Say it with me…graaaaaaavvvvvvy. Who doesn’t like gravy? If you raised your hand just now, you are dismissed. Seriously. You can’t be here with us and this recipe if you haven’t craved that creamy yumminess at least once during this WW journey. And then wondered what you ever did to deserve not being able to almost bathe in it at least once in a while. This recipe will change your weight watchin’ life forever. Eat the gravy. Lick the spoon. Heck, you can even bathe in it if you want.
My father is on a very restrictive diet due to dialysis but sometimes I can’t resist him on his little scooter at the grocery store. Cube steak is a weakness of his. He eats at least two of them a week. The amount of protein he needs to consume each week is incredible…so I don’t deny him when he asks. This week when I put them in his tiny cart I found myself reminiscing about days long gone by where his mother would serve us these little cheap, oddly shapes pieces of beef that should be tough and chewy, but were always moist and a coveted meal on Sundays. What did Granny Green do differently that made these so yummy? I slipped a pack of two into my own buggy and decided I was going to find out.
My first memory…that coffee tin of lard next to the stove. Well, I’m guessing she lopped a big spoonful of that in the pan but a) I don’t eat lard any more and b) who even wants to know how many points that would be. Second memory…the little flat “steaks” always came with gravy. Mmmmmm gravy….it’s ok. You can say it again. No one is listening.
Cube Steak & Mushroom Gravy – 7 Weight Watchers Smart Points per serving (2 servings)
Ingredients:
- Approximately 12 ounces uncooked cube steak (2 steaks / will be approximately 9 ounces after cooking)
- 1/2 cup sliced portabella mushrooms
- 1 Tbsp Bob’s Red Mill Potato Flour
- 1/2 cup Fat Free Half & Half (I use Land O’Lakes)
- Non Stick Spray
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
- (shown with 1 serving of Granny Green’s Fried Apples – add 5 SP)
- (shown with 1 serving Down to Earthy Green Beans – add 1 SP)
- (shown with 1 medium ear of fresh corn on the cob. spray with non stick spray, sprinkle on fresh ground italian bread seasoning, microwave on high 3 minutes…heaven! – add 3 SP)
Spray a non stick pan and heat over medium until the spray starts to sizzle a little. Add the cube steaks and spray the tops with just a little more non stick spray. Brown for 5 minutes, flip and brown the other size for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low and lightly cover with aluminum foil or the pan lid tilted to the side. You are making a bit of a steam bath, not sealing it in so this needs to be LOOSE. Simmer for 10 minutes and then flip. You are almost there…so close! Now add the sliced mushroom to the pan and let them cook about 5 minutes. Flip mushrooms. Sprinkle the “open spots” around the cube steak where the tiny amount of fat/grease has spread with the potato flour. Using your spatula scrape and scoot the flour around for just a minute. It will make sense when you start doing it. You are gathering up all the little traces of juice off the meat into the flour. (side note: I am starting a YouTube channel soon, would this be helpful if I video the recipe?). Now add the fat free half and half and continue “stirring” with your spatula until it starts to get thick. Flip the steaks and shrooms one more time and be sure they are now sopping up the yumminess. Serve immediately and be sure and scrape every bit of that gravy onto each plate…you already counted the points, eat them!
