Recipe #7: Tender Beef and Sweet Potato Saute

I remember when I first read this recipe I was like cumin, beef and cinnamon? I'm intrigued... with sweet potatoes? Must make this... Glad I did! This is my second time making this recipe and although it was definitely delicious this time, I have fonder memories of it from the first time around. I think perhaps that I let the beef brown much longer the first time which allowed the butter that everything else was sauteed in to have stronger flavour and a darker colour on the sauce. Either way, love me a little Cuban flavour with beef and sweet potatoes! You can eat this by itself or on top of rice/couscous. This picture shows it on its own, but I did mix up some quinoa to eat with leftovers. Might have snuck in a red pepper that was looking for a good home before it went to the bad side when I tossed in the green pepper. More veggies, yes please! I was a bit lazy too and didn't chop the sweet potato up smaller, but I've made a note for next time.

Ingredients

1 lb boneless beef sirloin or other grilling steak
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp butter, divided
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 cups diced sweeet potato (about 1; peeled if desired)
3/4 cup reduced-sodium beef broth or stock
2 tbsp all-purpose flour [gluten-free for me!]
1 1/2 cups milk
1 sweet green pepper, chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste

Instructions

1. Trim off fat from beef and cut across the grain into thin strips [since this is my second time making this, I actually cut into strips and then smaller pieces - just makes it easier for lunches!]. In a bowl, sprinkle beef with cumin, cinnamon and 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper. In a large skillet, melt half of the butter over medium-high heat. Brown beef srips in three batchs, adding more of the butter as necessary; transfer into a clean bowl.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Melt remaining butter in skillet; add onoin and swet potato and saute for about 3 minutes or until onion is softened. Add beef broth, increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, scarping up browned bits. Whisk flour into milk and graudally stir into skillet; bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, for about 5 min or until sweet potatoes are almost tender.
3. Stir in green pepper. Simmer, stirring often, for 3 min or until green pepper is tender-crisp and sauce has thickened. Stir in beef with accumulated juices and tomato paste; simmer for 2 min or until beef is hot. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

[Options for the "adventurous" that I did not use, but maybe next time: Add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper with beef. Stir in 1/4 cup each of raisins and sliced green olives and 1 tbsp drained capers with green pepper. Really I would maybe do the cayenne pepper and raisins... olives and capers are not for me! But maybe you?]

Enjoy!

Sincerely,
Sincerely xoxo