Today is our final recipe in the Cooking Light Ground Beef series. I served Italian-Style Beef with Polenta to my family last evening.

It took me a little longer than the recipe’s allotted forty minutes to prepare this dish. I attribute that to the fact that my three year old was in the midst of an intense round of stick-horse rodeo, which naturally, takes place in the kitchen. Also, just prior to the start of the rodeo he loaded most of the items in my pantry into his wagon and hauled them away. The pantry serves as his rodeo chute, don’t you know? So between, dodging bucking horses and tracking down the marinara sauce sitting in a little red wagon (which was parked next to the bathtub, of course) forty minutes was probably not realistic for me. Anyhow…

My family really enjoyed this dish. The meat sauce is simple and delicious. Choosing a good marinara sauce will make a big difference. Cooking Light recommends McCutcheon’s. Use what you and your family enjoy.

Haven’t tried polenta? No worries! It takes a little time, about twenty minutes, and a lot of stirring, but is really quite simple to prepare. I liked that this recipe adds oregano to the polenta and my kids loved that it was cheesy! Polenta is a nice change of pace from the usual pasta with meat sauce. Give it a try!

Enjoy!

Italian-Style Beef with Polenta

Total time: 40 min.

Serves 4

 

1 C. dry coarse-ground polenta

1 tsp. dried oregano

Dash of kosher salt

2 C. water

1 C 2% reduced-fat milk

¾ C. (3 oz.) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided

cooking spray

1 lb. ground sirloin

1 C. chopped onion

1 tsp. crushed red pepper

1/8 tsp. kosher salt

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 C. lower-sodium marinara sauce

½ C. torn fresh basil

1. Place first 3 ingredients in a large saucepan. Gradually add 2 cups water and milk, stirring constantly with a whisk. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium, and cook 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in 1/3 cup cheese.
2. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; coat with cooking spray. Add beef; sauté 5 minutes. Stir to crumble. Remove beef; drain. Wipe pan; coat with cooking spray. Add onion, pepper, 1/8 tsp. salt, and garlic; sauté for 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add beef and sauce; simmer 8 minutes.
3. Divide polenta evenly among 4 shallow bowls. Top each serving with 1 cup beef mixture; sprinkle with 2 teaspoons cheese and 2 tablespoons basil.

 

I have discovered so much about myself since I became a parent. Most of what I have learned has been reflected back to me by my kids. I will hear my three year old say something funny and wonder where he heard those words. It’s jarring to discover that he picked up that turn of phrase from me! I had no idea how many times I used the word “actually” until my kids started adding it to their conversations.

Actually, as they have gotten older they have progressed from mimicking our words to mimicking our activities.

Last weekend I heard the door slam and knew my older boys were going down to the horse barn. I continued helping the younger kids with their boots and chaps. Seconds later the door flew open and my oldest son sprinted through the house, ran to his room, then ran back out again with something in his hand. And slammed the door. Again.

My younger kids and I got our water bottles and finally made it outside. As we slowly made our way to the horse barn, the older boys came running up waving their camera. “Mom! Guess what we saw? A snake!”

“Here. Look!”

Yep, it was a snake. A fairly big one from what I could tell in the picture.

I asked my oldest boy if he knew whether it was a rattle snake or a bull snake. He quickly assured me it was just a big ol’ bull snake.

“See, I took a picture of his tail.”

Yep. Definitely a bull snake.

The parent in me had to ask, “Umm, why did you go for your camera instead of a shovel?”

His response: “Because I knew you’d want a picture of it, Mom.”

I had to laugh. He was right, I am happy to have his pictures. But, I might need to re-think my parenting style and remember to teach him a few basics.

Grab the shovel first, then the camera.

For this week’s installment in the Cooking Light Ground Beef Series, our recipe is Tortilla Meatball Soup. I was excited to prepare this recipe because it sounded so delicious. This one takes a bit of time because there are several steps, so plan accordingly.

When I read through this recipe, I thought it would be an odd flavor pairing to have potatoes and carrots with chipotle spiked meatballs. I was surprised by how well all of the flavors worked together. The roasted corn and peppers tied it all together. Most of the flavor is in the meatballs and they are fabulous. They are smoky and spicy from the chipotle chile–yum! Ground beef doesn’t always lend itself well to soups, but meatballs are superb.

The final verdict? My family loved this soup. Loved it! My husband raved about it and the kids licked their bowls clean.

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

Tortilla Meatball Soup

Total time: 1 hour 30 min.

Serves 6

 

2 jalapeño peppers

1 red bell pepper

2 ears corn on the cob (or 2 C. frozen corn)

4 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into ½-inch thick strips

cooking spray

¾ tsp. kosher salt, divided

6 garlic cloves, minced and divided

1/3 C. panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

1 pound ground sirloin

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce, minced

1 T. olive oil

2 C. chopped onion

2 C. (3/4 inch) cubed red potatoes

1 C. (1/2 inch thick) slices carrot

3 C. fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth

2 C. water

½ C. (2 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

¼ C. (1 oz.) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

½ C. chopped fresh cilantro

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Cut jalapeños and bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Arrange corn (either cobs or frozen kernels) on baking sheet with pepper. Broil 4 to 6 minutes or until blackened, turning corn once. Place peppers in a paper bag; fold to seal. Let stand 15 minutes; peel. Mince jalapeños, and coarsely chop bell pepper. Cut corn kernels from cobs. Set aside.
3. Place tortilla strips in a single layer on a baking sheet; lightly coat with cooking spray. Broil for 3 minutes or until golden brown, turning after 2 minutes. Set aside.
4. Combine ¼ tsp. salt, 1 garlic clove, panko, and the next 3 ingredients (through chipotle chile) in a large bowl, and gently mix until just combined. With moist hands, shape the meat mixture into 24 meatballs (about 2 tablespoons each).
5. Place a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add meatballs to pan; sauté for 8 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove from pan. Add onion, potatoes, and carrot to pan; sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining 5 garlic cloves; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add peppers, broth, and 2 C. water; bring to a boil Reduce heat; simmer 20 minute or until vegetables are almost tender, stirring occasionally. Return meatballs to pan. Add remaining ½ tsp. salt and corn; return to a simmer. Cook 10 minutes or until meatballs are done. Ladle 1 ½ cups soup into each of 6 bowls; top each serving with 4 teaspoons Monterey Jack cheese, 2 teaspoons cheddar cheese, and 4 teaspoons cilantro. Top evenly with tortilla strips.