Paleo Asian Beef Lettuce Wraps

Tags

beef, diet, dinner, Gluten free, healthy, low carb, paleo

When Brent and i first started our Paleo journey, a long time friend sent me some emeals, Emeals is a weekly meal planner that you can customize based your dietary needs. No meat? No Problem. No Grains? thats okay too! Looking at her emeals, the recipes were listed with directions and a shopping list was attached. 7 meals per week sent right to my inbox. I decided to subscribe for a little inspiration since I felt like our diet was in a bit of a rut.

I loved having an idea of what to prepare. Since Brent and I bring lunch to work on most days of the week, i opted for the family size meal plans to have extra.

One of the first recipes I used with emeals was this Asian Beef Lettuce Wrap recipe. It was simple to follow and there was plenty of room for me to tweak this to make it more my own preferred style. I just really enjoy the inspiration. 

 

Asian Beef Lettuc Wraps (serves 4)

1 lb lean ground beef

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 cup chopped onion

2 carrots, peeled and shredded

2 cloves garlic, minced

16 oz package sliced fresh mushrooms

2 cups shredded green cabbage

¼ cup coconut aminos (or substitute soy sauce)

1 teaspoon ground ginger

2 heads Bibb or butter lettuce, leaves separated

Method:

Cook beef in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat 8 minutes or until   browned; drain and set aside. Heat oil in skillet; add onion, carrots and garlic. Cook 5 minutes or until tender. Add mushrooms; cook 8 minutes or until browned. Add cabbage, and cook 3 minutes or slightly wilted. Add coconut aminos, stirring to combine. Return beef to skillet, and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Spoon beef mixture onto lettuce leaves; roll up and devour!

I nearly ran out of room in my largest frying pan for all the meaty veggie goodness. The dish was really tasty and filling. Also who doesnt love faux tacos! Also, if lettuce wraps arent your thing, you can totally use regular tortilla wraps or eat this over rice. Its a jack of all trades dish.

wanna try emeals??? Click the banner below  🙂

Paleo Bacon Meatloaf with Mushroom Sauce

Tags

bacon, beef, dinner, low carb, meatloaf, paleo, recipes

 

When I first started my Paleo journey, I was always afraid BR and I weren’t eating enough. Not in the sense that we had to eat like birds but I wanted to make sure that the meals were satisfying and healthy.

One of the greatest “tricks” to succeeding during my initial 30 days was adding good quality bacon to our diet. For so long, I always saw bacon as “bad” and “unhealthy”. So when I started shopping for our first week, holding the pound of freshly butchered bacon made me so excited. It started to feel like anything but a diet.

GIVE ME BACON!

And that love for bacon is the reason why when I was making a beautiful grass fed beef meatloaf that I added bacon to it without the slightest feeling of guilt. And for BR, he dug in and said “this is a diet?!?! SIGN ME UP!” It was definitely satisfying, especially with the addition of some great veggie sides. Even if you arent following a low carb diet, this is a really satisfying dinner.

Ingredients:

2 lb 85% lean grass fed ground beef

1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup almond flour, or flour of choice

1 egg

1 tsp granulated onion powder

1/2 tsp granulated garlic

6-8 slices bacon

For the sauce:

8 oz mushrooms, i chose cremini, sliced

1 Tbsp butter

1 tbsp arrowroot flour, Or flour of choice

1/4 cup beef stock

 

Preheat the oven to 350*. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef with onions, salt, flour, egg, garlic and onion powder. Combine until all ingredients are well incorporated. Place in a non stick baking pan and form into a loaf shape. Top with bacon.

Place in the oven and bake uncovered for 50-60 minutes.

While the meatloaf was baking, I prepared the mushroom gravy. Heat the butter in a large skillet over a medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the sliced mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are softened, about 5-7 minutes. When the mushrooms are cooked, sprinkle in the arrowroot flour and stir until its well combined. It will thicken up, add beef stock in 1 Tbsp at a time until desired consistency is reached. Allow the mushrooms to bubble while stirring constantly. When it reaches a bubble, lower the heat to allow it to simmer while the meatloaf cooks. When the meatloaf is complete, slice and serve with mushroom sauce over it. I served this alongside some sauteed cabbage, roasted red beets and a tomato and cucumber salad.

The mushrooms sauce was great, however, it congeals quite a bit once it cools. Not to be alarmed though, the sauce gets better when its heated.

 

Slow Cooker Korean Beef Stew

Tags

beef, crock pot, kimchi, korean, slow cooker, spicy

My absolute weakness is korean food. Something about the sweet spicy combo, and red pepper paste, and kimchi that make my heart flutter. There is even a Korean take out place near my apartment that makes kalbi burritos that weaken me. I know the addiction is serious when i log on to seamless and even after 2 months of low carb eating, they still recommend my old favorite.

I came across this recipe while catching up on my blog reader. The day I saw it, i bookmarked it and then, because i couldnt contain the craving any longer, placed an order for that lovely spicy kalbi burrito.

LK, from Healthy-Delicious is not only a good friend of mine, but is a boss in the kitchen. From her unique creations and trusted palate to her knack for taking the most photogenic pics of her food, this lady knows food. So, when i saw her recipe for spicy korean tacos, i had to add the recipe to my rotation for that week. With some helpful tips from her I was able to recreate this dish at home, in the slow cooker. 

Her original recipe would not have made nearly enough sauce for a slow cooker dish so I quadrupled the sauce and had amazing results. Cuz LK is a boss!

Her original recipe can be found here.

The slow cooker method yielded amazing results. Using Chuck beef is not only affordable but probably the best bet as its high fat content makes the beef practically melt in your mouth after a long and slow cook. My only regret is not making more.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chili-garlic sauce

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1 lb chuck steak, cut into cubes

Prepare the slow cooker by combine all the ingredients in the vessel and making sure to stir it so that everything is mixed together. Set the cooker on low for 8 hrs.

I was so looking forward to coming home to this dish. When i came home, the air was saturated with the inviting aroma of the spicy korean beef. I prepared some white rice in my rice cooker and waited 30 agonizing minutes before digging in. 

The sauce is KILLER. The perfect amount of spicy, sweet, and salty- and the beef was cooked to perfection. It literally melted in my mouth. For good measure, I served this alongside some store-bought kimchi. While the photo doesn’t depict the proper way to eat this, i prefer to mix everything up and eat it with lettuce cups. The only thing missing was the red pepper paste that I get by the bucket when I dine at Korean restaurants.

LK, this recipe is a real winner! I cannot wait to revisit, but with even more of that delicious sauce! And while this recipe fed BR and I with a little leftovers, there were not nearly enough leftovers to make substantial lunches… but there is always  next time!

Slow Cooker: Clean Beef Stew

Tags

beef, beef stew, clean, dinner, healthy, recipes, slow cooker, stew

At times eating right can be a challenge. With all the foods out there that taste so damn amazing, getting back to the basics can feel like a challenge. Like, what did people eat before white rice? Have you ever sat down to that steaming bowl of white fluffy rice and craved something else instead? I know I don’t. And when I make the decision to use brown rice or some other whole grain, it feels like a chore because nothing beats that bleached starchy goodness.

And when I sit down and over think it, I decide to challenge myself. I started looking up paleo recipes and clean recipes and realized that its not all that different from the foods I love, minus a few things. There is nothing like lean protein with tons of hearty root vegetables. The beef stew that I fell in love with was an autumn stew, but comfort like this knows no specific season. So, there.

Ingredients (makes 4 servings)

• 1 lb / 454 g extra lean stewing beef, cut into 1-inch cubes
• ¼ lb / 113 g low-sodium turkey bacon
• 1 cup / 240 ml chopped onion
• 2 cups / 480 ml low-sodium beef broth
• 2 cups / 480 ml apple cider
• 1 lb / 454 g diced white potatoes
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 ribs celery, sliced
• 1½ cups / 360 ml diced rutabaga
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ tsp / 2.5 ml dried rosemary, crumbled
• ½ tsp / 2.5 ml freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp / 15 ml freshly chopped parsley or dried parsley flakes (optional)
• 2 Tbsp / 30 ml whole wheat flour

Preparation

Cook beef, turkey bacon and onions in a large skillet on medium heat until the beef is browned and bacon is cooked.

Place in the slow cooker: beef, onions, bacon, onions, broth, apple cider, potatoes, carrots, celery, rutabaga, bay leaf, rosemary, pepper and parsley, if using. Cover and cook 7-9 hours on low.

Combine flour with 2 Tbsp / 30 ml cold water to form a smooth mixture. Stir into mixture in slow cooker and continue cooking for another 15 minutes. Serve.

I served this over some garlicky quinoa and ripe slices of avocado. This was amazing. I was a little unsure about cider in a beef stew but it really worked and gave the sauce a nice depth of flavor. As for the quinoa, it really didn’t hold up in the stew like rice, but I love the texture of quinoa so it was still tasty. And, avocado? always a win.

Cheeseburger Mac and Cheese

Tags

beef, cheeseburger, mac and cheese

Now that the holidays are officially coming to a close tonight, a lot of us (me included) have our New Years fitness plan all mapped out. I know it will likely last till February but it doesn’t stop me from starting the year off right. But since we have one more day, why not be really really bad?

If not, then just watch me be bad and plan this dish for the day you must crash your diet.

This is sinful and easy to put together. Its meant to be a sort of casserole since it has the whole shebang, pasta, cheese, and meat- so its best to bulk it up with a side salad. Or if you eat like BR, bulk it up with a second helping.

Ingredients (makes 8 servings..or 4 BR servings)

1 tsp oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 lb lean ground beef (or turkey if you want to lighten it up)

salt

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/8 tsp garlic powder

1 lb elbow macaroni, cooked al dente

3 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese (separated 2 cup + 1 cup)

1 tsp spicy mustard

6 oz evaporated skim milk

Preheat oven to 350*

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium flame and add onions. Stir them until fragrant and translucent. Then add garlic. Cook about 3-4 minutes, turning frequently. Add the ground beef, powdered onion, garlic and salt, and saute until fully cooked. About 8 minutes.

Add the ground beef to the cooked macaroni. (if there is a lot of liquid in the pan, drain it) Add cheese to the macaroni and beef and stir to combine. Pour the macaroni into a 9×13 baking pan that’s sprayed with cooking oil. Sprinkle with remaining cup of cheese. Pour evaporated milk all over mac and cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

When its done, let rest for 10 minutes before serving so the cheese can hold the pasta together.

Enjoy and have a Happy New Year!

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Tags

beef, crock pot, dinner, healthy, mushrooms, slow cooker

This one is a real winner. Its from cooking light. It’s a slow cooker recipe. And it screams comfort. Beef Stroganoff. Creamy mushroom sauce with beef over egg noodles. I mean, creamy anything is comfort but after being congested for days on end and worrying about your waste-line, cream is the last thing you want.

Cooking light does a great job creating a delightfully creamy recipe that is not chock full of cream. I made some last minute adjustments to this recipe based on what was available and it did not disappoint. Fair warning, I should have had leftovers of this dish but after two nights in a row of “meh” slow cooker recipes (not yet posted), we dove into this HARD. Only one of us got to take leftovers to work. (sad face).

Ingredients

1 (1-pound) top round steak (1 inch thick), trimmed
1 Medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (Or, 1 Tablespoon dried parsley)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (8-ounce) package sliced mushrooms (about 2 cups)(I doubled the amount of mushrooms)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/3 cup)
1 cup fat-free, lower-sodium beef broth
1 (8-ounce) container low-fat sour cream non fat, plain greek yogurt
2 cups hot cooked medium egg noodles (about 4 ounces uncooked) (we ate an entire package of egg noodles)

Method:

1. Cut steak diagonally across grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place steak and next 8 ingredients (though garlic) in a 3-quart electric slow cooker; stir well.
2. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place flour in a small bowl; gradually add broth, stirring with a whisk until blended. Add broth mixture to slow cooker; stir well. Cover with lid; cook on high-heat setting 1 hour. Reduce to low-heat setting, and cook 7 to 8 hours or until steak is tender. Turn slow cooker off; remove lid. Let stroganoff stand 10 minutes. Stir in sour cream. Serve stroganoff over noodles.

Creamy.

Hearty.

Delicious.

EASY!

HEALTHY!

We sat on the couch with bowls of this stuff and ate. Heads down. No talking. Just enchanted with how good this was. And we didn’t think twice before going back for seconds. We deserved it. We earned it.

This is definitely a winner and I would definitely make it again. I have already been asked to double this recipe to share with mom. Mom used to make beef stroganoff for me as a child, and not the healthy way.

Go make this. And wear stretchy pants!

Crock Pot Beef Chili

Tags

beef, chili, dinner, slow cooker

Things are somewhat getting back to normal here in NYC. The number of friends I have on Facebook volunteering for the Sandy Relief is heartwarming. At the same time, the number of “friends” I have on Facebook starting to complain about NYC life is typical.

The lines I see for people getting gas are unreal. While waiting in a long line at the supermarket, I overheard someone behind me saying “whoa, what a line! Are they selling gas here too?”. Surely, the “gas line” jokes will be one of those “you had to be there” ones. I also have heard some tales about getting gas. People pulling guns to skip lines and some of the more amazing tales of how people came thru for one another.

Its really just something to tell the grandchildren someday. As we continue to rebuild, we continue to resume normalcy. Hurricane Sandy has brought many of us the gift of new fat asses. Sitting at home for days with nothing to do but eat. I tried to keep the meals hearty and comforting. And with the temperatures starting to veer towards the “winter” season, I made a big pot of beefy chili.

Ingredients

2 pounds lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 ½ cups)  bunch of scallions, sliced.
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 14 ½-ounce cans beef broth
1/3 cup chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 14 ½-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 15 ½-ounce cans kidney black beans, drained
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 green bell pepper, diced

To allow the chili to simmer all day, I opted to use my slow cooker. I was feeling very grateful that we made it through the hurricane with only a flickering of our lights so using the slow cooker felt right.

I started by sauteeing the scallions over a tsp of extra virgin olive oil to release their aroma. About a minute over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook through while breaking apart to make crumbles.

When the beef is no longer pink, add it to the slow cooker with everything else in the ingredients. Set the cooker on low for 8-10 hrs or on high for 4 hrs.

This can easily be cooked on the stove top in a dutch oven over low heat for 2 hrs.

I served my chili over white rice and a slab of buttery corn bread. But you can serve this with:

– Crusty Bread

– Baked potato

– French fries/tater tots

– corn bread

– Rice

-or just by itself!

It’s a great comfort dish that is easy to put together. It also freezes easily! I make a full batch and freeze half so somewhere down the line, I have an easy to reheat dinner.

Slow Cooker: Beer Braised Beef

Tags

beef, carrots, dinner, polenta, slow cooker, Steak

When I moved into my apartment, conveniently located across the street from my mother, she placed bets on occasions where I would show up after work with an appetite for some home cooked food. Perhaps 4 years ago, that might have been an instant win but, my, how the tables have turned. I feel incredibly blessed to be so close to home again after having moving out on my own for 4 years. Living on my own in Queens for 4 years taught me a lot about time management and living on a budget. My commute was a complete hour each way and when I got home, I would walk mickey and then when I returned from walking the dog, I would start cooking. Batch cooking was ESSENTIAL then as was utilizing my slow cooker. But now, my commute is a measly 23 minutes and coming home to cook is something I look forward to.
My family had a big renovation in their kitchen last week which meant no use of their stove or sink.
*Phone Rings*
Me: Hello?
Mom: Hi baby! How are you?
Me: Im good, mom.  Just getting in. What are you up to?
Mom: Ugh, this renovation is killing me! Wanted to know what you were doing for dinner tonight?
Me: As a matter of fact, I just turned off the slow cooker. I made some kind of beef dish.
Mom: Do you have enough to share?
***
Yes. The tables definitely have turned now. Make no mistake, I am more than happy to be there for my family. Whenever  I needed them, they were always there and now that I live so close to home I can be there for them- even for something so simple as providing a home cooked meal. That’s what family is.

Beer Braised Beef

Ingredients:
1 cup onion, chopped
Cooking spray
1 pound boneless top round steak, trimmed
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, undrained
1/2 cup light beer
2 tablespoons molasses
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Tbsp flour

Directions
Place onion in a 3- to 3 1/2-quart electric slow cooker coated with cooking spray.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat; coat pan with cooking spray. Add steak; cook 2 minutes on each side to sear.

Place steak over onions in cooker; pour tomatoes and beer over steak. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours.

Shred steak with 2 forks in slow cooker; stir in molasses and salt. Whisk in flour to thicken the sauce.

 

Let steak stand 10 minutes before serving. 1 serving is 1 cup of beef. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice or polenta.

I served mine with my favorite polenta (also in the slow cooker) and some glazed Carrots!

Beef Stuffed Cabbage

Tags

beef, cabbage, dinner, healthy, light lunch

When I was in junior high school, or middle school, or secondary school, what have you, I remember fondly when a student brought in a dish for my homeroom teacher that she not only squealed about but loved so much that she devoured it in class. In front of us. Right before lunch.
It didn’t sound wonderful but watching her stuff her face with reckless abandon, I could not understand her excitement. Now, 18 years later (FML), I finally got around to making the dish that made my 6th grade teacher swoon.
Stuffed Cabbage.
How extremely weird is it that I have never had stuffed cabbage?
The inspiration came from a giant head of cabbage that my mother was trying to  get rid of. Normally, since the family is trying to be more health conscious, mom will slice up a cabbage and boil the leave with salt, pepper and a little olive oil. It’s pretty good but how much boiled cabbage can one eat? I got pretty tired of it. I sought a healthy version of stuffed cabbage and I am really happy to share this recipe after I made some tweaks to it.
 
Ingredients:
8 leaves of Savoy cabbage
½ lb lean ground beef
½ cups cooked bulgur
¼ cp seasoned breadcrumbs
1 medium carrot, grated
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large eggwhite
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1 28 oz jar of sweet basil and tomato sauce
 
Directions:
If you  have a microwave, wrap cabbage leaves in plastic wrap or moist paper towels and microwave on high for 2 minutes.

If you are like me and don’t have a microwave, steam the cabbage leaves (I used my steamer but you can boil them for a few minutes) to soften them up. Cut out the spine of the leaf and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the beef, bulgur, breadcrumbs, carrot, onion, garlic, egg white, salt and pepper.

Combine until all the ingredients are well incorporated into the beef.

Preheat the oven to 300*.
Spray and baking pan with cooking spray and spread ½ cup of sauce into the pan.
Place ¼ cup of the beef mixture into each cabbage leaf and roll up like a burrito. Fold two opposite ends in towards the center and then fold the bottom “lip” up and roll.

Place the cabbage roll seam side down in the sauce. And repeat until there are no more cabbage leaves.  Pour the remaining sauce over the cabbage rolls, cover the pan with foil and bake for 2 hrs.

A serving yields 2 rolls. I made this for lunch. It was a bit heavy for lunch. I recommend this for dinner with, perhaps a salad on the side.

Beef and Broccoli

Tags

beef, broccoli, dinner

I was really tempted to order take out the other day. In an effort to save my waistline and wallet, I attempted my own. It’s the same old story every time. I crave something and get a little lazy, so I make my own. I was quite happy with the turn out of this particular dish so I am happy to share!

But next time I feel lazy, Im probably just gonna order take out. Less dishes to clean!

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup beef broth

1Tablespoon cornstarch

1 Tablespoon Hoisin Sauce

2 Tablespoons Canola Oil

1 lb sirloin steak, thinly sliced

1 Tablespoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons minced garlic

4 cups fresh broccoli florets

1/4 cup water

1/3 cup scallions

2 cups cooked brown rice

Directions:

I started by combining the soy sauce, sugar, beef broth, cornstarch, and Hoisin Sauce in a small bowl and setting aside.

In a large skillet, heat 1 T of oil over medium heat. Heat for about 1 minute and add the slices of steak in a thin layer, making sure not to overlap. Let them cook on each side for 2-3 minutes and set aside. 

Add 1 T of oil to the already hot pan and add the garlic and saute for about 30 seconds. Add the broccoli and stir to coat. Then add the water and green onions. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Now, you can add the contents of the small bowl (beef broth, corn starch, etc) and the already cooked beef to the pan and let the broccoli cook for 2-3 more minutes.

The sauce will begin to thicken. Once the broccoli is crisp tender and the sauce thickens you can remove it from the heat…

And serve over brown rice.

I definitely overcooked the broccoli… but I still enjoyed it. Next time, im just gonna be full on lazy.