4 Amazing Beef Recipes and The Beef Council

Last Fall, I was asked by the Beef Council to be a part of their Beef Experts Bureau. It has been a fun experience so far.

There are 3 bloggers and 3 registered dietitians that serve on the Bureau. We all got to meet each over and do some brain storming for the council last fall. As part of that brain storming, we came up with the idea for a cooking contest.

At the first part of 2015, Amee Livingston from Amee’s Savory Dish and I recommended bloggers to participate in the contest. They ended up using 2 bloggers that I recommended – Heather Likes Food and Jamie Cooks it Up– along with 2 bloggers that Amee recommended – Foodie Physician and Ally’s Kitchen.

Then each of these bloggers were given the challenge to develop an entertaining recipe using beef .

They asked them to take a beef recipe that traditionally has been “indulgent” and make it healthier. The results were 4 amazing recipes.

Here are the 4 Amazing Beef Recipes along with what the judges thought.

Both Amee and I were a part of the judging panel put together by the council.

Jamie’s Lightened Up Beef Stroganoff

The judges loved the use of lean Ground Beef in this dish. The addition of mushrooms, onion and garlic made the dish filling and comforting. We would love to have been served this dish at a casual dinner party. Comfort food to the max!

Heather’s Skillet Steak Fajita Salad with Avocado Cream Dressing

The plate was colorful and chock full of veggies. We love the contrast of the cooked peppers and onions with the crisp lettuce. The dressing added a wonderful bright flavor to each bite. We loved how the recipe simplified all the components of traditional fajitas!

 Sonali’s Italian Meatball Sliders

The judges really liked the idea of a meatball slider for entertaining guests. Additionally,  the grated onions in the lean Ground Beef was brilliant. Each bite was full of Italian flavor! We liked the addition of whipped ricotta, but also appreciated that mozzarella could be used for guests who prefer that cheese.

 Ally’s North African Spiced Ribeye Wraps with Crunchy Confetti Slaw & Carrot Marmalade Soy Sauce

This plate was colorful and beautiful. The judges liked the idea of lettuce wraps with crunchy slaw. The addition of pistachios added to the great texture of the dish. The use of ras el hanout spice provided a lovely unique flavor!

They all sound amazing, right? Well, in the end there could only be one winner and that winner is Ally’s Ribeye Wraps. Ally’s recipe went through the test kitchen at the council and is now featured on the Beef It’s What’s for Dinner website. Be sure to head on over there to check it out! Plus, visit the other blogs for their amazing recipes too!

There are also some great resources that the Beef Council offers that you should really check out also.

• Interactive Butcher Counter
• Confident Cooking with Beef Brochure  – This includes a cut chart and a helpful graphic about beef choices (like grades, labels, etc)
• An infographic about beef’s nutrients
• An infographic that includes all the ways to save on beef