Red Wine Beef Stew with Potatoes and Green Beans

Red Wine Beef Stew with Potatoes and Green Beans (compliments of foodnetwork.com)


2 pounds beef chuck for stew, cut into 1-inch cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons butter
4 medium carrots, peeled, halved and cut into 1-inch chunks
3 small onions, diced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans reduced-sodium beef or chicken broth
2 cups dry red wine
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 medium russet or Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 handfuls green beans, ends trimmed


Season the beef cubes lightly with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a heavy 6-quart pot over medium heat. As soon as the butter starts to turn brown, add half the beef and raise the heat to high. At first, the beef will give off some liquid, but once that evaporates, the beef will start to brown. Cook, turning the beef cubes on all sides until the pieces are as evenly browned as possible, about 5 or 6 minutes after the water has boiled off. If the pan starts to get too brown at any point, just turn down the heat a little. Scoop the beef into a bowl and brown the rest of the beef the same way using the remaining butter.

Scoop out the second batch of beef, then add the carrots and onions and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook until the onion starts to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour until it has been worked into the veggies and you can’t see it any more. Pour in the chicken broth, wine, and crushed tomatoes, and toss in the rosemary. Slide the beef back into the pot and bring the liquid to a boil.

Turn down the heat so the liquid is just breaking a gentle simmer. Partially cover the pot and cook 50 minutes. Stir the stew several times while simmering so it cooks evenly and nothing sticks to the bottom.

Stir the potatoes into the stew, cover the pot completely, and cook until the potatoes and beef are tender, stirring occasionally, about another 45 minutes. Add the beans and cook for another 5 minutes until the green beans turn bright green and are cooked through but still have a nice snap to them.

Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry with Peanut Noodles

Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry with Peanut Noodles (compliments of foodnetwork.com)


6 ounces peanut butter
6 ounces hot water
1 teaspoon chili flakes
2 teaspoons sesame oil
8 tablespoons soy sauce
1 box spaghetti
1 teaspoon garlic powder
12 ounces beef, sliced on the bias
1 head broccoli
4 tablespoons sweet and sour sauce


In a bowl combine the peanut butter, water, chili flakes, sesame oil and 4 tablespoons of soy sauce. Mix well. Boil the spaghetti and drain. Toss the spaghetti with the peanut sauce and serve. Marinate the beef with the garlic powder and the soy sauce and let stand 1/2 hour. Blanch and shuck the head of broccoli. Saute in wok with sweet and sour sauce and the marinated beef. Serve when beef is thoroughly cooked.

Pepperoni, Pasta, and Vegetable Casserole

Pepperoni, Pasta, and Vegetable Casserole (compliments of foodnetwork.com)


Kosher salt
1 pound spaghetti
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
1/4 cup cream cheese
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 pinch ground nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups grated Monterey Jack (about 7 ounces)
1 (16-ounce) box frozen broccoli, or 1 pound fresh broccoli, lightly cooked
1 (10-ounce) bag frozen peas
8 ounces pepperoni, diced


Preheat the broiler.
Bring a large pot of cold water to a boil over high heat and salt it generously. Add the spaghetti and boil, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or deep stove-top casserole dish over medium heat. Scatter the flour over the butter and mix with a wooden spoon into a paste. Continue stirring in a figure "8", making sure to get into the corners of the pan, until the paste puffs slightly and lightens in color, about 1 minute. Off the heat gradually whisk the milk into the paste. Return to medium-high heat and whisk until thickened, then simmer, stirring occasionally until the sauce has the consistency of heavy cream, about 8 to 10 minutes. Whisk in the cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce, and nutmeg. Season with salt, pepper.

Reduce heat to low and whisk 1 cup Monterey Jack. Stir in the broccoli, peas, pepperoni and spaghetti, and heat until warmed through.

Top casserole with the remaining 1 cup cheese; transfer to the broiler, and cook casserole until brown and bubbly. Cool slightly and serve.

Tex-Mex Gooey Casserole

Tex-Mex Gooey Casserole (compliments of foodnetwork.com)


1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
1 pound ground beef
1 pound diced stew meat
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup tomato paste
4 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes
3 cups beef stock
10 flour tortillas
2 cups grated Medium Cheddar cheese
2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 9 by 2-inch square baking dish. In a large skillet, heat the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions and saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the ground beef and continue to cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the diced meat and continue to cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, and cumin. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the tomato paste. Stir in the tomatoes and stock. Simmer the mixture for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and cool. Spoon a couple of tablespoons of the chili mixture on the bottom of the prepared pan. Lay two tortillas on top of the chili mixture. Sprinkle the top of the tortillas with the Cheddar and Jack cheese. Repeat the layering process until all of the chili, tortillas and cheese are used. (The final layer should be cheese) Place the pan in the oven and bake until the cheese has melted, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly before slicing.

Primavera Orzo

Primavera Orzo (compliments of 30 minute meals)


2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
1 small zucchini, chopped
1 cup shredded carrots, chopped
1 teaspoon curry powder
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup orzo pasta
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, a handful
1 cup frozen peas
Salt and pepper

Heat a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan in a slow stream. Add garlic, shallots, zucchini and carrots. Saute 5 minutes. Add curry, chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add orzo and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally until pasta absorbs the liquid and is al dente in texture, 10 minutes. Uncover and stir in cheese, parsley and peas. Season with salt and pepper, to your taste.

Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes (compliments of Ellie Krieger, foodnetwork.com)


1 pound extra-lean ground beef
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
1 red pepper, diced
1 can small red beans or pinto beans, preferably low sodium drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups no-salt-added tomato sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon molasses
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon mustard powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
8 whole-wheat burger buns


Brown the meat and the onion in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, breaking up the meat into crumbles as it cooks. Pour the drippings out of the pan and discard. Add the garlic, jalapeno, and red pepper and cook 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes more. Place a half-cup scoop of the mixture onto each bun and serve.

Nutritional Information per Serving (8)
Calories 248
Carbohydrates 37 grams
Total Fat 4 grams
Saturated Fat 1.1 gram
Protein 18 grams
Fiber 7 grams
Sodium 535 milligrams

Dill Potato Salad

Dill Potato Salad (compliments of allrecipes.com)

7 cups chopped new potatoes
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill weed
1 teaspoon dried parsley
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool, peel and chill. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine sour cream, dill, parsley, Dijon, salt and pepper. Pour dressing over potatoes and toss gently. Chill before serving.


Servings Per Recipe: 6
Calories: 230
Total Fat: 8.6g
Cholesterol: 17mg
Sodium: 347mg
Total Carbs: 35.1g
Dietary Fiber: 3g
Protein: 4.6g

Chunky Tomato Potato Soup

Chunky Tomato Potato Soup (compliments of allrecipes.com)

2 tablespoons butter
2 onions, chopped
4 cups peeled, cubed potatoes
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 (14.5 ounce) can tomatoes
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste


Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, and cook the onions until tender. Mix in the potatoes, celery, carrots, and garlic. Season with Italian seasoning. Pour in milk, gradually stir in cornstarch, and bring to a boil. Mix in tomatoes, broth, and tomato paste. Return to boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.


Servings Per Recipe: 8

Calories: 166
Total Fat: 4.6g
Cholesterol: 13mg
Sodium: 406mg
Total Carbs: 27.1g
Dietary Fiber: 4.4g
Protein: 5.4g

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

Broccoli and Cheese Soup (compliments of sparkpeople.com)

Cooking spray
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (16-ounce) package broccoli florets
2 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
8 ounces light processed cheese, cubed (such as Velveeta Light)


Heat a large nonstick saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute 3 minutes or until tender. Add broth and broccoli. Bring broccoli mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; cook 10 minutes. Combine milk and flour, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Add milk mixture to broccoli mixture. Cook 5 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Stir in pepper. Remove from heat; add cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Place one-third of the soup in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Return pureed soup mixture to pan.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups)

CALORIES 203 (28% from fat)
FAT 6.3g (sat 4g,mono 1.8g,poly 0.4g)
PROTEIN 15.6g
CHOLESTEROL 24mg
CALCIUM 385mg
SODIUM 897mg
FIBER 2.9g
IRON 1.2mg
CARBOHYDRATE 21.7g