Recipe Swap Week 3

Bust our your crockpot! This is a huge family hit! You can throw everything together in your crockpot the night before (except the cornstarch mixture), refrigerate, and then cook it on the counter while you are gone at work all day (or the gym... Lol). I like it "as is" but the kids really like it over brown rice or udon/ramen noodles and it makes GREAT leftovers for lunch... I hope you enjoy it!!

Chinese New Year Crockpot Beef
Serves 6

1 1/2 pounds boneless beef top round, cut into 2" cubes (can sub. Pork)
1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
4-6 cloves garlic, pressed
salt and pepper to taste
1 can beef broth (use chicken broth if using pork)
2 medium zucchini -- cut lengthwise in half, sliced crosswise 3/4" thick
1 large red bell pepper - cut in 1-inch pieces
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 tablespoons cornstarch -- dissolved in 1/4 cup water

In a skillet, heat oils together over medium-high heat until hot. Add beef (1/2 at a time) and stir fry 2 minutes or until outside surface is no longer pink. (Do not overcook). Now add the garlic and stir fry a minute longer. Remove from pan; season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

In the same pan, combine broth, bell pepper and ginger. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low for just a minute. Now add all of this to the crockpot. Add raw zucchini in there as well.

Cook in crockpot till beef is fork tender, about 7 hours on low. Add cornstarch mixture the last hour and keep the lid off the crockpot to help it thicken, otherwise, place it all in a large saucepan and let it thicken in there.

Per serving: 322 Calories; 20g Total Fat; (56% calories from fat); 23g Protein; 2g Dietary Fiber; 12g Carbohydrate; 72mg Cholesterol; 747mg Sodium Food Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 3 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

(Calories do not acount for brown rice.)

-MdmAcolyte

Awesome Idea...I just saw this recipe swap week post...Are week 1 and 2 still available? I will post a recipe tonight when I am @ home.

Chinese New Year Crockpot Beef
Serves 6

1 1/2 pounds boneless beef top round, cut into 2" cubes (can sub. Pork)
1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
4-6 cloves garlic, pressed
salt and pepper to taste
1 can beef broth (use chicken broth if using pork)
2 medium zucchini -- cut lengthwise in half, sliced crosswise 3/4" thick
1 large red bell pepper - cut in 1-inch pieces
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 tablespoons cornstarch -- dissolved in 1/4 cup water

In a skillet, heat oils together over medium-high heat until hot. Add beef (1/2 at a time) and stir fry 2 minutes or until outside surface is no longer pink. (Do not overcook). Now add the garlic and stir fry a minute longer. Remove from pan; season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

In the same pan, combine broth, bell pepper and ginger. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low for just a minute. Now add all of this to the crockpot. Add raw zucchini in there as well.

Cook in crockpot till beef is fork tender, about 7 hours on low. Add cornstarch mixture the last hour and keep the lid off the crockpot to help it thicken, otherwise, place it all in a large saucepan and let it thicken in there.

Wow, sounds like it will smell amazing! I do not have a crockpot (yes, I know it's something I'm debating) so can I treat this as a regular stir fry? Or bake it? You said "otherwise place it all in a large saucepan and let it thicken..." how large? Do I keep it over low heat? Will it still take 7 hours on the stove? Finally, we only have olive oil and canola oil...should I mix those or just use the canola/vegetable oil?

Looking forward to making this once the weather turns cooler this weekend!

Thanks!

Will post my recipe as soon as I get home today!

How is it determined who posts recipes?

I have it in the pot 'stewing' and it smells good. :-)

Week 3 Recipe

Garden Fresh Fajitas

This is one of my favorite recipes because I can slice the veggies the night before and it only takes about 15 minutes to prepare. I do grow my own bell peppers in my garden and I make fresh salsa, but it can of course be made with store bought products. I'm sure a lot of you already make fajitas, but I just discovered how much I loved them this year. Hopefully you will enjoy!

~Put 1 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive oil in skillet - turn stove on medium-high
~Slice 6-8oz of beef sirloin tip thin steak and place in skillet. (chicken can be substituted and vegan's can skip this step and add 1/4 cup black beans at the end)
~Cook about 5 minutes for med well - longer for well or chicken
~Slice 1 green bell pepper, 1 red bell pepper, 1 sweet onion and place in pan
~Cook on medium 5 minutes with lid on
~Flip meat and veggies occasionally
~Add 1.5 TBSP fajita seasoning (I make my own - see recipe below, but if short on time you can use store bought fajita seasoning. I prefer to use my own because I can control the sodium.
~Add 1/4 cup water
~Cook 5 additional minutes

Scoop 1/3 of the mixture out and place on La Tortilla Factory Tortilla
Add 2 TBSP fresh salsa (meat, veggies, salsa, and tortilla ~273 calories)
~Add 1/4 cup 2% cheese for an additional 80 calories
~Sometimes I will omit the tortilla and place on a bed of rice with 1/2 cup of black beans (443 calories)

Home made Fajita Seasoning:
3 tsp chili powder
1/4 tbsp paprika
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (omit if you don't like spicy)
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper (omit if you don't like spicy)
1/4 tsp ground cumin

(I prepare 3 times this much at once and store in a small container, using only a serving at a time. THis saves me time when I want a quick recipe)

Wow, your seasoning is to die for... Thanks for sharing!!

What a great idea I'm new to this site, but also following Weight Watchers and trying to do it this time around with minimal processed meals/foods (almost no frozen meals, WW treats etc) - Love that fajita mix recipe, I never use taco seasoning from the store any more myself either (and have never used those chili mixes...) Thanks for sharing! So, do we need to make both recipes, or just one or the other or what? Both sound good though (I'd say don't skip that sesame oil in the first, sesame oil give such a distinctive flavor - and aroma!

Thanks again - my first weigh in since joining this site tomorrow - looking forward to it

Hi. Please add me to your recipe swap. Love it!

Thanks inskydiamonds! I hope to make both, but have a crazy (very challenging) weekend ahead and have a couple planned dishes this week - plus a picky hubby! I think both sound awesome, so I hope to do both

Thanks for adding me!

I have a picky husband as well - with only two dishes a week though, I make twice the food (For example, last night he had plain baked chicken and I had the recipe from week two)....it's not toooo much extra work and you get to try the fun foods!

You can make them later than during the week - but do post once you do so we know how good they were - we have 6 recipes now posted but make as many or little as you want. Most of the recipes are pretty easy and variations of food you probably make at home anyway.

Question, how many servings is the fajita recipe - maybe I missed it? I'm hoping to squeeze both recipes in this week....

BUMP