South Beach Sirloin Tips with Red Wine and Mushroom Reduction

Oh hi there, blog.  :dusts off keyboard:

I have been busy with a newborn.  A refluxy newborn.  And maybe a colicky newborn. 

And then I started dieting.  After a c-section.  So you see I've been quite busy.  But I figured that while I'm still home (2 more weeks), and cooking diet-friendly food, I should share them while the baby is sleeping.  Shhhhhh.

South Beach Sirloin Tips with Red Wine and Mushroom Reduction

1.5 lbs beef sirloin tips, cubed
2 cups chopped mushrooms
1 cup fresh tomatoes, pureed
3/4 cup good red wine (I used a Malbec)
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
S&P to taste

Over medium heat, add olive oil and garlic to a medium sized skillet.  Allow garlic to become fragrant, about one minute.  Lightly season cubed beef with salt and pepper, and then add to skillet and brown, about 5 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients and stir to incorporate.

Allow to simmer for 20 minutes, or until meat is tender.

**Sirloin is a tougher cut of meat, but is also leaner, so less fat than other cuts of beef.  As such, it takes longer to soften.  Be patient.  I tried a few pieces along the way and was ready to dump this down the drain.  But then the baby started crying, Sydney wanted to play with a puzzle, my Mom needed something...etc.  You know how it goes...and when everyone sat down with a plate in front of them...they all marvelled at the flavor.  So, long story short - let this simmer a bit and the meat will definitely become more tender.  :)

Yummy Beef Stroganoff

I looked in my fridge last week and saw two lonely ribeye steaks staring back at me.  What was I going to do with them?  I didn't want to do a traditional steak and a potato.  So what...  What, what, to do??  I have no idea where the idea for Beef Stroganoff came from, but there it was in my head.  So I searched for a good recipe, that had most if not all of the ingredients I had on hand...

And I found a really yummy one, courtesy of Paula Deen...  How can you go wrong?

Beef Stroganoff

Here's what I used:

1.5 lbs cubed round steak (I cubed my ribeye steaks
All-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, sliced
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can beef broth
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
Salt and Pepper
Garlic Powder
1 cup sour cream
1 bag egg noodles

Here's what I did:

Set a large stock pot to boil with enough water to cook egg noodles.  Season water with salt once it reaches a boil.  Add noodles and cook until al dente.  Set aside.

Season the steak strips with salt, pepper and garlic powder, then dust with flour. In a large nonstick pan,  brown them on both sides in the olive oil and butter. Remove the steak from the pan. Add the onion slices and mushrooms to the pan drippings. Saute for a few minutes, until the onion is tender. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon flour. Put the steak back into the pan with the onion and mushrooms. Add the mushroom soup and beef broth. Cook over low heat for about 30 minutes, covered. Adjust seasoning to taste, adding salt and pepper, as needed. Stir in the sour cream the last few minutes, right before you serve. Serve over cooked noodles.


This was a big hit.  For an extra burst of flavor, a little shredded parmeson on top is, how you say, magnifique.  ;)

Pan Roasted Chicken with Mushroom Quinoa Risotto

I have been looking for a good recipe to use Quinoa, and I think I have found it!  I was excited about using Quinoa (pronounced "kee-noa") for the first time.  Quinoa is a gluten-free grain, high in essential amino acids and a complete protein source - making it an excellent choice for vegetarian's as well as health-conscious folks looking to make the best choices in their food selections.

My inspiration for this recipe was a Bon Appetit recipe, that I altered in a few ways.  I first reduced the amount of white wine, and replaced 1/2 of the quantity with chicken broth.  Also, shitake mushrooms are hard to come by, so I substituted white button mushrooms for them.  Finally, I added chicken breasts to pair with the risotto to make it a more complete "dinner".

Pan Roasted Chicken with Mushroom Quinoa Risotto

Here's what I used:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp olive oil
S&P

1 cup dried, rinsed quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tsp dry thyme
1 med onion, chopped
1 tsp chopped garlic (1 clove)
6-8 button mushrooms, stemmed, sliced thin
6-8 oz package bella (crimini) mushrooms, stemmed, sliced thin
shredded parmesan (topping, optional)

Here's what I did:

First I added olive oil to a non-stick skillet and set to medium heat.  Meanwhile I rinsed, patted dry, and seasoned the chicken breasts with thyme, salt and pepper.  Once oil is heated, add chicken (should sear) for 3-4 minutes per side.  Once a light browning has been achieved, add the white wine and chicken broth, and let cook for another 6-8 minutes, flipping 1-2 times.

Meanwhile, set a medium pan to boil with water and salt for quinoa.  Add rinsed quinoa and cook for 13 minutes at a simmer, covered, or until all liquid is absorbed.  Remove from heat.

Once chicken is well-cooked, or has reached an internal temperature of 160, remove from heat and set aside.  Add olive oil to same pan with juices from chicken remaining.  Saute onions for 5 minutes, add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.  Add mushrooms and thyme, and saute until mushrooms are heated through.  At this point, add white wine and chicken broth, and let simmer for 3-5 minutes, or until liquid becomes slightly thicker. 

Add mushroom mixture to quinoa pan, and incorporate all ingredients.

Plate mushroom quinoa with chicken.  The original recipe suggests topping this with grated parmesan, however we did not really like that combination.  So I would suggest trying it out to see if you like it, otherwise omit.