Recipe of the Week! Stir-Fried Beef with Broccoli and Bell Peppers

After heading to the grocery store to find that the beautiful {handy, already cut and wrapped in bacon} sirloins that my husband and I bought to have a little cookout with the family cost in the area of $20 {for 4 of them} I cringed... Now, I'm all for a good cut of meat because face it, these days, spending $20 on 4 steaks and staying home is still farther ahead then going out and spending $20 on 1 plate... but I digress... the lesson behind this recipe is that you can stretch your meat budget a little, while not sacrificing all that is good. Now is the perfect time for stir fry too because of all the fresh vegetables coming right out of your garden! Simple. Inexpensive. Healthy. {But we won't tell our husbands that!}

Ingredients

• 1 pound flank steak, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 1/2 tablespoons water, divided
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 3/4 pound broccoli
• 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 1 large red bell pepper, halved, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 4 cups hot cooked long-grain rice

Preparation

1. Cut steak in half lengthwise. Cut each half across the grain into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Combine beef, soy sauce, garlic, and black pepper; toss well. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

2. Combine 1 1/2 tablespoons water, oyster sauce, and crushed red pepper in a small bowl; set aside.

3. Cut broccoli into florets. Peel broccoli stems; cut stems diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

4. Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef mixture to skillet; cook 3 minutes or until beef is browned, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Transfer beef mixture to a bowl.

5. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add broccoli; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons water; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add bell pepper; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Return beef mixture to pan. Stir in the oyster sauce mixture; cook until thoroughly heated. Serve over rice.

Recipe of the Week! Strawberry Pie

There is nothing better than a big, fat, juicy, ripe strawberry on a summer day... This time of year boasts many farms with people scattered here and there with their ice cream pails full to the brim with those tasty morsels. And don't forget about the red stained fingers and lips giving way to tell tale snitching in the patch! Who can resist??

Strawberry pie is about as easy as it comes when dealing with a bumper crop... Using pretty, fresh berries makes a grand statement with a {large} dollop of whipped cream on top.... Sure, we eat the not so pretty ones too, but as a last resort, those usually end up in the jam!

Ingredients

• Crust:
• 50 reduced-calorie vanilla wafers
• 1/4 cup butter or stick margarine, melted
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon grated orange rind
• Cooking spray
• 
  Filling:
• 2 cups ripe strawberries
• 1/2 cup water
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 6 cups small ripe strawberries
• 1/2 cup frozen reduced-calorie whipped topping, thawed and divided

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare crust, place wafers in a food processor, and process until finely ground. Add butter, 2 tablespoons sugar, and orange rind, and pulse 10 times or just until wafers are moist. Press into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes; cool on a wire rack.

To prepare filling, mash 2 cups strawberries with a potato masher. Combine mashed strawberries and water in a small saucepan; bring to a boil, and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Press the strawberry mixture through a sieve into a bowl, and reserve 1 cup strawberry liquid (add enough water to measure 1 cup, if necessary). Discard pulp.

Combine 2/3 cup sugar and cornstarch in a pan; add strawberry liquid, stirring well with a whisk. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Reduce heat, and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice.

Arrange a layer of small strawberries, stem sides down, in the crust. Spoon about one-third of sauce over the strawberries. Arrange the remaining strawberries on top, and spoon the remaining sauce over the strawberries. Chill for at least 3 hours. Serve with whipped topping.

Recipe of the Week! Summer Corn and White Bean Soup

We don't often associate soup with summer, especially when the thermometer starts rising. However, it's so nice to have a meal that's simple, easy and filling, especially when you need to recharge after a long day of swimming, boating or even working! This is a super fast recipe that is sure to be a hit with the crowd, and what a great way to start using that abundance of sweet corn. This is similar in make to a chili, but not as heavy. Serve with a medium bodied white wine and a favorite loaf of crusty bread and you have an easy meal that is sure to please.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 cup sliced green onions
• 3/4 cup chopped cooked ham (about 4 ounces)
• 3 cups fresh corn kernels (about 5 ears)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 (15-ounce) cans navy beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 2 (4.5-ounce) cans chopped green chiles, undrained

Preparation

Heat canola oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and ham, and cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in corn and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated.