I’m really into healthy cooking, and a lot of times I “fool” my husband with a new dish. He’s liked a lot of them, but he’s still a meat and potatoes kinda guy. My question is, is it possible to make a healthy meal out of lean hamburger or steak? I have a healthy recipe book and I like almost everything in it, but there are a lot of skinless chicken and veggie recipes. My husband and daughter could stand to gain (or lose, if you know what I mean) from these recipes, but they give them a thumbs down. Any suggestions?
Yes! Your whole family can sit down to a healthful beef dinner, if you shop for extra-lean ground beef. Stay away from the package labeled hamburger. That’s always high in saturated fat. And, you’ll have to cook it without adding a load of extra fat. That’s easy. Here is a macho, Cuban-style beef recipe I use for family meals or entertaining. It’s quick, flavorful and low fat.
Picadillo with Rice and Black Beans
1 pound extra lean ground beef
1 cup water
1 jar (20 ounces) chunky mild salsa
1 cup rinsed & drained canned black beans
1 cup Success 10-minute brown rice
1 apple, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
12 stuffed Spanish olives, sliced
1/4 cup raisins or Craisins (sweetened dried cranberries)
1 ounce slivered almonds (optional)
Brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat. Drain fat.
Meanwhile, combine water, 1 cup salsa and black beans in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add brown rice. Stir, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook 10 minutes and remove from heat.
Add remaining salsa (1 1/4 cup), apple, olives and raisins to cooked meat. Cover and cook 5 minutes. Serve Picadillo with rice on the side. Garnish with slivered almonds. Serves: 4
Per Serving: 376 cal.; 4.6 g. fat (11% of cal.); 9.5 g. dietary fiber; 72 mg. cholesterol; 1075 mg. sodium; 38.6 g. protein. Also a good source of Niacin and B12.
