Beef - Double-Post Monday

Besides being Meatless Monday, it's also Double-Post Monday. Today's double post deals with recipes with beef, including Ranch Burgers and Texas Red Chili. Enjoy!

FLANK STEAK FAJITA BURRITOS

This is from Better Homes & Gardens, and begins, “These delicious steak burritos get a zesty marinade of lime, orange juice, and chipotle peppers. Full of fresh peppers and zucchini, this burrito recipe will quickly become a family favorite.”

Prep: 20 mins; Marinate: 1 hr to 12 hrs; Cook: 25 mins; Servings: 6; Yield: 6 burritos

View this online here.

Ingredients

1 orange

1 lime

1/4 cup plus 1 tsp. vegetable oil

2 – 3 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (seeded if desired), finely chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 2 pound beef flank steak, halved crosswise

1 large sweet onion, halved and thinly sliced

2 medium green, red, and/or yellow sweet peppers, cut into thin strips

1/2 medium zucchini, halved and sliced

6 10 inch flour tortillas, warmed

3/4 cup guacamole

1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro

1 cup purchased salsa verde

Directions

Zest the lime and juice both the orange and lime. In a large resealable plastic bag combine 1/4 cup orange juice, 1 teaspoon lime zest, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1/4 cup oil, chipotle peppers, 1 teaspoon of the cumin, and the salt. Add steak. Seal bag; turn to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator 1 to 12 hours.

Remove meat from marinade. Reserve 2 tablespoons marinade; discard any remaining marinade. Pat meat dry with paper towels. In a large grill pan, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat. Add steak to pan. Cook for 14 to 18 minutes or until steak reaches desired doneness, turning once halfway through cooking. If needed cook in batches. (Or, for a gas or charcoal grill, grill the steak on the greased rack of a covered grill over medium heat for 17 to 21 minutes or until steak reaches desired doneness.) Transfer meat to a cutting board. Cover and let stand 10 minutes. Cut steak across grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

Meanwhile, heat the same grill pan* over medium-high heat. Add the onions to the drippings in the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Stir in the sweet peppers and zucchini. Cook 1 minute more. Add the reserved 2 tablespoons marinade and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin. Cook and stir 2 minutes more.

Lay tortillas on a flat work surface. Arrange meat along the bottom one-third of the tortillas. Top with cooked vegetables, guacamole, and cilantro. Fold bottoms of tortillas over filling. Fold in sides. Roll up tortillas tightly. Cut burritos in half. Serve with salsa verde.

Tips

If using a gas or charcoal grill, use a large skillet to cook the vegetables. Use 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in place of the drippings.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving: 620 calories, (8 g saturated fat, 6 g polyunsaturated fat, 6 g monounsaturated fat), 101 mg cholesterol, 1007 mg sodium, 48 g carbohydrates, 7 g fiber, 6 g sugar, 41 g protein.

30-MINUTE CHILI WITH GROUND BEEF AND BEANS

This comes from Diana Rattray, a southern food cook on The Spruce Eats. Diana wrote, “This ground beef chili is hearty and delicious, and it takes only 30 minutes from start to finish! Don't feel overwhelmed by the list of ingredients, many are suggested toppings.

“The ground beef is quickly browned, then it is combined with a spice mixture, beans, and tomatoes for a quick and easy meal for a busy day. It's also easy on the budget.

“Make a pan of cornbread to go with the chili, along with a salad or slaw, or serve it with hot cooked rice and warm tortillas.

“If you're making this for a party game day gathering, offer several toppings with the chili and add a bowl of tortilla chips to the menu. The recipe is easily doubled.”

Total Time: 30 mins; PrepTime: 5 mins; Cook: 25 mins; Yield: 6 Servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the Seasoning Mix:

3 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons onion (dried minced)

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the Chili:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef (at least 85% lean)

1 can/14.5 ounces diced tomatoes

1 can/14.5 ounces diced tomatoes with mild green chile peppers*

1 can/8 ounces tomato sauce

1 can/15 to 16 ounces black beans (undrained)

salt to taste

Optional: shredded cheddar, cheddar-jack, or a Mexican blend of cheeses

For Toppings (optional):

sour cream

green onion (chopped)

red onion (chopped)

lettuce (shredded)

cilantro

guacamole

tomatoes (diced)

Directions

In a small bowl or cup, combine the chili powder with the dried minced onion, cumin, oregano, sugar, garlic powder, and the black and cayenne peppers. Blend well and set aside.

In a Dutch oven or large sauté pan over medium heat, brown the ground beef, turning and breaking up with a spatula as it cooks.

Drain the ground beef well. Return the beef to the pan over medium heat. Add the chili seasoning mix and stir to blend.

Add the 2 cans of tomatoes, tomato sauce, and undrained black beans. Stir to blend ingredients.

Bring the chili to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.

Taste and add salt, as needed.

Serve with a Tex-Mex cornbread or classic Southern cornbread, biscuits, crackers, or tortilla chips, along with shredded cheese and your favorite toppings.

Tip

If you don't have diced tomatoes with chile peppers, use regular diced tomatoes and add mild green chile peppers. Or, use about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of chunky mild to medium salsa in place of the second can of tomatoes.

MEXICAN-STYLE STUFFED BELL PEPPERS

This also comes from the November 2014 issue of Heart Insight Magazine. This one begins, “In this Latin twist on stuffed bell peppers, black beans replace the traditional rice and salsa stands in for the standard tomato sauce.” Serves 4; 1 stuffed bell pepper per serving.

To view this online, go to http://heartinsight.heart.org/November-2014/Mexican-Style-Stuffed-Bell-Peppers/.

Ingredients

4 large red or green bell peppers, or a combination, stems, seeds, and ribs discarded, tops chopped and reserved

Cooking spray

1/2 cup chopped onion

3 medium garlic cloves, minced

8 ounces 95% fat-free ground beef

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup salsa (lowest sodium available)

1 cup canned no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided use

1/4 cup low-fat shredded 4-cheese Mexican blend

1/4 cup fat-free sour cream

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

In a microwave oven, place the bell peppers with the cut side up on a paper towel. Microwave on 100% power (high) for 4–5 minutes, or until tender-crisp. Transfer with the cut side up to a 9-inch square baking dish or shallow casserole dish.

Meanwhile, lightly spray a large skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium heat. Cook the chopped bell pepper tops, onion, and garlic for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the beef. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to turn and break up the beef. Discard any drippings.

Sprinkle the beef mixture with the chili powder, cumin, and salt. Cook for 1 minute. Stir in the salsa. Remove from the heat.

Gently stir in the beans and cup cilantro. Spoon the beef mixture into the peppers. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until heated through. Remove from the oven. Sprinkle the Mexican blend cheese over the beef mixture. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Top the peppers with the sour cream. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro.

TEXAS RED CHILI

Recipe Yield: Servings: 8

Source: Family Circle's "All-time Favorite Recipes"

Book Title: Family Circle's "All-time Favorite Recipes

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/texas-red-chili.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 beef brisket (about 2 pounds), cut into 1/4-inch cubes

1 cup chopped onion

3 jalapeno chiles, halved, seeded and finely, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/4 cup chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)

1 can (13-3/4 ounces) beef broth

2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) stewed tomatoes

1 bottle (12 ounces) beer

1 bay leaf

Lime wedges for garnish

Directions

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, saute brisket until browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add onion, jalapenos and garlic to drippings in pot; cook over medium-low heat until onion is very tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in chili powder, cumin, salt, and red pepper; cook 1 minute. Return meat to pot. Stir in broth, tomatoes, beer and bay leaf. Heat to boiling. Lower heat; simmer with cover slightly ajar until meat is tender, about 1-1/2 hours. For last 20 minutes, uncover to thicken chili.

To serve, ladle chili into bowls. Garnish each bowl with lime wedge.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 334; Fat: 17 g; Sodium: 712 mg; Cholesterol: 84 mg; Protein: 30 g; Carbohydrates: 15 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 1 Bread/Starch; 4 Medium-Fat Meat

RANCH BURGERS

This comes from bsouth21 on the Genius Kitchen site. Time: 25 minutes; Serves: 4; Yield: 4 burgers

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef

1 (1 ounce) package ranch dressing mix

1 egg, lightly beaten

3⁄4 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1 onion, chopped

Directions

Preheat the grill to high heat.

In a bowl, mix the ground beef, ranch dressing mix, egg, seasoned bread crumbs, and onion.

Form mix in to 1/4 patties.

Lightly oil the grill grate. Place patties on the grill, and cook burgers until 165 degrees.

ORANGE BEEF

This comes from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter, also featured in Asian Pantry Essentials. For this recipe, Sam wrote, “This recipe for takeout-style orange beef is a variation on one the Brooklyn chef Dale Talde included in his new cookbook, "Asian-American: Proudly Inauthentic Recipes From the Philippines to Brooklyn," with a slightly more intensely flavored orange-flavored sauce. Mr. Talde's key insight is protected, however: Use very good steak, and cook it fast, so that below the lovely crust of its egg-white-and-cornstarch batter, the meat remains rare and luscious. Serve with steamed broccoli and white rice. And make it a few times. What appears difficult the first time through — the coating of the beef, the making of the sauce, the stir-frying of the aromatics, the stir-frying of the beef — is in fact fast and easy work, and much, much better than takeout.” Yield: 4 servings; Time: 30 minutes.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

For the Sauce:

1 tablespoon neutral oil

1 to 1-1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

2 tablespoons orange zest, plus the juice of one orange

3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup rice vinegar (do not use seasoned rice vinegar)

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon fish sauce

For the Beef:

1 large egg white

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 pinch kosher salt

1 boneless rib-eye steak, approximately 1 to 1 1/2 pounds, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/4 cup neutral oil

6 scallions, white and green parts cut into inchlong pieces and separated

2 to 4 dried red chiles, or to taste

Preparation

Make the sauce: Heat oil in a small sauce pan set over medium-high heat. When it begins to shimmer, add ginger, jalapeño and orange zest and stir to combine. Sauté mixture until ingredients soften, approximately 2 to 3 minutes, then add garlic and continue cooking until it softens, approximately 1 to 2 minutes longer.

Add orange juice, brown sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce and fish sauce to pan and stir to combine. Allow mixture to come to a boil, then lower the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until it thickens and reduces by half, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the meat: Combine egg white, cornstarch and salt in a bowl. Add steak, tossing to coat the meat with the batter.

In a large skillet or wok set over high heat, heat oil until it shimmers and is about to smoke. Add beef to the pan or wok in a single layer and cook without stirring until the bottoms of the pieces are crisp and golden, approximately 60 to 90 seconds. Add white pieces of scallion and chiles to the pan, then turn the beef pieces over and cook the other sides, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes more for medium-rare. Transfer to a platter.

Pour orange sauce into the hot pan or wok, let it boil and stir it as it thickens. Add meat and white scallions and stir to coat with the sauce. Return meat and sauce to the platter and scatter green scallions over the top. Serve with steamed broccoli and white rice.