M: Slow Cooker Asian Pepper Steak

I did it! I officially completed all 10 of Rachael Ray’s top 10 recipes of 2010 =) This last recipe, Asian Pepper Steak, was saved until last because, well…I can’t exactly eat it! I’ve mentioned before I’m slightly allergic to beef, so while I could taste, I couldn’t completely partake in an entire plate of goodness. But I did whip up a pretty darn good taco salad for myself =)

But let me tell you, even though I couldn’t eat a lot of this, I did taste and this might seriously have been my favorite of all 10 of the dishes. It was definitely the hubs’ favorite.

The salty/sweet combination of the soy sauce, tomato sauce, and brown sugar was outstanding. And the sliced peppers added the perfect fresh crunch do the dish. I really can’t rave about this meal enough! Serve up with rice and it’s complete!

The biggest changes I made were I cut the recipe in half since it was mainly for the hubs, and instead of browning a slab of flank steak and slicing it, I just got the packaged stew sirloin meat to make the prep time a little shorter. I also only added the cilantro for the topping because that’s what I had on hand.

Pre-cooked:

Asian Pepper Steak

From Rachael Ray

• 3 lbs beef sirloin
  
• 3 TB cornstarch
  
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 2 TB ginger, grated
  
• 1 large onion, sliced
  
• 3 red bell peppers, sliced
  
• 3 yellow bell peppers, sliced
  
• 1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
  
• 4 TB brown sugar
  
• 3/4 cup soy sauce
  
• Pepper, to taste
  
• 2 cups rice

Topping (Optional):

• 2 cups bean sprouts
  
• 1 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
  
• 2 limes

In a large skillet, sear the meat in some olive oil until brown on both sides. Remove the steak to a cutting board and slice the steak into 1-inch thick strips. (Again, I nixed this step and just added in stew sirloin meat to the crockpot)

Place the sliced steak into the crock-pot, then dust the meat with cornstarch and mix until there is no more visible cornstarch.

Add the remaining ingredients except for the topping ingredients to the crock-pot. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.

When you are ready to serve, get a medium bowl, mix the topper ingredients and place a portion of the mixture on top of each portion of Asian Pepper Steak. (Again, I only added the cilantro, but it really did add the perfect burst of freshness to the dish)

Serve on top of cooked rice.

Enjoy!

E: Body Attack Launch, Cook Book Reviews & A Giveaway

Glad you guys enjoyed the baked mini shrimp egg rolls and easy fried rice recipes. They really were tasty- let me know if you give them a go!

Last night was our Body Attack launch. It was so great to be able to teach a couple of tracks (since I haven’t taught Attack since I found out I was pregnant). The class during abs:

 

Here is our launch team:

I think the launch went really well! Like I said, I only taught a couple of tracks- the warm up and mixed impact. After that, I took the remainder of the class low. Since Body Attack can be a very high intensity class, I think its nice for people to see the whole thing can really be done low impact!

Mandi & I have been lucky enough to receive a few cookbooks to review(disclaimer: we received these cook books for free from the publishers/marketers). First up, The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches by Susan Russo:

“How do you keep a Dagwood from toppling over? What makes a Po’ Boy so crispy and crunchy? And who was the genius that invented the Fluffernutter? Discover these answers and more in The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches—a chunky little cookbook dedicated to everything between sliced bread (source).”

I think this book is perfect for those nights where you want something fast, easy, & delicious, but have no idea what to make. On Sunday night, I used the Chicken Cutlet Sandwich recipe as inspiration for a chicken sandwich of my own:

I cooked up chicken tenders using my healthy chicken parmesan recipe base, topped them with steamed asparagus, tomato sauce and melted provolone cheese. The sandwiches were made up on toasted whole wheat rolls from the Publix bakery. Here is Josh’s plate which also includes pineapple, blue corn tortillas and a homemade bar:

The cheese kind of took over the sandwich, but it was delicious!

   On Monday night, I used Patricia Well’s Salad As a Meal to create a yummy dinner.

 Beth at Dining and Dishing has been doing an awesome job working her way through this cook book and sharing recipes along the way. Check out Dining and Dishes and The Secret Ingredient Blog for more awesome information on Salad As a Meal.

I was super excited to receive this book because, well…I love salad! Patricia has some AMAZING lunch & dinner ideas. I started with a more basic recipe for Asian Chicken Salad with Asparagus and Sesame:

   The outcome:

Served with a side bagel with more melted provolone ;):

This salad is fabulous! The dressing truly makes it. I can’t wait to make up more of the recipes in this book.

Liking what you see? Want to win your own copy of The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches?? Leave a comment on this post telling us about your favorite sandwich (you DO NOT need to have a blog to enter). This contest is open to US residents only.  Comments must be received by Saturday, April 9 at noon. The winner will be selected at random.