Slow-Cooker Braised Beef with Carrots & Turnips
The spice blend in this healthy beef stew recipe--cinnamon, allspice and cloves--may conjure images of apple pie, but the combo is a great fit in savory applications too. Serve over creamy polenta or buttered whole-wheat egg noodles.
Slow-Cooker "Corned Beef" & Cabbage
This warming slow-cooker stew has all the flavors of corned beef and cabbage but with much less sodium, plus it's ready in half the time of traditional corned beef and cabbage. Rather than curing the beef in a salty brine for at least a day, we just throw the beef and veggies into a crock pot with pickling spice for that delicous briny flavor without the long soaking period.
Cuban Beef Picadillo over Plantain Mash
Ground beef cooked with tomatoes and briny olives can be found all over Latin America. This is a favorite Cuban variation served over plantains, starchy vegetables that look like giant bananas. You can also serve the picadillo over rice or potatoes, so this easy dinner recipe is versatile too.
Sheet-Pan Pork & Cherry Tomatoes
Rutabaga is a root vegetable that tastes like cabbage and turnips had a baby. Start roasting it in the oven first while you prep the tomatoes and pork. As the tomatoes cook, they burst and create a delicious sauce to mix with the balsamic vinegar at the end.
Lean & Spicy Taco Meat
A combination of lean ground beef and ultra-lean ground turkey breast makes a less-greasy filling. Bypass taco-seasoning packets in favor of making your own full-flavored filling.
Beefy Italian Vegetable Soup
This one-pot, easy-to-make soup is so full of beef and vegetables that it could almost be called a stew. Beans, mushrooms, kale, chunks of tomatoes and beef sirloin will fight for space on each spoonful.
Puttanesca Pork Chops
This flavorful pork chop dinner recipe is proof that bold Neapolitan puttanesca sauce can liven up more than just spaghetti. Unlike brined olives like Kalamatas, oil-cured olives have a meatier bite because they're coated in salt then macerated in oil. Look for them on olive bars or with other Italian products. Serve with sautéed broccoli rabe and whole-wheat orzo.
Grilled Filet Mignon with Vegetable Kebabs
You might be tempted to save beef filet for special occasions, but this low-fat cut is actually perfect weekday fare: it cooks up fast, stays juicy and carries other flavors perfectly. The kebabs are a wonderful mix of lemon, herbs and fresh vegetables.
Braised Lamb Shanks & Eggplant
This slow-cooked lamb and eggplant stew melts in your mouth. Sumac, a lemony-flavored spice, gives the dish a fruity, tangy aroma. Look for it in Mediterranean markets or spice shops. Serve the stew over mashed root vegetables, bulgur or brown rice.
Beef Tenderloin with Cabernet-Mushroom Sauce
For this classic roast beef recipe, cremini or white mushrooms are delicious in the sauce. But if you want to get fancy, mix in some wild mushrooms, such as oyster, maitake or porcini.
Boneless Pork Chops with Mushrooms & Thyme
Although this supper is made to serve two, you can double or triple the recipe so it becomes a family meal that's big on taste but still very healthy. If you'd rather not use vermouth, substitute unsweetened apple juice.
Moroccan Lamb Chops with Tomato-Olive Relish
Having a few specialty ingredients in your pantry, such as the spice blend ras el hanout and oil-cured olives, is the fastest way to a deluxe dinner that's easy enough for weeknights and special enough for Saturday's dinner party. Round out the meal with steamed potatoes, simply dressed salad greens and a glass of white Côtes du Rhône.
