Beef & Spinach Noodle Stir-Fry

Delicious, easy, light, weeknight meal that will definitely be made again in my house! Another one from Cooking Light magazine, and I made a couple small changes to add more beef and more ginger.

RECIPE:
6oz uncooked wide rice noodles
1lb top sirloin steak, cut into thin strips
1 cup green onions, sliced
2 cups shiitake mushrooms, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 6oz bag baby spinach
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 tsp Sriracha
canola oil
salt
sesame seeds

Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Combine rice vinegar, lime juice, soy sauce, and ginger in a small bowl and whisk together. Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add canola oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add green onions and steak; stir fry until steak is mostly browned all over, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic; stir-fry 1 minute. Add spinach; stir-fry 1 minute or until wilted. Add vinegar mixture to wok and cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in noodles, sesame oil, and salt; cook for 1 minute or until noodles are thoroughly heated, tossing to combine. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Makes 4 servings. (per serving: 408 cals, 13g fat, 56g carb, 17g protein)

Feijoada (Brazilian Black Bean Stew)

Meat-lovers, this is for you! While visiting Brazil, I never got a chance to try this stew that is supposedly the country's national dish, but I had heard good things. I was looking for a stew recipe because perhaps (hopefully!) these chilly days are coming to an end and soon I'll have tons of fresh produce to cook. I started with a recipe from Simply Recipes and tweaked it a bit. I reduced the amount of meat in the stew because the recipe had, no joke, 5 1/2 pounds of meat and I simply couldn't find all the different kinds in my local store. But I looooove black beans, so I subbed in more of those. Be prepared to take either a walk or a nap after devouring a bowl of this hearty stew!

RECIPE:

1 1/2 pounds dry black beans, rinsed and soaked in water overnight

1 lb beef shoulder, cut into bite-size chunks

1 lb smoked Keilbasa sausage, sliced into bite-sized chunks

1/2 lb fresh sausage (I used Italian-style chicken)

1 lb cured ham, cubed

2 large onions

1 head garlic, peeled and minced

3 bay leaves

14oz of crushed tomatos

1 bunch green onion, sliced

2 oranges, sliced

olive oil

salt

crushed red pepper flakes

hot sauce

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and brown beef shoulder and chicken sausage. When browned, remove the meat and set aside. Add ham cubes, onions, and garlic to the pot and sautee until onions are translucent. Cut chicken sausage into chunks. Add the beef shoulder and chicken sausage back in, along with the other meats, beans, dash salt, bay leaves and a few shakes of red pepper flakes. Add just enough water to cover everything, then bring to a boil. Skim off any foam that comes to the surface, then reduce to a low simmer and cover. Simmer for about 2 hours, until beans are tender. Stir in crushed tomatoes and add hot sauce and salt to taste. Simmer uncovered for at least another half hour. Serve over your favorite rice (I used jasmine from the Asian market, because it is heavenly with everything) and top with sliced green onion and orange slices.