MONGOLIAN BEEF
(P.F. Chang's copycat from http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/03/pf-changs-mongolian-beef-copycat-recipe.html)

P.F. Chang's Mongolian Beef Copycat Recipe:

(Recipe adapted from Food.com)

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
½ teaspoon ginger, minced
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup water
¾ cup dark brown sugar
vegetable oil , for frying (about 1 cup)
1 lb flank steak (I used more than that per family)
¼ cup cornstarch
2 large green onions, chopped

Directions:

Sauce:
Heat 2 tsp. of vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium/low heat.  Don't get the oil too hot.
Add ginger and garlic to the pan and quickly add the soy sauce and water before the garlic scorches.
Dissolve the brown sugar in the sauce, then increase the heat to medium and boil the sauce for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Remove it from the heat.

Beef:
Slice the flank steak against the grain into 1/4" thick bite-size slices. Tilt the blade of your knife at about a forty five degree angle to the top of the steak so that you get wider cuts.  Dip the steak pieces into the cornstarch to apply a very thin dusting to both sides of each piece of beef.  Let the beef sit for about 10 minutes so that the cornstarch sticks.  As the beef sits, heat up one cup of oil in a wok (you may also use a skillet for this step as long as the beef will be mostly covered with oil). Heat the oil over medium heat until it's nice and hot, but not smoking. Add the beef to the oil and sauté until brown. Stir the meat around a little so that it cooks evenly.  After a couple minutes, use a large slotted spoon to take the meat out and onto paper towels.  Dab excess oil off meat with a paper towel and add to medium saucepan with the sauce in it.  Put the pan back on the oven over medium/low heat.  Add chopped green onions and let sauce simmer until warm. Serve over rice.

Additionally, I included 4 cups of white rice as well as some blanched carrots and zuchinni tossed in Chinese 5 Spice to make it a complete meal!  I apologize...it seems as though the zuchinni did NOT freeze well.  Ours was mushy and gross.  So sorry!

Classic Beef Stroganoff

Adapted from the Friendship, Life and Style Blog 

http://friendshiplifeandstyle.blogspot.com/

3 pounds beef sirloin steak, sliced ½ inch thick (I used ground beef)

16 oz. sliced fresh mushrooms (4 cups)

3 medium onions, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

½ cup butter

3 cups beef broth

1 tsp salt

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

½ cup flour

3 cups light sour cream

1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped fine (I used dried parsley)

Egg noodles

1.       Cut beef across grain into about 1 ½ x ½ inch strips.

2.       Cook mushrooms, onions and garlic in butter in large skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender; remove from skillet.

3.       Cook beef in same skillet until brown.  Stir in half the broth, the salt and Worcestershire sauce.  Heat to boiling; reduce heat.  Cover and simmer 15 minutes.

4.       Stir remaining broth into flour; stir into beef mixture.  Add onion mixture and heat to boiling, stirring constantly.  Boil and stir 1 minute.  Stir in sour cream and parsley – do not boil. (Parsley may be added fresh when serving, but then you have to be sure to have it on hand).

For freezer storage:  Let cool slightly.  Label quart sized freezer bags with recipe name and date.  Using ladle, spoon into freezer storage bags.  When cooled, lay flat in freezer. 

When ready to eat, thaw ahead and heat in skillet (do not boil), or thaw slightly in microwave first.  Cook egg noodles according to package directions.  Serve over hot noodles.

Hearty Beef Stew

 (from Sixsistersstuff.com, or http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/09/slow-cooker-freezer-meals-make-8-meals.html)

Ingredients:

1 pound beef stew cubes
4 carrots, sliced
4 red potatoes, cut into large cubes
1 package dry onion soup mix
2 cans 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup (I used 1 reduced sodium, 1 reg sodium)
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (10 oz) package frozen green peas

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a resealable gallon-sized freezer bag. Mix together and zip bag closed. When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in fridge for 24 hours. Cook on LOW for 7-10 hours (or HIGH for 5-6 hours).