20 Minute Garlic Beef and Broccoli Lo Mein

Last week I got on board with prepping and cooking my weekly meals. Work has slowed down enough that I'm not exhausted by the time I get home. I'm trying very hard to take control of my eating and really focus on good solid meals.

Tonight, however, was not a "healthy" meal. It could be...maybe. It was delicious. Better than take out. I got a bit heavy handed on the sesame oil. I think 2 tsp is too much. If you want just the flavor of sesame, use just one tsp.

This came together in the amount of time it took the water to heat and pasta boil, so 20 minutes at the most.

20 Minute Garlic Beef and Broccoli Lo Mein
Recipe from Therecipecritic.com

Photo from therecipecritic.com

8 ounces lo mein noodles, or spaghetti noodles
3 cups broccoli florets
1 Tablespoon olive oil
8 ounce flank steak, sliced against the grain
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium carrot, shredded
¼ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 Tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon pepper

In a large pot with boiling water, cook the noodles according to package directions. Add the broccoli the last 5 minutes of cooking and let them cook until tender. Drain the noodles and broccoli.

While the pasta is cooking, add olive oil to a medium sized skillet. Cook the steak until no longer pink. Add the garlic, and carrots and cook for a minute more.

In a small bowl whisk together the brown sugar soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, ginger, red pepper and pepper.

Add the spaghetti to the skillet and pour the sauce on top and toss until incorporated.

Crumbly Lemon Creme Bars

My dad used to love lemon bars. I made them so often as a kid that I could make them without looking at any recipes. That love of lemon bars he passed down to me. Still not quite sure if its because HE loved them, or because we had them all the time I grew to love them. Either way, they're a favorite.

I've gotten lazy over the years and have used the box lemon bars. They're just as good and way quicker. When I stumbled onto this recipe in one of my cookbooks I knew I had to make it. I've not tried it yet but based on what's in them, I'm sure I'll love them.

Crumbly Lemon Bars
Recipe from The Hungry Fans Gameday Cookbook

1 1/4 c four

Photo from Dinner, then Dessert

1 1/4 c old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 c granulated sugar
1/2 c packed light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
12 T unsalted butter, melted
1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 T finely grated lemon zest
1/3 c lemon juice
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp cornstarch

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8X8 baking pan with butter.

Whisk together the flour, oats, salt and baking soda. Stir in both sugars, and mix until no clumps remain.

Stir the vanilla into the melted butter, and pour it over the dry ingredients. Using a wooden spoon, stir until you have evenly moistened crumbs. Sprinkle half of the crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish, and gently press into an even layer.

Bake for 15 minutes. remove from the oven and set aside. Leave the oven on.

Whisk together the condensed milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, egg yolks, and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Pour the lemony filling over the warm crumb crust, and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining crumb mixture.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until lightly golden. remove from the oven, and let cool at room temperature, about 1 hour.  Once cool, cover and refrigerate for another hour, and then cut into squares and serves.