Lime-Soaked Cumin-Crusted Flank Steak

A very flavorful way to enjoy flank steak. Goes great with some spicy poblano corn salad.

Adapted from Joelen’s Culinary Adventures

Ingredients
2 lbs flank steak
1 cup fresh lime juice (about 8 limes)

Rub
1 1/2 tbsp ground cumin
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1/3 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Directions
1. Place the steak in a shallow dish and pour the lime juice over it. Cover the dish and let it stand in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour, turning occasionally.

2. In a small bowl, combine all the rub ingredients and mix well. Remove the steak from the marinade, pat dry with paper towels, and rub it all over with the spice rub, pressing gently to be sure it sticks.

3. Pre-heat grill to medium. Place the steak on the grill and cook until well-seared on one side, about 4 minutes. Turn and continue to cook to the desired doneness, about 4 minutes more for rare.

4. Remove the steak from the heat, cover it loosely with foil, and allow it to rest for 5 minutes.

5. Slice the steak as thin as possible against the grain and serve.

Chinese Five-Spice Steak

I had an extra flank steak left over from a dinner I hosted a few weeks ago so I turned to Cooking Light for a good recipe. After narrowing down the options, I decided to go with this one, with one major alteration. Instead of pre slicing the beef and cooking the strips, we chose to marinate the steak whole, grill it, THEN slice it. Our reasoning behind this was to achieve more of a medium to medium rare steak versus well done pieces. This method made for a more tender and juicy meat.

I also added broccoli to the original recipe. This rounded out the meal with some veggies which tasted delicious in the sauce. We definitely enjoyed this meal, however if I make it again, I will double the sauce / marinade. Between cooking the steak differently than originally called out and adding the broccoli, there really wasn’t any sauce leftover to soak into the rice. Everything had a great flavor, it just would have been nice to have a little extra.

Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp five-spice powder
1 (1.5 pound) flank steak, trimmed
2 tbsp minced green onions
2 tsp bottled minced garlic
1 head of broccoli, chopped – florets only
2 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil

Directions
1. Combine hoisin sauce, soy sauce, five-spice powder, and steak in a large dish. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.

2. Heat large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Spray with cooking oil and add minced green onions and garlic; sauté 30 seconds.

3. Meanwhile, pre-heat grill to medium-high (350*) and remove steak from marinade. Once grill is hot, reduce heat to medium low and grill steak 7-8 minutes per side, until cooked through.

5. Remove steak from grill and allow to rest a few minutes before slicing into 1/4 inch strips.

6. While steak grills, add broccoli and remaining marinade to skillet. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook 5-10 minutes, until broccoli reached desired tenderness.

7. Stir in green onion pieces and chopped basil; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

8. Immediately before serving, combine steak slices with broccoli and enjoy over rice or rice noodles.

The Facts
4 Servings

Beef Stir Fry with Broccoli and Asparagus

I was looking to make an Asian inspired beef and broccoli dish and this recipe immediately caught my eye because of the additional vegetables on the ingredients list. The original recipe called for snap peas and edamame as well however I decided the basic broccoli with the not so basic asparagus would hit the spot. I also doubled the beef; eight ounces just wasn’t going to cut it for us. I’m glad I did this because the two pounds of veggies would have way overshadowed the beef.

This dinner was quite tasty. A little bit of spice, but not too, much plus a full plate of greens. I enjoy finding other ways to have beef besides the typical steak or roast. This is definitely a great go to recipe to replace the ‘Chinese takeout’ version with MUCH healthier and satisfying alternative.

Adapted from Ellie Krieger

Ingredients
1/4 cup mirin or semisweet white wine, like Riesling
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar (I used white wine vinegar)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tsp canola oil
1 lb beef top sirloin steak, sliced 1/4 inch thick
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large bunch broccoli (approx 1 pound), trimmed and cut into small florets
1 bunch asparagus (approx 1 pound), trimmed and sliced on diagonal into 2-inch pieces
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water
1 tsp sesame oil

Directions
1. Combine mirin or white wine, orange juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, red pepper flakes and water in a small bowl.

2. In a large wok or very large (14-inch) sauté pan, heat 1/2 teaspoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, stirring, until just browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer the beef to a plate and keep warm.

3. Heat the remaining teaspoon of oil over medium heat and cook garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broccoli and asparagus, raise heat to medium-high, and cook for 3 minutes until vegetables are slightly softened.

4. Add the mirin-soy mixture and cook, stirring, until asparagus is crisp-tender, about 4 minutes.

5. Add the beef and dissolved cornstarch and stir to incorporate. Cook until mixture thickens slightly and beef is heated through, an additional 2 minutes. Drizzle with sesame oil and serve over rice.

The Facts
6 Servings
*Rice NOT Included

Vietnamese Beef-Noodle Soup

This was my third attempts at Vietnamese soup, and probably my most successful. The beef has a LOT more flavor than the chicken. This recipe called for bok choy which I had never tried before. I liked having some green veggies mixed in the soup.

I was a little skeptical about the beef being cooked solely by the hot soup broth. I made sure the liquid was at a boil before I ladled it into my bowls. Well, I was impressed. It cooked the beef immediately to medium-well. We prefer our beef more on the rare side, so if I make this again, I’ll let the broth cool for a minute or two before adding it to the bowls.

I omitted the fresh herbs and served our portions with generous servings of garlic chili paste and hoisin sauce. We LOVE the extra spicy flavor this combo adds.

Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients
1 (12-ounce) sirloin steak
6 oz uncooked rice sticks noodles
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced yellow onion
3 whole cloves
2 cardamom pods
2 garlic cloves, halved
1 (3-inch) piece peeled fresh ginger, thinly sliced
1 star anise
5 3/4 cups fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
3 cups water
1 tbl less-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp fish sauce
4 cups bok choy leaves
1 small jalapeño, thinly sliced into rings
4 lime wedges
Bean sprouts, fresh basil, fresh mint if desired

Directions
1. Freeze beef for 10 minutes; cut across grain into 1/8-inch-thick slices.

2. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain.

3. Place onion and next 5 ingredients (through star anise) in a large saucepan; cook over medium-high heat 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add broth and 2 cups water; bring to a boil.

4. Strain broth mixture though a fine sieve over a bowl; discard solids. Return broth to pan.

5. Add soy sauce, sugar, and fish sauce; bring to a boil. Add bok choy; simmer 4 minutes or until bok choy wilts.

6. Arrange noodles into each of 4 large bowls. Divide raw beef and pepper slices evenly among bowls. Ladle about 1 2/3 cups hot soup over each serving (broth will cook beef).

7. Top each serving with bean sprouts, basil, and mint as desired. Serve with lime wedges.

The Facts
4 Servings

Low Fat CrockPot Beef Roast

This was fast and easy to put together. Bryan and I decided to make this for our Super Bowl dinner that way neither of us would have to spend time in the kitchen and risk missing a moment of the game (or the commercials!) I found this recipe in one of my slow cooker cookbooks. I added celery to the mix and changed up the seasonings a bit. It smelled delicious cooking and I’m sure it would be great for a quick week night meal. The original recipe called for a cooking time of 6 hours on high; however ours was thoroughly cooked after 4.

Adapted from Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly

Ingredients
2.5 lbs beef eye round roast, trimmed
10 baby carrots
2 celery stalks, cut into 1.5 inches pieces
2 Idaho potatoes, cut into 1.5 inch chunks
1 onion, quartered
2 cups fat free low sodium beef broth
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Directions
1. Place roast in slow cooker.

2. Add carrots around edges, pushing them down so they reach the bottom of the cooker.

3. Add celery, onion and potatoes.

4. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp of pepper and kosher salt over CrockPot ingredients.

5. Mix beef broth and remaining seasonings and pour over roast.

6. Cover. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.

The Facts
10 Servings
Calories 298.9
Total Fat 5.9 g
Fiber 1.8 g
WW Points 6

Steak Tips with Peppered Mushroom Gravy

I’ve been looking forward to cooking this recipe since I found it in my first Cooking Light issue. I cooked the recipe as is without any changes. The beef gravy was quite tasty! The shallots added good flavor, however my husband mentioned that he was missing ‘chunks of onion’ for texture. Next time I make this I will add some chopped onion in addition to the shallots.

Adapted from Cooking Light January/February 2010

Ingredients
6 oz. whole wheat egg noodles
1 lb top sirloin steak, trimmed, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
6. 1 tbl butter
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
8 oz sliced baby bella mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 tbl low sodium soy sauce
3 tbl AP flour
1 1/2 cups fat free, less sodium beef broth
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried thyme

Directions
1. Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.

2. While noodles cook, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add steak; sauté 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove from pan; cover.

3. Melt butter in pan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and mushrooms; sauté 4 minutes.

4. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds.

5. Stir in soy sauce. Sprinkle flour over mushroom mixture; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

6. Gradually add broth, stirring constantly.

7. Add salt, pepper and thyme. Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

8. Return beef to pan; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Serve over pasta.

The Facts
4 Servings
Calories 337.4
Total Fat 6.2 g
Fiber 5.8 g
WW Points 6

Beef Roast

Oh my, this was delicious! The garlic added great flavor and the seasonings were perfect. I took my roast out when the internal temperature was 122 degrees anticipating it would rise to between 130-135 for a medium rare roast; however it rose to at least 140 degrees so it was more medium than I prefer. Next time I’ll take it out around 115 degrees.

Adapted from What’s for Dinner?

Ingredients
1 1.6 lb. eye of round roast, or other lean cut, trimmed
(any size will work, just adjust cooking time)
4 - 5 cloves garlic, cut into quarters lengthwise
2 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper
dried herbs of choice

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Stab roast 16 – 20 times with small, sharp knife. Insert garlic quarters into holes.

3. Rub roast with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

4. Sprinkle with dried herbs if desired.

5. Sear the roast in a hot, oven-safe pan, and then roast in the oven for about 30 minutes or until internal temperature reads approximately 115 degrees (for medium rare).

6. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Temperature will continue to rise about 10-15 degrees. Slice thin and serve!

The Facts
6 Servings
Calories 213.6
Total Fat 6.7 g
Fiber 0.0 g
WW Points 5

Mongolian Beef

I had some frozen flank steak in the freezer from quite a long time ago that needed to be used so I went on the search for a new recipe. I came across various Mongolian Beef recipes that all sounded good. After reading through a few I decided to use this one as my base. I had 2 pounds of beef so I tweaked the recipe by adding additional soy sauce and water to make sure there was enough sauce. I decided to hold the original amount of sugar and add more to taste if necessary. In the end, there was plenty of sauce. I thought the flavor and consistency of the sauce was really good. It was nice to have beef in a dish different than our typical steak. We completed our meal with some brown rice and broccoli which made for a much healthier alternative to the popular Chinese takeout. The recipe below is halved from what I cooked since 2 lbs of beef is just way too much for two people.

Adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride

Ingredients
1 lb. flank steak, sliced across the grain
1.5 T corn starch
1.5 t vegetable oil, divided
1/4 t ground ginger
1-2 garlic cloves
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup water
1/8 cup brown sugar
1/2 t red pepper flakes
2 green onions, sliced

Directions
1. Pat steak slices dry and add to a bowl with corn starch. Toss to ensure all pieces are just coated. Shake off any excess.

2. Heat 1.5 t oil in large wok or non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger, stir until fragrant.

3. Add the soy sauce, water, brown sugar and pepper flakes. Cook the sauce for about 2 minutes, then transfer to a bowl and set aside.

4. Turn heat to high and add remaining oil to pan. Add the steak and cook until browned on all sides. Pour sauce over the beef and cook until meat is cooked through and sauce reaches desired consistency. Add the green onions (saving some for garnish), stir and remove from heat. Serve over rice topped with remaining green onions.

The Facts
4 Servings
Calories 234.7
Total Fat 10.3 g
Fiber 0.0 g
WW Points 6