Broccoli Stir fry

This is my own very Americanized stir fry. Feel free to play with it however you would like and add whatever vegetables appeal to you. I'm not a huge fan of rice so I use noodles.Ingredients:
1 lb. sirloin steak cut into 1/4in strips
Teriyaki marinade
1 c. snow peas
2 c. broccoli
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
3 pkg. raman noodles (feel free to use to packaged stir fry noodles instead, these are just less expensive)

Marinade your beef in the teriyaki marinade in advance.

Cook the raman in boiling water for 1 minute only. Drain noodles and set aside.

Toss steak and marinade into wok and cook through on high heat. Add broccoli, peas and pepper and allow to cook for 3-5 minutes. Finally add the noodles and cook for another 2 minutes.
Serves 4-6

Taco Soup

This is a favorite of mine. I make a pot of it and then eat it for lunch for the rest of the week. Oh, and it couldn't possibly be any easier.Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground beef (ground turkey works really well too for a lighter dish)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 16oz can corn
1 16oz can kidney beans
1 16oz can black beans
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 16oz can diced tomatoes
1 pkg. taco seasoning

Brown ground beef and onion until cooked through in 5qt pan. Add remaining ingredients. Do not drain the cans, you need the juice. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

It is great served with some sour cream, cheese and tortilla chips.
Serves 10
Points: 5

Minestrone

It is officially Autumn and it is getting cooler. That means that it is the season for soups! I love really creamy soups, but they can kill you on calories. This is a favorite broth based soup. There will be more to come when I get around to actually typing them out.Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 16 oz can garbonzo beans
1 16 oz can kidney beans
1 c. small pasta shells
1 c. sliced fresh carrots
1 c. sliced celery
1 c. chopped onion
1 16 oz can diced tomatoes
1/4 c. olive oil
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
5 c. beef broth
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cloves of garlic, minced

Saute onions. celery, and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, carrots, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour.

In a skillet brown the ground beef, drain. Stir into soup along with beans and pasta. Cover and simmer for another 15 minutes.
Serves 15
Points: 4 per cup

Meatballs

We were putting together out menu for the month and Tyson mentioned that the one thing that we have not had to eat since we got married was spaghetti. Well, truth be told, I generally don't really like spaghetti and it has always seemed so plain and overly simple to me. Anyway, Tyson wanted spaghetti so I figured that I might as well make spaghetti and meatballs.
I'm only putting up my simple recipe for meatballs for now. I'll post a marinara sauce recipe at another time.Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef (I use the super lean ground beef, but ground sirloin or elk is also good. Avoid ground turkey or chicken because the flavor doesn't translate well)
2 eggs
1/2 c. bread crumbs
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
*1 package Lipton onion soup mix
OR
2 tsp. Italian seasoning

In a mixing bowl combine the eggs, bread crumbs, cheese, soup mix OR Italian seasoning. *Decide based on the flavor that you would like. The onion soup mix will make for a stronger flavor and the Italian seasoning will complement your basic marinara sauce.

Add ground beef and combine by hand. Don't work it for too long as that can make the meat tough. Divide the mixture evening to create 16 meat balls. Place them in a greased baking dish and broil for 15 minutes, just to brown them.

Remove from the oven and place them in a simmering sauce. Cover and allow to cook for an additional 25 minutes.
Yields: 16