Zesty Swiss Steak
Better Homes and Gardens New Dieter’s Cookbook Copyright 2003
1 pound boneless beef round steak, cut ¾-inch thick
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon fajita seasoning
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons cooking oil
1 ½ cups bottled salsa I accidentally bought the Sante Fe version with corn and black beans but it worked
½ cup water
1 cup yellow and/or green sweet pepper cut into thin bite-size strips
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups hot cooked rice I was in the mood for mashed potatoes
snipped fresh cilantro (optional) I didn't use this
1. Trim fat from steak. Cut steak into 4 serving-size pieces. In a large plastic bag, combine flour. fajita seasoning, cumin, and cayenne pepper; set aside. Place meat between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using the notched edge of a meat mallet, pound meat lightly to ½-inch thickness. Remove plastic wrap. Add meat pieces, 2 at a time, to flour mixture in bag. Seal bag; shake to coat evenly. I didn't pound my meat due to sheer laziness. The meat was still tender.
2. In a large nonstick skillet brown meat on both sides in hot oil. Drain off fat. Add salsa. the water, sweet pepper strips, and garlic. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 1 ¼ hours or until meat is tender. Skim off fat. Serve with hot cooked rice. This actually worked very well with mashed potatoes. If desired, sprinkle with chopped cilantro.
Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 312 calories, 8 g fat, 66 mg chol, 305 mg sodium, 31 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 28 g protein.
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I ended up planning this week's meals as I went along and that didn't work out very well. Tuesday I made chicken quesadillas with peppers and Wednesday I made meat sauce and then Thursday I made this Zesty Swiss Steak with had the same seasonings and peppers as the quesadillas and like the meat sauce this had beef and tomatoes (from the salsa). I like variety and this week just didn't have enough for my tastes.
This was a decent dish. I enjoyed it (but the potatoes might have been the key for me) and my son liked it. It isn't something I'd be racing to make again but if I had all the ingredients on hand and nothing better planned, I might make this again. That's about how I feel about traditional Swiss steak - it's enjoyable but nothing I crave or dwell over after I eat it.
Swiss steak was something that showed up for Sunday dinner on occasion in our house while I was growing up so it always brings back memories.
Question of the Day: Did/do you have 'Sunday dinners'? What was/is served?
6 comments:
No, we don't have 'Sunday dinners'. By the time I get home from Mass and the children's classes, cooking is out of the question. DH doesn't have to deal with classes, so he is home 1- 1 1/2hrs before me. He always stops for tacos on his way home, and so we eat those when we get home around 11:30. Then I usually collapse in a heap for a 3-4 hr. nap.
I don't know how people used to deal with Sunday dinners. I am exhausted by Sunday noon. One of my grandmothers used to have Sunday dinner for whoever could come - extended family. It was nearly always fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, etc., I think. Plus dessert. For some reason, I remember less about Mother having Sunday dinner. But I think she made an extra effort on Sunday too, unless we were going to my grandmother's.
We had Swiss Steak occassionally. I don't remember much about it. I know I had an aversion to it, so didn't take more than a bite, if that.
Sunday dinner was a big deal for us. Mom would put a roast on, and we were off to church then to grandma's house for coffee etc. We always had something big on Sunday. Roast beef, roast pork, turkey. Mashed potatoes and gravy. My dad and us kids cooked most week-day meals and had them ready by the time mom got home. But Sunday cooking was her chance to make us something special. We ate in the "good dining room" and usually off the good dishes and using he good silverware. I miss it.
We have Sunday lunch after church. There is usually no set meal although what we have on Sunday is not used for typical weekday dinners. In order to make Sunday easier, we always cook the meal either on Saturday or during church. We use that lunch time to give college students good home-cooked meals, a nice break from the wonderful cafeteria food!
As a child, my grandparents always had us over for Sunday dinner in the summertime. Since we are Armenian, they made shish kebab. The meal itself was always delicious, but the memories are even more delicious.
We don't eat much differently on Sunday than other days.
As a youngster, my Grandmother would always have us at her house. The only things I can remember were fried chicken, roast beef, mashed potatoes, gravy, potato salad and vegetables that I can't remember. This was all at the same meal, so obviously she was catering to different likes and dislikes. I know there were desserts. Probably cake or pie.
In later years, Mother seemed to have roast beef a lot on Sundays.
Jan
We did when I was a child,but now that I'm in charge of the cooking,its a hit or miss kind of thing.It all depends on what we are doing and if I'm in a cooking mood.
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