Maple Soy Glazed Flank Steak

Oh my goodness! Tried this one last night and had to post immediately, if not sooner. YUM. My husband said, "This is the best new recipe you've tried in ages." Nice sweet-spicy flavor, really different. The trick, by the way, is to make sure to use pure maple syrup (I found a small thing of it for $2.50 in my grocery store) rather than pancake syrup. It'll turn out much better. Since the servings on this aren't very big, though, you need to serve this with a vegetable, be aware.

• 1 (1-pound) flank steak, trimmed
• 1/4 cup less-sodium soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons sake or dry sherry
• 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha (Asian hot chile sauce)
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Cooking spray

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Pierce steak gently on both sides. Combine steak and next 6 ingredients (through pepper) in a shallow dish; turn to coat. Marinate at room temperature 20 minutes, turning occasionally.

3. Remove steak from marinade, reserving marinade. Place steak on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Pour marinade into a small skillet; bring to a boil, stirring well. Cook over medium-high heat 3 minutes or until thick and syrupy.

4. Brush steak with half of glaze; broil 5 minutes. Turn steak over, and brush with remaining glaze; broil 5 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Place steak on a cutting board; let stand 5 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices.

Yield: 4 servings, 5 points each

Philly Cheese Steak

So, I have tried about 5 different Philly cheese steak recipes and this one is totally the best. Super-easy, really delicious, and reheats well. I really like to use Earthgrains rolls in this, as well as the HEB frozen precooked fajita beef.

• 16 oz package frozen pepper stir fry or one onion, two red and one green pepper, chopped
• 9 oz package frozen beef strips
• 2 TB Dijonnaise
• 6 hoagie rolls
• 3/4 cup (3 oz) shredded part skim mozzarella

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add either frozen mix, or fresh onions and peppers - cook until soft. Add beef, cook until thoroughly heated. Drain.

Spread 1 tsp mustard blend on each roll. Spoon half cup beef mixture on each, then sprinkle cheese and top with remaining half of roll. Wrap each sandwich in aluminum foil. Bake at 350 for 6-7 min or until cheese melts.

Yield: 6 servings, 6 points each

310 calories, 8.1 g fat, 3.2g fiber

Chicken Pasta Carbonara

Bacon, pasta and peas. What more could a girl want? Oh, yes, a cream sauce that's not going to add an inch to my hips. I'm so there. FYI, originally Hungry Girl had this with Tofu Shirataki noodles, which I can't really get near me, so I substituted whole wheat pasta for a slightly higher point total. BTW, this tastes pretty good when you cook it, but even better reheated. I did find that it definitely needed the "optional" salt and pepper in the recipe, though.

• 10 oz whole wheat fettucine or penne
• 4 wedges The Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss cheese
• 1 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)
• 4 tbsp. reduced-fat Parmesan-style grated topping
• 12 oz. raw boneless skinless lean chicken breast, chopped
• 2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 2 tsp. chopped garlic
• 1 cup frozen no-salt-added peas
• 8 tbsp. real crumbled bacon (like the kind by Oscar Mayer)
• Optional: salt and black pepper

Cook noodles according to package directions.

Break cheese wedge into pieces, and place in a microwave-safe bowl. Nuke for about 15 seconds, and stir until smooth. Add egg substitute, Parm topping, and 8 tbsp. water, and whisk until mixed and almost smooth. Set aside.

Bring a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat. Lightly season chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken, mushrooms, and garlic to the skillet, and cook until mushrooms are browned and chicken is mostly cooked through, about 2 minutes. Add peas, and cook until thawed and hot.Add noodles and bacon to the skillet, and toss until mixed and hot. Reduce heat to lowest setting. Add cheese-egg mixture and immediately toss with other ingredients, until everything is coated and sauce has fully thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste, if you like.

Yield: 4 servings

7 points each

Inside Out Cheeseburgers

You know, I have made this recipe about a gazillion times now, and I just realized I never posted it. It is a simple, delicious and unique cheeseburger recipe I got from Hungry Girl. I love the cheese "surprise" on the inside, since you can taste it much more so than if you put a thin slice across the top. Good stuff. I like to eat this on a 2-point low carb bagel. Mmmnnn.

• 1lb raw extra-lean ground beef
• 4 wedges The Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• dash salt, or more to taste
• dash black pepper, or more to taste

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except the cheese. Add as much salt and pepper as you like. Knead mixture by hand until integrated. Form into a ball and, using your thumb, make a large, hollow indentation in the ball (past the center but not all the way through). Fill the hole with cheese and squeeze the meat to seal, making sure no cheese is exposed. Flatten slightly into a thick patty.

Bring a pan misted with nonstick spray to medium-high heat on the stove. (Use a grill pan if you've got one.) Place patty in the pan, cover, and cook for 4 - 7 minutes per side, depending on how well done you like your burger. Heads Up: Don't press on the patty with your spatula (your burger might ooze cheese!).

Yield: 4 patties, 4 points each (doesn't include bread)

179 calories, 6.5g fat, 502mg sodium, 1.5g carbs, 0g fiber, 1g

Balsamic Roast Beef Sandwiches with Gorgonzola Tomato Mayonnaise

This is a great new recipe I just made tonight, and YUM. Worth buying fresh bread for. Not too much work either. The "marinade" for the roast beef is genius, I recommend leaving it in there for a few minutes before eating, so it can soak up the flavor.

• 2 TB Worcestershire sauce
• 2 TB balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 lb shaved deli roast beef
• 1/3 c fat free mayonnaise
• 2 TB chopped, oil-packed sundried tomatoes
• 4 tsp blue or gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
• 8 slices Italian bread (toasted)
• Lettuce or spinach leaves
• 1 tomato, thinly sliced

Combine Worcestershire, balsamic in a bowl. Add roast beef, toss to coat, and allow to marinate for a few minutes.

Combine mayo, sundried tomatoes and cheese, stir well. Spread 1.5 TB mayo mixture on each sandwich. Top with beef, lettuce and tomato.

Yield: 4 sandwiches, 4 points each

(220 cal, 4.4 g fat, 2.4g fiber)