FLANK STEAK STIR-FRY WITH ASPARAGUS & RED PEPPERS

I found this recipe online at Simply Recipes and it sounded yummy! I had some fresh asparagus that I needed to use and I thought this was the perfect recipe to try out. However, I did modify the original recipe just a touch to make it a bit more Weight Watchers friendly. I opted for light olive oil, low-sodium soy sauce and brown rice. Which brought the point value down to six; FANTASTIC! Below is the recipe that I used.

Flank Steak Stir-Fry with Asparagus & Red Peppers
Points Value: 6
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: Approximately 35 minutes
Level of Difficulty: Medium
Servings: 4

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp Light Olive oil
1/2 lb asparagus, trimmed, cut on the diagonal into 1 1/2 inch lengths (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 lb of flank steak, sliced in half lengthwise (along the grain) and then cut into thin strips, 2 inches long and 1/4 inch wide (put the steak in the freezer for 15 minutes before slicing to make it easier to slice)
1 red bell pepper, seeded, de-ribbed, and cut into thin strips 2 inches long and 1/4 inch wide
2 teaspoons of cornstarch dissolved into 3 Tablespoons of water

All Purpose Stir Fry Sauce
3 Tbsp Low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp finely chopped, peeled, fresh ginger
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 green onion, including green tops, chopped
1/2 tsp chili oil

Instructions:
1. While you are chopping the ingredients in preparation, bring a small saucepan of water to boil. Parboil the asparagus pieces for 2 minutes, drain, rinse in cold water, drain, and set aside. If you are planning to serve this dish with rice, in a separate pan, prepare 2 cups of brown rice, following the instructions on the rice package.

2. Prepare the All Purpose Stir Fry Sauce by combining the ingredients in a small dish, and set aside.

3. Stir-fry the asparagus in a wok (or a thick-bottomed pan with at least 2" sides that can take high heat) in 1 Tbsp of oil, on high heat, for about 2 minutes until lightly browned. Remove asparagus from pan and set aside.

4. Add another 1 Tbsp of oil to the pan and stir fry the beef strips, in 2 batches, for 2-3 minutes until browned but still pink inside. Return the first batch of beef to the pan and add the bell pepper. Stir and toss over high heat until just beginning to wilt, 1-2 minutes.

5. Quickly stir the cornstarch liquid and add it to the pan along with the stir fry sauce. Cook until sauce thickens, 1-2 minutes. Return the asparagus to the pan, toss to evenly coat and serve with steamed brown rice (unless you are going low-carb, in which case, leave out the rice).

Recipe Source:
Modified from the Simply Recipes Website

Ingredients…


The beef cooking…


The final touches…


Final product…


This recipe was very good. I was unable to find chili oil, so I decided to use roasted bell pepper oil…which seemed to be a good substitute. A good filling meal!

CLICK HERE for a printable version of the Flank Steak Stir Fry Recipe.

WEIGHT WATCHERS PHILLY CHEESE STEAKS

Now that I have hit my Weight Watchers goal weight, it has been hard for me to resist those ever so tempting foods like Philly Cheese Steaks. Recently we found a new Philly Cheese restaurant in our area that is AMAZING…well instead of going there all the time (and Pete would if I would let him) I decided to try a lower calorie version of this occasional treat. As usual, I was not disappointed with this Weight Watchers recipe. Below is the recipe that I used, it was taken from the Weight Watchers eTools site.

Weight Watchers Philly Cheese Steaks
POINTS® Value: 8
Servings:  4
Preparation Time:  12 min
Cooking Time:  21 min
Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Ingredients
1 spray(s) olive oil cooking spray
1 medium onion(s), thinly sliced
1 pound(s) raw lean flank steak, cut into 8 thin slices
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 roll(s) reduced-calorie hot dog bun(s)
1/3 cup(s) low-fat shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Coat a large, nonstick skillet with olive oil cooking spray and set pan over medium-high heat. When pan is hot, add onion and sauté until tender and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove onion from pan; set aside.
3. Add steak to skillet and sauté until browned and cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Add Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper and cook until liquid is absorbed.
4. Divide steak evenly between rolls and top with onion and cheese. Wrap in foil, transfer to oven and bake until cheese melts, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Yields 1 sandwich per serving.

Sliced peppers…


Beef cooking…


Sandwiches before they were put in the oven…


Final product…


For an alternative to the greasy restaurant style sandwich this was pretty good. I’m not a big fan of Worcestershire sauce so I am not going to rank it as high as my husband will. And of course, the recipe asks for onion which neither of us likes, so I replaced them with peppers. I found a high fiber whole wheat sandwich roll that we used instead of the hot dog bun. Either way, a good recipe and I would recommend it. 

CLICK HERE for a printable version of the Weight Watchers Philly Cheese Steak recipe.

STEAK, BROCCOLI & SUCCOTASH

The Denver Metro area was hit by a major snow storm yesterday, so I was forced to dig deep in my freezer and pantry and put together a meal last night. I found some 8 oz. Top Sirloins that we had ordered from Omaha Steaks (they have the best meats!) and some fresh broccoli that needed to be used. So I flipped through a couple of my cookbooks and came up with last night's dinner. Not bad considering I was scrounging together items to make a complete meal. Now...if you are watching Weight Watchers points, I would not recommend this meal with all of these items together, but separately they can make a good pairing for a light meal...this one, not so much.

Let's start with the Steak and the marinade that I created for it. I used about 3 teaspoons of light olive oil, mixed together some Red Robin Seasoning, minced garlic and Don & Joe's Meat Steak Seasoning. The Don & Joe's Meat Steak Seasoning is a WONDERFUL item that my lovely sister-in-law sends us directly from Seattle...if you are ever in Pike Place Market I would pick it up! After coating the steaks, I threw them in the oven on broil.

Next, I made the broccoli...the instructions are all written for you to use the microwave. However, I'm not a fan of using the microwave unless I have to; so I steamed the broccoli and followed the instructions but just used the stovetop instead.

Lastly, I started on the succotash. I modified this recipe quite a bit. First off, we didn't have lima beans and we are not fans of them...so I substituted for kidney beans. I also did not have fresh tomatoes, so I used a can of Rotel tomatoes to give it a kick. I also replaced the cayenne pepper for chili pepper. Other than that...I

completely followed the directions. LOL

Below are the recipes that I used:

Weight Watchers Easy Garlicky Broccoli

POINTS Value: 3

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cook time: Microwave - 5 minutes

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Serving Size: 1 1/4 cup

Number of servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 Bunch broccoli tops cut into 2-inch florets, and stems sliced.

2 tablespoons water

4 teaspoons olive oil

1 large garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

Instructions:

1. Put the broccoli in a large microwavable bowl and add the water. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and prick a few holes in the plastic. Microwave on High until the broccoli is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes, stirring once halfway through the cooking; drain. Return the broccoli to the bowl.

2. Stir together the oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt in a small microwavable bowl. Microwave on High until the garlic sizzles, about 30 seconds. Add the garlic mixture to the broccoli and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the Parmesan.

*This recipe was taken from the Weight Watchers Momentum Cookbook.

Weight Watchers Lima Bean-Tomato Succotash

POINTS Value: 2

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 12 minutes

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Serving Size: 1 1/4 cup

Number of servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 (10-ounce) box frozen lima beans, thawed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 2-inch pieces

2 small tomatoes, chopped

2 cups fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

Instructions:

1. Cook the lima beans according to the package directions; drain and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the red onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the zucchini and tomatoes; cook, stirring occasionally until softened, about 3 minutes.

3. Add the lima beans, corn, thyme, salt, and cayenne to the skillet; cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 3 minutes.

*This recipe was taken from the Weight Watchers All-Time Favorites Cookbook.

Preparing the steak

Steak marinade

Broccoli

Broccoli cooking

Finished Broccoli

Succotash ingredients

Zucchini for succotash cooking

Succotash cooking

Final product

Whew...that's a lot of pictures and a lot of work! Overall a good meal.

CLICK HERE for a printable version of the Easy Garlicky Broccoli recipe.

CLICK HERE for a printable version of the Lima Bean-Tomato Succotash recipe.

SLOW-COOKER CHEESEBURGER SOUP

Greetings everyone, it’s been a while since I have posted and I apologize for that. Preparing to become a Jazzercise instructor has dominated my time, but now I am back in a regular routine and I am able to cook again. So what better way to start back cooking by using a slow-cooker recipe? I am a big fan of cheeseburgers (who isn’t!) and I decided to give this recipe a try. It was extremely easy to make and smelled SO good while it was cooking.

I found the recipe on the Weight Watchers eTools site, below is the recipe that I used.

Slow-Cooker Cheeseburger Soup
POINTS® Value: 5
Servings:  8
Preparation Time:  15 min
Cooking Time:  120 min
Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Ingredients
2 spray(s) cooking spray
1 medium garlic clove(s), minced
1 medium onion(s), chopped
1 medium stalk(s) celery, chopped
1 pound(s) uncooked lean ground beef (with 7% fat)
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
3 cup(s) canned chicken broth, divided
1 cup(s) low-fat evaporated milk
8 oz Kraft Velveeta Light Reduced-Fat Pasteurized Processed Cheese Product, or similar product, cubed
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp table salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
24 item(s) baked low-fat tortilla chips, crumbled

Instructions
1. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat for about 30 seconds. Add garlic, onion and celery to skillet; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender, about 5 to 10 minutes. Coat a 3-quart or larger slow cooker with cooking spray; spoon in vegetables.
2. Place same skillet over medium-high heat and brown beef, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks, about 5 to 6 minutes; pour off any liquid and add meat to slow cooker.
3. In a small cup, combine flour and 1/2 cup of broth; stir until lump-free. Pour flour mixture into same skillet; add remaining 2 1/2 cups of broth. Bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits in bottom of skillet with a wooden spoon, and then pour into slow cooker; stir in evaporated milk, cheese, paprika, salt and pepper. Cover slow cooker and cook on low setting for 2 hours. Serve soup topped with crumbled chips. Yields about 3/4 cup of soup and 3 tablespoons of chips per serving.

Notes
If the soup cooks too long, the cheese could separate. If that happens, combine 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour and 1/4 cup of soup in a cup; stir to a paste. Stir flour mixture back into soup in slow cooker; cover and cook on low setting for 10 to 15 minutes (does not affect POINTS values).

Ingredients cooking:


Final product:


Pete is not a huge fan of cheese and this was a VERY cheesy meal. I loved it, but thought it was missing something, so next time…I think I will add potatoes to make it a full meal. Overall, I thought it was pretty good, if you like cheese. If you’re not a big fan of cheese, I wouldn’t recommend it.

CLICK HERE for a printable version of the Slow-Cooker Cheeseburger Soup recipe.

CHUNKY VEGETABLE-BEEF SOUP

I pulled this recipe from the ‘Weight Watchers All-Time Favorites’ cookbook. Beef stew is one of my favorite winter-time meals…well I don’t want to eat the high calorie beef stew and regret it later. This soup is a very hearty and filling soup, and the recipe makes plenty so you can freeze your leftovers for later.

When I made this soup, I used the vegetables that I had available. The actual recipe asks for broccoli…well I didn’t have broccoli so I just added green beans instead. I also added carrots, because what soup isn’t complete without carrots.

This is a good recipe replacement for beef stew.

Below is the Weight Watchers Chunky Vegetable-Beef Soup.

WEIGHT WATCHERS CHUNKY VEGETABLE-BEEF SOUP
POINTS Value: 4
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Serving Size: 2 cups
Number of servings: 6

Ingredients:
1 pound beef top round steak, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 slice thick-cut bacon, chopped
1 (14 ½-ounce) can reduced-sodium beef broth
1 (14 ½-ounce) can diced tomatoes
½ cup long-grain white rice
3 cups small broccoli florets
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Instructions:
1. Spray a large nonstick pot or Dutch oven with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, stirring frequently, until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer the beef to a medium bowl; set aside. Add the onion, carrots, garlic, and bacon to the pot. Reduce the head to medium. Cook, stirring frequently, until the bacon is lightly browned and the vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes.

2. Add enough water to the broth to equal 6 cups. Return the beef to the pot. Add the broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the beef is just tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in the rice and bring to a boil. Reduce the head and simmer, covered, until the rice is tender and the beef is fork-tender, about 15 minutes longer. Add the broccoli and pepper; return to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the broccoli is tender, about 6 minutes.

*This recipe was taken from ‘Weight Watchers All-Time Favorites’ cookbook.

Chunky Soup…


Chunk Soup #2…


CLICK HERE for a printable version of the Weight Watchers Chunky Vegetable-Beef soup.

Stuffed Peppers

Since I have been able to convince my husband that peppers are not evil, I was very excited to try this recipe. I am always looking for new ways to work with ground beef since burgers and tacos can get a bit boring…so the stuffed peppers looked like they were right down our alley.

This recipe was extremely easy to make! In the instructions it tells you to cook everything in the microwave, well I’m not a huge fan of the microwave so I decided to bake it instead. Food always comes out crunchier when cooked in the oven. Now, in this recipe it asked for onions…once again, I substituted for garlic and left everything else the same. The peppers were great! The ‘stuffing’ was so filling and my husband even ate some of the pepper…I was amazed.

We recommend this recipe…although it was a favorite; it’s good for an occasional change.

Below is the Weight Watchers recipe for stuffed peppers.

Weight Watchers Stuffed Peppers
POINTS Value: 6
Preparation Time: 4 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
2 large green bell peppers (about 10 ounces each)
3/4 pound of ground sirloin
1/4 cup of chopped onions
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper1 (8.8-ounce) package of precooked whole-grain brown rice (such as Uncle Ben’s)
1 cup tomato-basil pasta sauce (such as Classico)
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Instructions
1. Cut the bell peppers in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place bell pepper halves, cut side up, in an 11 X 7-inch baking dish. Microwave at HIGH 6 to 7 minutes or until tender.

2. While bell peppers cook, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook beef and onion until browned, stirring to crumble beef. Drain, if necessary, return to pan. Stir in dried Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, brown rice, and pasta sauce. Cook 1 to 2 minutes or until warm, stirring occasionally.

3. Fill bell pepper halves with beef mixture; sprinkle evenly with cheese. Microwave at HIGH 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese melts. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: ½ pepper)


* This recipe was taken from ‘Weight Watchers 5 ingredient 15 minute cookbook’.

CLICK HERE for a printable version of the Weight Watchers recipe.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

I found this recipe on Recipezaar.com. I thought it sounded interesting, since there are so many out there for crock-pot pot roast, I wanted to try something different. According to the recipe this is supposed to yield 8 servings…I’m not quite sure how they came up with this but Pete and I were able to split our roast into 10 servings. The roast was very tender and the carrots were cooked perfectly. The Worcestershire sauce gave the meet a different taste which was actually very pleasant. I was surprised since I don’t really like W sauce. I decided to serve the roast with a side of red mashed potatoes.

Overall, this was a good roast and I was able to have a lot of leftovers to give to my loved ones…and all of them gave it ‘thumbs up’. So I’d recommend this recipe.

Below is the Slow Cooker Pot Roast recipe that I used (taken from Recipezaar.com).


Slow-cooker Pot Roast
POINTS Value: 8
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 6 ½ hours
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Serving size: 3 oz.
Number of servings: 10

Ingredients
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
8 medium carrots, peeled and cut in thirds
2 medium onions, peeled and cut in 8 wedges
coarse salt
ground black pepper
3 lbs beef chuck roast
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Instructions:
1. In crock-pot, stir together cornstarch and water. Add carrots, onions, salt and pepper. Toss well.

2. Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper. Place in crock-pot and pour Worcestershire sauce over. Cover and cook on high 6 hours or low 10 hours.

3. Remove roast to a cutting board. Slice thinly against the grain. Remove vegetables to a serving dish with a slotted spoon. Pour juices through fine sieve and serve alongside.

CLICK HERE for a printable version of this recipe. 

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

I am always looking for new recipes for ground beef…and I found this recipe on Recipezaar.com. Now unfortunately, if I had stuck to the original recipe each meatball would have been 11 WW points! YIKES!! Who can afford 11 points for one part of your meal, not me! So I decided to substitute some items to make this a healthier recipe. These meatballs ended up being 6 points each and they are a pretty decent size. Honestly, I couldn’t finish a whole one. I highly recommend this recipe if you are a fan of cheese and meatballs. For our dinner that night, I paired the meatball with plain couscous and green beans. Making for a grand total of an 8 point dinner…not bad considering the original recipe was 11 for just one meatball. Below is the recipe that I used.

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
• 1/2 cup reduced fat parmesan cheese
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces reduced-fat mozzarella cheese (cut into 20 - 1/2 inch cubes)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, soak the breadcrumbs in the milk.
3. Add the beef, garlic, Italian seasoning, Parmesan cheese, egg and 1 tsp salt to the soaked breadcrumbs and stir with a fork until combined.
4. Place about 2 tablespoons of mixture in your hand and press a mozzarella cube into the center. Shape the meat around the cheese, forming a ball. Repeat with remaining mozzarella.
5. Cook at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

CLICK HERE to get a printable version of my recipe.

I recommend this recipe, it was yummy!


CLICK HERE to get the original Recipe Zaar recipe.