New Recipe: Mexican Beef over Polenta

After being stuck in a recipe rut for quite some time, I have finally started to branch out again, at least a little. So, hopefully I'll be posting here a tad more often in the future.

The first branch-out attempt was tonight, and it was quite successful. Unfortunately, it didn't occur to me to take photos.

Mexican Beef over Polenta: Makes 6 servings; 5 WW points per serving

Ingredients

• 1 pound uncooked lean ground beef (with 7% fat) [I used ground turkey instead.]
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 14.5 oz canned diced tomatoes, with chiles, drained, reserve 1 Tbsp of liquid
• 1 cup canned yellow corn, drained, or frozen, thawed corn kernels [I just used a can of corn, drained. It may have been a bit more than a cup but it didn't feel like too much at all.]
• 10 olives, Kalamata, sliced [10 olives seemed weird to me, so I just bought a small can of sliced black olives and dumped the whole thing in. It worked out to be a good amount.]
• 2 tbsp canned jalapeno peppers, pickled, chopped (optional)
• 3/4 tsp table salt, divided
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 3/4 cup polenta, quick-cooking [I just used regular cornmeal. It didn't say anything about being quick cooking but it only took about 5-10 minutes to thicken.]
• 3 cups canned chicken broth
• 1/3 cup salsa
• 1/3 cup shredded reduced-fat Mexican-style cheese
• 2 tbsp cilantro, or scallion, fresh, chopped (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook beef and onion, stirring frequently, until meat is fully cooked, about 5 to 7 minutes; drain off any liquid.
2. Stir in tomatoes and reserved liquid, corn, olives, jalapenos (if using), 1/4 teaspoon of salt, cumin and pepper; simmer 5 minutes to allow flavors to blend.
3. Meanwhile, in a small pot, combine cornmeal, broth and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt; stir well. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly, until cornmeal is thick, about 5 minutes. Note: The polenta will still be soft after cooking but will firm up if allowed to stand for a few minutes before serving.
4. Spoon polenta onto a large serving plate and top with beef mixture. Top with salsa, cheese and cilantro (or scallion). [We also served it with a bit of sour cream.] Divide into 6 portions and serve. [I didn't put it all together on one big plate. I just put some polenta on each plate and topped with the beef mixture.]

The verdict: This was delicious, and super easy to make. Seriously, basically all you do is put a bunch of stuff in a pan while boiling some cornmeal. It took me about 15 minutes to make from start to finish, and Torsten and I both really liked it. It had a real Mexican flavor to it--I would definitely recommend using jalapenos, or, if you don't like spicy things, adding some other kind of Mexican-style flavoring to it so that it will have a nice strong taste.

It's relatively healthy, too. WW points vary based on calories, fat, and fiber, but a loose rule of thumb is 50 calories per point, so that would be 1500 calories in the whole dish, and between the two of us we only ate half of it (though of course Torsten ate more than I did), so that's an average of about 350-400 calories per serving. Not bad for a very filling meal. This will definitely be added to our regular rotation.

New Recipe: Ground Beef Noodles

So, for awhile I had this modified beef stroganoff recipe that I was using, but the thing is that even though it sounds really good with the pasta and the beef and the sour cream and all, something about beef stroganoff just doesn't sit right with me. I think it's the combo of spices. So I was thrilled when I found this recipe that sounds a lot like beef stroganoff, but without the stuff I don't like.

Ground Beef Noodles: Makes 4 servings; 9 WW points per serving

Ingredients

• 6 ounces whole wheat egg noodles, uncooked
• 1 lb ground beef, 93% lean
  
• 1 (6 ounce) can mushroom stems and pieces
• 1 cup onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 3 cups V-8 vegetable juice (or tomato juice) [I used the low-sodium kind]
  
• 2 teaspoons salt [I used onion powder instead of salt]
  
• 1 dash pepper
• 1 teaspoon celery salt (optional) [I didn't use this, but I did add a dash of paprika]

Instructions

1. In a large frying pan or Dutch oven, saute the onions in butter until tender. [I don't have a Dutch oven and I didn't quite see how the noodles would all fit into the frying pan, so I used a pasta pot instead. Also, I added the mushrooms at this point instead of waiting until the end because I like cooked mushrooms.]
   
2. Add meat and brown lightly.
3. Place the noodles in a layer over meat.
4. Combine the tomato juice with the seasonings, and pour over noodles.
5. Bring to a boil, then cover.
6. Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes (or until the noodles are tender). [I was nervous that the noodles wouldn't all get cooked, because in the pasta pot they weren't all quite submerged in the liquid, so I went back a couple times during the 30 minutes and poked at them with a spoon to make sure they were covered with liquid.]
   
7. Stir in the sour cream and mushrooms and bring to a boil.
8. Serve hot.

The verdict: Wow, delicious! And even easier to make than most recipes, because there is almost no prep work--just chopping the onion. This is everything that I like about beef stroganoff without the stuff I don't like. We will definitely be making this again.

New Recipe: Moo Shu Beef

I LOVE moo shu beef, but I was skeptical about being able to make it at home. But it seemed like it was worth a shot. And my apologies in advance, but I forgot to take photos. Still, the recipe is worth sharing.

Moo Shu Beef: Makes 6 servings; 6 WW points per serving

Ingredients

• 8 oz lean sirloin beef
• 3 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 2 medium scallions, chopped
• 3 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbsp sherry cooking wine
• 2 cup Chinese cabbage, or Napa cabbage, chopped [I used Napa.]
  
• 1/3 cup canned bamboo shoots, drained and chopped
• 1/3 cup canned straw mushrooms, drained and sliced
• 1 large egg white, beaten
• 12 medium tortilla, flour, fat-free, warmed [I used low-fat whole wheat tortillas, and we only used 8.]
  
• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce

Instructions

1. Place beef in a medium bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and cornstarch; stir to coat.
   
2. Heat oil in large skillet or wok [I used a skillet, since we don't own a wok]. Add scallions and garlic; sauté 1 minute.
   
3. Add beef and cook until browned, about 2 minutes. Add remaining soy sauce and sherry; cook 1 minute more.
   
4. Add cabbage, bamboo shoots and mushrooms. Sauté until vegetables are browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in egg white and cook 2 minutes more.
   
5. To serve: Place a heated tortilla on a plate. Spread 2 teaspoons of hoisin sauce on tortilla and then place 3 tablespoons of beef filling on top of sauce. Roll up, folding in one end to seal in filling. Yields 2 filled tortillas per serving.

The verdict: DELICIOUS. Very similar to the moo shu I know and love in restaurants, but much healthier. The recipe is simple to make, and I didn't even alter it. I loved eating all those vegetables, too. It made me feel virtuous. We will definitely be making this one again.

New Recipe: Beef Fajitas

So a friend of mine came over for dinner last night, and we decided to make fajitas. We looked around online for a recipe, but basically decided to wing it, and wound up more or less using the recipe on the back of the seasoning packet. Gourmet, I know--but delicious, and easy to do. Not a Weight Watchers recipe, though, so I don't know the points.

New Recipe: Beef Fajitas

Ingredients

• 1 onion, diced
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided [We only used one.]
• 1 pound chicken or lean beef, cut into strips
• 1 medium bell pepper, cut into strips [We used three, all different colors.]
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 package fajita seasoning mix
• 8 flour tortillas [We used six.]
• Potential additions, to taste: Avocado/guacamole, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, Mexican cheese, salsa, and/or sour cream
• Note: As you can see from the photos, we also cooked rice to go with this. It tasted fine, but totally wasn't necessary, and we hardly used any of it.
  

Instructions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. [We also combined the onion and pepper at this point.]
   
2. Add meat; cook and stir three minutes or until no longer pink. Remove from skillet.
3. In same skillet, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil [we skipped the extra oil]. Add onion and pepper; cook and stir three to five minutes.
4. Return meat to skillet. Stir in water and seasoning mix. Cook and stir three minutes or until heated through.
5. Spoon into warm tortillas. Serve with toppings if desired.

The verdict: Super, super easy and totally delicious. It was especially good with fresh avocado and tomatoes. We used whole wheat tortillas, too, which made us feel virtuous. We will definitely be making this dish again.

New Recipe: Baked Beef Ziti

Torsten and I eat spaghetti a lot, and this recipe looked like a great way to add a twist to one of our regular meals. It called for quite a lot of pasta and not very much meat, though, so I wound up modifying the amounts a fair bit to achieve a bit more of a balance.

Baked Beef Ziti: Makes 8 servings; 5 WW points per serving

Ingredients:

• 12 oz uncooked ziti [I used 7 ounces of whole wheat rigatoni.]
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 pound raw lean ground beef [I used one pound of ground beef at 7% fat.]
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried rosemary [I didn't have rosemary, so I used dried basil instead.]
• 1/2 tsp table salt [I didn't put in salt but I did add onion powder and garlic powder, as well as a few red pepper flakes for some bite.]
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded [I stuck to this amount for WW reasons, but if you aren't particularly calorie-conscious, I'd recommend using more, just to add to the cheesy goodness.]

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat; add garlic and sauté 2 minutes.
4. Add beef and cook until browned, breaking up meat with a spoon as it cooks, about 3 to 5 minutes; drain off any fat and set pan back over medium heat.
5. Add oregano, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper; stir to coat beef. Cook until herbs become fragrant, about 2 minutes.
6. Add tomatoes and bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
7. Spoon a small amount of beef-tomato mixture into bottom of a 4-quart casserole dish (just enough to cover surface) [I didn't have a four-quart casserole dish, so I used a flatter baking dish, which made the layers feel a bit sparse, but it was still delicious]; top with half of cooked ziti.
8. Next, layer with half of remaining beef-tomato sauce and half of mozzarella cheese. Layer with remaining ziti and then top with remaining beef-tomato sauce; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
9. Bake until cheese is golden and bubbly, about 30 minutes.

The verdict: This was great, and also very simple to make. This version was definitely heavy on the beef, which I like personally, so I liked the proportions of beef and pasta; I think it worked a lot better than the initial amounts the recipe called for would have, and with the whole wheat pasta and very lean beef, the points work out to be about the same both ways. We will definitely be making this one again.

New Recipe: Asian Beef Salad

So, although this was to be expected after a year on Weight Watchers, Torsten and I have found ourselves in kind of a recipe rut recently. To fix this, we spent quite a bit of time searching for new recipes last week, and unearthed quite a few. Then we booked a Zipcar for a solid two hours, enough time for leisurely trips to both Whole Foods and Giant, and purchased a whole bunch of ingredients to make these new meals.

That trip, incidentally, reminded me of how good it is to finally have a nicely stocked kitchen. We had many, many of the staple ingredients required for the new recipes. A lot of what we had to buy was produce, or different types of meat, or ingredients for a new sauce. Things that we didn't already have around. But we didn't have to buy flour, or pasta, or spices, or oil. Things that I used to buy on an as-needed basis, resulting in daily trips to the grocery store and an excess amount of money going toward groceries, especially when I inadvertently bought something we already had. Which is why we now have three jars of bay leaves in our cabinet.

Anyway! On with the point of this post, the recipe. This is one of the first recipes that we tried, and although I was not on the ball enough to take pictures as I was doing it, it was totally worth posting about because it was delicious. I will print the recipe as I found it, with my own commentary and adjustments in italics.

Asian Beef Salad: Makes 4 servings; 8 WW points per serving

Ingredients:

• 3 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar [Torsten doesn't like vinegar, so I didn't bother buying rice wine vinegar just for this. Instead I used some red wine vinegar we already had, and not nearly as much as the recipe called for.]
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 1/2 Tbsp peanut oil [I couldn't find this at the store, so I substituted sesame oil we already had.]
• 1 pound lean sirloin beef [I used three quarters of a pound because it was only for the two of us and it was a Friday night, meaning I couldn't bring the leftovers to work the next day for lunch.]
• 8 cups mixed greens [I used as much as fit in the salad bowl I had, which was probably more like four cups.]
• 1 cup canned unsweetened mandarin oranges, drained
• 1 Tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1/3 cup packaged chow mein noodles

Instructions:

1. Combine garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, oil and hoisin sauce in a large bowl [I also added a splash of Asian hot sauce for a bit of extra bite.] Add steak. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours or overnight. Remove steak to plate; reserve marinade.
2. Preheat grill or broiler. Grill or broil steak for 8 minutes on each side for medium or longer until desired doneness. Remove and slice steak into thin strips. [The piece of steak I had was very wide and thin, and I couldn't figure out how to get the whole thing into the liquid to marinate, so I chopped it ahead of time and reduced the amount of cooking time to make up for it. I broiled it for about six minutes without turning it and it came out very slightly overcooked.]
3. Meanwhile, pour reserved marinade into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute more, stirring occasionally.
4. To serve, place 2 cups greens on each of 4 plates. Top each with about 3 ounces of steak, 1/4 cup of oranges and 1 heaping tablespoon of noodles; drizzle each with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of cooked and cooled marinade. [I just mixed everything in the salad bowl ahead of time, except the chow mein noodles, which we each sprinkled individually on our own plates. Also, I like warm salad, and the beef was hot anyway, so I didn't bother waiting for the marinade to cool completely before I added it to the salad.]

And it came out delicious! The sauce was tangy and delicious and served as a great dressing, the beef was tender even though I probably should only have broiled it for five minutes, the oranges added a nice sweet aspect to the whole thing (and I'm not usually big on sweet/savory combinations), and the chow mein noodles were deliciously crunchy. Plus the whole thing was super easy and quick to make. It was a great meal for a summer evening; light, but also totally filling.

Verdict: This recipe has been added to the pile of recipes to use again. And we will likely do so soon.