MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) -February is recognized as American Heart Month, which is a month-long effort to raise awareness for the on-going battle against cardiovascular disease. As Angie Horkan with Wisconsin Beef Council details, enjoying lean beef in a heart-healthy lifestyle is easier than you may think! Angie walks us through two heart-healthy beef recipes featuring lean beef, fresh vegetables, and whole grains.

These Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. recipes are all certified by the American Heart Association®!

Athenian Beef Meatloaf with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 pounds Ground Beef (96% lean)
• 1 cup soft bread crumbs
• 3/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon plus 1-1/2 teaspoons dried Greek seasoning, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup plain, low-fat Greek-style yogurt
• 1/2 cup diced cucumber

COOKING:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine Ground Beef, bread crumbs, onion, milk, egg, 1 tablespoon Greek seasoning and salt in large bowl, mixing lightly but thoroughly. Cook’s Tip: To make soft bread crumbs, place torn bread in food processor or blender container. Cover; pulse on and off, to form fine crumbs. One and one-half slices make about 1 cup crumbs.
• Shape beef mixture into 10 x 4-inch loaf on rack in broiler pan. Bake in 350ºF oven 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours, until instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 160°F. Cook’s Tip: Cooking times are for fresh or thoroughly thawed Ground Beef. Ground beef should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F. Color is not a reliable indicator of ground beef doneness.
• Meanwhile, combine yogurt, cucumber and remaining 1-1/2 teaspoons Greek seasoning in medium bowl. Season with salt, as desired. Set aside.
• Let stand 10 mninutes; cut into slices. Serve with cucumber-yogurt sauce.

ALTERNATE COOKING METHOD

• This recipe can be made in a 6-quart electric pressure cooker. Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, onion, milk, egg, 1 tablespoon dried Greek seasoning and salt in a large bowl, mixing lightly but thoroughly. Pour 3/4 cup water into pressure cooker; set pressure cooker rack in water. To make a foil sling, cut a 28-inch piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil (or layer two pieces of regular foil) and punch 6 to 8 holes in it using a kitchen fork or small knife. Form beef mixture into an 8 x 4-inch loaf on the foil sling over the holes. Lower the meatloaf with the sling onto the pressure cooker rack. Close and lock pressure cooker lid. Use beef, stew or high pressure setting on pressure cooker; program 25 minutes on pressure cooker timer. Let the meatloaf stand in pressure cooker for 10 minutes. Continue as directed in Step 3 to prepare Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce. Use quick-release feature to release pressure; carefully remove lid. Using foil sling, transfer meatloaf to cutting board; remove foil and cut meatloaf into 8 slices. Serve with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce. (This recipe variation was tested in an electric pressure cooker at high altitude. Cooking at an altitude of less than 3000 feet may require slightly less cooking time. Refer to the manufacturer’s instructions.)

Beef Top Sirloin Steak with Asparagus & Tomato Orzo

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 beef Top Sirloin Steak, Boneless, cut 1 inch thick (about 1-1/2 pounds)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/3 cup unsalted beef broth
• 1/3 cup dry red wine
• 1-1/2 cups chopped roma tomatoes
• 1/4 cup finely chopped capers
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 cup cooked orzo pasta
• 1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces

COOKING:

1. Press salt and pepper evenly onto beef steak. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Place steak in skillet; cook 15 to 18 minutes for medium rare (145°F) to medium (160°F) doneness, turning occasionally. Remove from skillet; keep warm.
2. Add broth and wine to skillet; increase heat to medium-high. Cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until brown bits attached to skillet are dissolved. Add tomatoes, capers and garlic; cook and stir 6 to 7 minutes or until thickened.
3. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Add asparagus during last 3 minutes of cooking time. Drain; toss with half of the tomato mixture. Cook’s Tip: Nutritional analysis of this recipe is based on pasta cooked without the addition of salt.
4. Carve steak crosswise into slices. Serve steak over pasta. Spoon remaining tomato mixture over steak.

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