Asian Beef lettuce wraps

These are ridiculously easy to make, and a family favorite.

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground beef

1 onion, chopped

4-5 cloves garlic, minced

3-4 carrots, chopped

1 medium zucchini, chopped

1 8oz can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped

1/2 cup hoisin sauce

1 Tbsp ginger paste

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

1-2 tsp sesame oil

Lettuce leaves for wrap (Boston Bibb or butter lettuce work well, I’ve used Romaine in a pinch)

Directions:

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef, cooking and stirring until browned. Drain and discard any fat.

Add onions, garlic, carrots, and zucchini to ground beef. Let cook until onions are translucent and carrots have softened slightly.

Stir in water chestnuts, ginger, hoisin, soy sauce, and vinegar. Let simmer for 2-3 minutes to combine flavors.

Stir in sesame oil. Serve on lettuce leaves and enjoy!

Sheet Pan Fajitas

I am always looking for ways to get extra vegetables into a meal. These fajitas are a great way to do so–add in what you like…onions, peppers, tomatoes, zucchini/squash, mushrooms. I serve these with corn tortillas, with cucumbers, cilantro, and avocado on the side. Bonus is the recipe is easy clean up since everything cooks on one pan.

You can pick your choice of protein–we like steak, but you could substitute chicken or shrimp (adjust the cook time accordingly.)

Sheet Pan Fajitas

Ingredients:

1 lb flank steak, sliced thinly across the grain

1 Tbsp chili powder

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp Mexican oregano

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

1-2 garlic cloves, diced

1 onion, sliced

1 yellow pepper, sliced

1 orange pepper, sliced

1 zucchini, sliced

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400*F. In a small bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine steak and vegetables. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with chopped garlic. Add seasoning and mix to combine, until everything is evenly coated with seasoning mixture.

Spread meat and vegetables on broiler pan or cookie sheet. Cook for 15-20 minutes until steak reaches desired doneness and vegetables are cooked through.

Serve with favorite fajita toppings of your choice.

Meatloaf Muffins

Baking meatloaf in muffin tins speeds up the cooking time–25 minutes as opposed to 75 minutes. These can be frozen without the glaze and reheated at a later date.  I like to serve these with mashed sweet potatoes and roasted broccoli.

Ingredients:

1 cup ketchup

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tsp olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 carrots, finely chopped

1-2 handfuls of spinach, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 lbs extra lean ground beef

1 cup oats

2 Tbsp mustard

2 large eggs

Directions:

For the glaze: Mix together ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350*.

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and garlic, saute until translucent. Add the spinach and let wilt. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.

Combine vegetable mixture, half the glaze, and the remaining ingredients in a large bowl.  Be careful not to overmix, or meatloaf will be dense.

Spoon meat mixture into 12 muffin cups coated with olive oil/ cooking spray. Top with glaze.

Bake at 350* for 25 minutes or until no longer pink. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Hidden Veggie Tacos

These tacos make a regular appearance in our house. They are a great way to get in extra vegetables–and for the veggie haters in your house, they won’t even notice the vegetables!

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground beef

2 medium onions

3 cloves of garlic

3 medium carrots

1 medium zucchini

1 6oz bag baby spinach

taco seasoning of your choosing (I use Penzey’s bold taco seasoning, you are welcome to use what you prefer)

Directions:

Heat a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add ground beef to pan, break it apart with a wooden spoon. Let ground beef brown, stirring occasionally.

While the ground beef browns, finely chop all the vegetables. The fastest way I’ve found to do this is using my food processor. Add vegetables mixture to ground beef, and let cook until softened.

Add taco seasoning according to package directions, let simmer until taco mixture is your desired consistency.

I like to serve this taco filling with corn tortillas, lettuce wraps, chopped tomatoes, avocado, and salsa. Enjoy!

Stuffed Peppers

These peppers are loaded with vegetables. They can be assembled ahead of time, and baked when you are ready to enjoy them.

Ingredients:

6 bell peppers

1 lb lean ground beef

1 lb turkey Italian sausage

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

6 oz fresh spinach

Italian seasoning, to taste

1 cup tomato sauce

2 cups mozzarella, grated

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375*. Cut tops off peppers, chop tops to add to filling. Devein peppers and rinse out seeds. Place peppers in baking pan.

In a large pan, brown ground beef and sausage. When meat is nearly browned, add onions, garlic, pepper tops, carrots, and spinach. Cook until softened.

Add Italian spices and tomato sauce. Simmer until flavors combine.

Remove from heat and let filling cool slightly. Mix in 1 1/2 cups mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.

Fill peppers, topping with some of the reserved mozzarella.

Loosely cover pan with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 20-25 minutes, until cheese has melted and browned slightly.

Brazilian-inspired Skirt Steak & Vegetables

Grilled skirt steak and roasted vegetables topped with garlic butter. Very little hands-on cooking, it was quick and satisfying!

Ingredients: 

2 lb skirt steak

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 potato, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 zucchini, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

4 Tbsp butter

4-5 cloves garlic, munched

2 tsp dried parsley

Salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450*. Toss potato, onion, pepper, and zucchini in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes.

Heat grill pan to medium high heat. Brush with olive oil. Season steak with salt and pepper. Grill steak approximately 5 minutes/ side for medium rare. Remove from heat to rest.

Meanwhile, melt butter in small sauce pan. Add garlic and parsley. Cook until butter is infused with flavor.

To serve, place vegetables on plate. Top with slices of steak (cut against the grain). Drizzle with garlic butter.

Hoisin Glazed Meatballs

This recipe can easily be doubled. Eat half now and freeze the rest for later!

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

1 tsp sesame oil

1/2 cup oats

1 tsp ginger paste

1 large egg

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 green onions, thinly sliced

Hoisin Glaze:

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

2 Tbsp rice vinegar

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp sesame oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp ginger paste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400*. Mix ground beef, sesame oil, oats, ginger, egg, garlic, and green onions until just combined.

Form beef mixture into 1-1 1/2 inch diameter balls and place on broiler pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Combine glaze ingredients. Toss meatballs in glaze and serve warm.