squash in it? I really want to make it but don't want to listen to you moan about it.
Him: I'll be okay
So I went for it! Adding a hardy squash like butternut to a classic chili is great way to add sweetness to a savory dish and the bonus is it's a super healthy addition. I am so glad I made it because it was really delicious! Just in case you're wondering, he did eat it, but picked around the squash...when it comes to squash he is worse than a kid!!

Ingredients:
1lb lean ground beef (93% lean)
2 cups butternut squash, cubed
1 yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 14 oz can petite diced tomatoes
1 14 oz can light kidney beans, drained
2-3 t salt
2 t ground cumin
3 t chili powder
1 t onion powder
1 t garlic powder
fresh cracked pepper to taste
(If I would have had a green, red bell pepper I would have added that too)

Optional Toppings:
Grated cheese
Sour Cream
Diced red onion
Diced green onion
Frito's

Directions:
Using a large pot, brown the ground beef, drain if needed. Add onion (and pepper if you add it) and garlic, cook for 3 minutes, next add the butternut squash, continue to saute/cook for 3-5 minutes. Next add both cans of tomatoes and all the spices/seasonings. Stir to combine, cover and let cook on a low simmer for about 30 minutes.  Next, add beans and cook for another 10 minutes. Make sure you taste it, you may need more salt, cumin or chili powder. These are the amounts that made it taste good to my family, since my kids like to eat it I try not to make it too spicy; if I was only serve it to adults I would add more chili powder.

Weight Watcher Friends: This makes 8 servings each around 1.5 cups. Each serving has 5 points. Enjoy!