Beefy Stew Loaded with Proteins

I love beef and I enjoy making different dishes with it. Many people still believe that eating beef can be unhealthy and cause problems to your health, but this is just a myth! While I was doing some research about beef, I found in a USDA article that a 3 ounce serving of lean beef contributes to less than 10 percent (154) of calories. This is a very small amount compared to the 2,000 calorie diet that is recommended to most people. Also, a 3 ounce serving of lean beef supplies 40% for the Daily Value of protein.

I also found that approximately one third of beef’s saturated fat is stearic acid, a unique saturated fatty acid that doesn’t raise blood cholesterol. In fact, some doctors say that, if you eat lean cuts of beef such as round, chuck, sirloin or tenderloin in moderation, your blood pressure won’t raise.

Since my family and I are beef lovers, I cooked one of these days a delicious Beefy Stew with potatoes and salad that I got from AllRecipes.com. Everyone at home enjoyed it! Preparing and cooking it is very simple:

Ingredients

• 1 pound beef stew meat
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼  teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ cup baby carrots
• 1/3 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup boiling water
• ½ (1/2 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 onion, sliced
• ¼ cup red wine
• ¼ cup warm water
• 1 potato, sliced
• ¼ cup of olive oil
• 2 tomatoes
• lettuce

Directions

1. Place meat in a large plastic bag. Combine 1/4 cup flour with 1/4 teaspoon salt; pour into the bag with the meat, and shake to coat.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add stew meat, and cook until evenly browned on the outside. Transfer to a slow cooker along with the carrots and pepper. In a small bowl, stir together 1 cup of boiling water and dry soup mix; pour into the slow cooker.
3. In the same skillet, melt butter and sauté onions until softened; remove to the slow cooker. Pour red wine into the skillet, and stir to loosen browned bits of food on the bottom. Remove from heat, and pour into the slow cooker.
4. Cover, and cook on High for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to Low, and cook for 6 hours, or until meat is fork tender. In a small bowl or cup, mix together 2 tablespoons flour with 1/4 cup warm water. Stir into stew, and cook uncovered for 15 minutes, or until thickened.
5. On a frying pan, put ¼ of olive oil and fry the potato slices.
6. Decorate the dish with a salad.

Mexican Nachos that are ‘Buenísimos’!

Hello everyone!

A few days ago I shared with you my easy-to-make spaghetti recipe. If you tried it, I am sure you loved it! This time, however; I decided to forget Italy for a while and spiced up my cooking a little bit with a Mexican style. I don’t know you, but I love nachos, and I’m not talking about the American ones. Although I like American nachos too, Mexican nachos are spread with a different cheese and are made with kidney or black beans.

 I had been having this craving for a while, so I decided to go to the grocery store and buy the following ingredients:

• 1 can of black beans
• 1/2 onion
• Worcestershire sauce
• Lettuce
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 bag of tortilla chips
• Mozzarella cheese
• Sour cream (optional)

1. I started with the beans. I chopped the onion and fried it in a pan. Then, I added the beans and some (like 5 to 7 drops) of Worcestershire sauce, and reduced heat to medium low. Don’t forget to stir occasionally until the water of the beans start to dry. Remove from heat.
2. Cut the tomatoes into small cubes and torn the lettuce into small pieces.
3. On a plate, put the tortilla chips first. Then add the beans, spreading them all over the tortilla chips. Repeat the process with the mozzarella cheese. 

     5. On the top, add the tomato cubes and the lettuce. Top it with sour cream.  

When the Sun Starts to Shine: Outdoor Entertaining Ideas

Finally the weather has started to warm up! It is time to get rid of my coat and enjoy some fresh air and sunlight. I have been expecting this time since winter started (I know, I am contradictory by nature). While waiting, I decided to do my own research and jot down some outdoor cooking ideas for this beautiful time of the year. 

Include these on your own list of outdoor activities:

Fire up the grill

Grill your favorite type of meat and season it with some flavorful ingredients. I love grilling chicken, beef, and pork with my kids and my husband. While my husband and I are cooking, the kids get to play in the backyard and we all have a good time. It is a great way to relax!

Here are some grilling tips that I found on the web that you might find useful: http://www.countryliving.com/cooking/about-food/top-10-grilling-tips-0708

 Relax with a picnic

Enjoy fresh air and the beauties of nature by having an afternoon picnic with your family or friends. Going on a picnic is one of the things I really miss doing when it’s winter time. I don’t know you, but after three months of snow and cold weather all I really want is to have a relaxed time outdoors! 

Get ideas from this site to prepare delicious sandwiches, snacks and treats so you can enjoy during your picnic: http://www.marthastewart.com/359498/picnic-ideas

Get wet with a pool party

Your kids will definitely love this! If you don’t have a pool, that’s okay. You can buy an inflatable pool for less than $40. The point of this activity, besides having fun with your loved ones, is to cool off a little and enjoy the sunlight. Don’t forget to buy some munchies and drinks at your nearest grocery store. I always put some sodas, orange juice, and snacks on a table close to the pool because my kids love to drink and eat something while playing with water. 

I found this great article that gives some pool party ideas for your kids and their friends that you may want to read: http://voices.yahoo.com/pool-party-ideas-young-kids-3741646.html

Pasta for 4 with Less Than $5

I have two kids, an 11 year old and a 6 year old. I am concerned that my kids are growing so fast and there is nothing I can do about it. However, it is in my hands to feed them with the nutrients and vitamins they need so they can grow into healthy, strong adults. This is sometimes hard to achieve when you have to stick to a tight budget, which is usually my case.

One of the things I enjoy cooking for supper is pasta. Some of the benefits of pasta is that it is low in calories, doesn’t have any saturated or trans-fat, and it has carbohydrates that work like energy boosters for kids that are in a fast developmental stage. Also, it helps me save some dollars since it is cheap and everyone ends up with their stomachs full. So, if you are planning to cut your budget just a little, I encourage you to prepare different pasta dishes for your family.

Yesterday, I decided to cook a delicious Bacon and Provolone Spaghetti with less than $5. My husband, my two kids, and I tried this yesterday and everyone loved it! 

I used the following ingredients to prepare this meal:

• 16 oz. Spaghetti (approx. $1)
• 26 oz. bacon and provolone Italian sauce (approx. $3)
• 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 2 tablespoons of butter (approx. $0.10)
• ¼ of onion, chopped (approx. $0.25)
• 4 tablespoons of shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese (approx. $0.35)

Preparing this meal is very simple:

1. Follow the spaghetti box instructions to cook the spaghetti until it is tender. Remember to include one teaspoon of vegetable oil and one of salt to the water, so the spaghetti doesn’t stick to the pan. I will reveal to you my magic trick: if you want to know when the spaghettis are ready, throw them to the wall. If they stick to it, it means they are ready.
   
   
   
2. Remove the spaghettis from the heat and drain them into a colander.
3. In the same pan, fry the chopped onions in 2 tablespoons of butter in medium-low. When they start getting transparent, add the spaghettis again and stir constantly for 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Reduce the heat to low and add the bacon and provolone Italian sauce. Stir constantly for five minutes and remove from the heat. 
   
5. Serve them on plates and spread some shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese on the spaghetti.