Easy Beef Goulash

I have been pretty busy lately and haven't been able to update this blog as frequently as I have in the past. But I am trying again to be more diligent at it.

Today I made Easy Beef Goulash for dinner and got to use the new pots and pans that my parents gave us for Christmas. It was pretty simple to make and didn't take a lot of time. I used whole wheat Rotini for the pasta and unsalted diced tomatoes.

The dish didn't have a ton of flavor and doesn't rank among my favorite low-calorie pastas that I've made, but it wasn't terrible either. After a little prodding, the kids ate their portion, and we were able to have plenty of leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

We ate the meal with some canned corn. The cost for the dinner was about $9.50 (whole wheat Rotini - $1.20, 1 pound sirloin - $5.50, green pepper - $0.50, diced tomatoes - $0.89, beef broth - $0.89, corn $0.50)

Prep/Total Time: 30-60 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked spiral pasta
• 1 pound boneless beef sirloin steak, cut into 1/8-inch-thick strips
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped
• 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
• 1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 1 to 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cold water

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, stir-fry beef in oil for 4-5 minutes or until meat is no longer pink. Add onion and green pepper; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, water, broth, vinegar and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, combine flour and cold water until smooth. Add to skillet. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Drain the pasta; stir into beef mixture.

Nutrition (One Serving 1 cup): 272 calories, 7 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 45 mg cholesterol, 371 mg sodium, 29 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 22 g protein.