Easy Beef Stir Fry

March 26, 2014

After a day of work I am beat. I mean beat. The kind of beat that when you jump in your car to head home and flip down the visor mirror just to see what your working with… you gasp. Hair awry, dark circles under eyes, make-up in desperate need of either a fresh bare face or retouch… you get the picture. Note to self – just don’t look in the mirror.

My day usually begins around 5:30 am when the alarm goes off, out the door a little after 7:00 am and into work around 8:00 am. I am blessed to have a lot of projects on my plate, meetings and deadlines to meet. The day goes by quick. By the time I walk in the door in the evening it is usually around 7:00 pm, and I still have to make dinner! So, what’s a girl to do?

Order Chinese and call it a day. THE END… I am going to bed. Just kidding,

The correct answer… make a quick, easy meal!

I have become accustomed to the work hours during the week, but I still have yet to perfect the quick, easy meal route. But, I try, boy do I try, and I am getting there. Every now and then I overestimate my time and energy and tackle a meal that would be better suited for a weekend night. I distinctly remember cussing out my dinner at 8:30 pm one evening when I poured my soul into a stock pot of simmering soup and then read… “now transfer ingredients to a blender.” I just wanted Broccoli and Cheese soup! Other nights I succumb to my laziness and just order delivery.

Then other nights, I turn on my superwoman switch and make a meal from scratch that is delicious and homemade. I stuff my belly and then pat myself on the back, “you did good, kid, you did good.”

Meet my friend, Easy Beef Stir Fry. And, really he is easy!

I promise if you Like, Pin and Share this recipe you will thank yourself, because one day it will come to you like a dream and you will think, “Man, I wish I had saved that one.” It is so easy and so good!

Start with some ingredients…

I season both sides of the Top Round Sirloin with Pepper, Sea Salt and Garlic Salt .

Then cut into very thin strips and add to skillet that has been heated up with some oil.

The key here is to get the skillet on a nice medium high heat, and brown the steak slices quickly then toss. I leave on no more than a minute in a half to two minutes and remove. I also do them in batches. As the steak slices cook, remove and place on plate with a paper towel to drain the grease.

Once you have cooked the steak, add your chopped veggies to the same pan. Notice those two cloves of garlic? I add those babies in and toss frequently to infuse the flavor.

Don’t over cook those veggies! No one likes gummy broccoli. Add your steak into the mix and give everything a good toss. It should look a little something like this…

Lower the heat to low and now it is time I introduce you to a new food sport. Have you ever gone garlic fishing? You don’t need a license! Dig through the goodness to find the cloves and toss out. Now for the fun part. I pour 3/4 of a cup of Tsang Classic Stir Fry Sauce over the veggies and steak.

Give everything a good toss. Now for the really hard part. Open a bag of 90-second rice and microwave. If this was a weekend, I may make rice from scratch but again, this was a quick and easy night. Then plate up some rice and a big spoon full of your stir fry and you got yourselves a delicious, simple no need to call take-out dinner! Enjoy!

EASY BEEF STIR FRY:

1 Tbsp of Oil
2 lbs. of Top Round Steak
Pepper, Salt and Garlic Salt to taste
2 Cloves of Garlic
Any Vegetables you want! I used two Broccoli Stocks, 1/2 of a Green Pepper, 1/2 of a Red Pepper, 1/2 of a Yellow Pepper and a handful of Snap Peas.
3/4 Cup of Tsang Classic Stir Fry Sauce
1 – Bag of 90-Second Rice

Add your oil to medium high heat. Season both sides of your Top Round Steak with Pepper, Salt and Garlic Salt, to taste. Slice your Top Round Steak thinly on an angle. Add batches at a time of the sliced steak to the skillet. Brown then toss for a minute and a half. Transfer cooked steak to a plate with a paper towel to drain grease. Continue until steak is cooked. Add vegetables to skillet and two garlic cloves for flavor. Toss frequently. Once crisp but cooked, add steak back into skillet. Lower the heat to low and remove the two garlic cloves. Add 3/4 of a cup of Tsang Classic Stir Fry and toss. Cook 90-Second Rice in microwave according to directions. Plate the rice and top with Stir Fry.

Holy Guacamole… Nailed It!

March 12, 2014

You know what I love? A great Guacamole.

It wasn’t always such a sweet relationship between us two. In fact, the beginning was a rocky road for us. I was that girl who would go to a Mexican Restaurant and place my order (usually a Chimichanga) and say, “Oh, and hold the Guacamole.” I totally, noticed the waiter’s eye roll too.

Mostly, I didn’t give it a chance, but I also think I just had some bad versions. It wasn’t until my Sister-In-Law, Amie and her husband, Corey made a batch a few years back, that my thoughts went from, “No, thanks. I will pass.” To, “Holy, Guacamole, where have you been my whole life?”

Start by rounding up your ingredients, ya know… wrangle them in.

Guacamole Ingredients

As, you can tell. It is a pretty shady I mean sparse bunch. Start with the Avocados… the scarey Avocados. I say that because I think it is an intimidating fruit. Yes, it is a fruit people. I think they are avoided because many don’t know how to cut, chop or handle them. Kind of like Avocado’s scarey right-hand man… the Mango!

Before you begin make sure the Avocado is ripe. I cannot stress this enough. It must be ripe. To tell if it is ripe, look for the “Ripe” sticker on the Avocado placed by a diligent Produce employee. Just kidding! Give the Avocado a gentle squeeze. The skin should give a bit. If it doesn’t then it is not quite there. Leave it on the counter a few days to soften up. Here are some more tips.

While it can be intimidating, cutting, chopping and dicing an Avocado is pretty easy. First, start by cutting it in half. You won’t be able to go through because of the pit, but continue to cut around. Then twist slightly to separate the halves.

Avocado Halves

Take your knife and strike the pit so that the blade sticks. Hold the Avocado and twist the knife to loosen and remove the pit. For Guacamole, I use my knife to make length wise and width wise slices (Are they words? Not sure, but you get what I am saying).

Avocados Sliced

Then using a spoon, scoop out the Avocado into a bowl. Don’t forget to scoop out any pulp that remains on the skin.

Avocado Slices

Using the backside of your spoon, smash up the avocado. I like mine chunky. Add in your chopped tomato, diced red onion, the juice of half of a lime and add Garlic Salt, Pepper and Sea Salt (this makes it! Love the course salt) to taste. Give it a stir and serve. It is that easy!

HOLY GUACAMOLE:

Serves 4-6

2 Avocados
1 Heirloom Tomato – Chopped
1/2 Red Onion – Diced
1/2 the Juice of Lime
Garlic Salt, Pepper & Sea Salt – To Taste

Diced Avocados and smash in a bowl. Add chopped tomato, diced red onion, the juice of 1/2 of a lime and give it a good stir. Season with garlic salt, pepper and sea salt to taste.

Belly And Food – Love/Hate Relationship

March 10, 2014

Belly & Food. Hmmm? This post could go in a million directions. Well if you haven’t learned by now I kinda love food. I think I may just be a big foodie. I love trying new things…. I love exploring cities and local hot spots… I love food events… I secretly have a love affair with fair food / food trucks (not a secret anymore!)… I love holidays because my family is centered around a meal that was homemade. I just love food.

I will let you in on another little secret. My belly sometimes does not have the same affection as I do to food. I know spare the details, but it all started a few years ago with agonizing pain in my gut that would cripple me for a few hours or so. I was certain it was a food allergy and made an appointment with a Gastroenterologist, but after a few tests… nothing. No Lactose intolerance, no Celiac disease, heck they even went as far to tell me that I didn’t even posses the gene that would make me develop Celiac disease. At that time, the doctor wrote something down on a piece of paper and said, “Read this. I guarantee if you make some changes to your diet you will notice some changes.” The piece of paper read… “The China Study.”

I picked up the book that week and read a little bit, putting it down only to engage in everything it said not to. I didn’t take it serious. It also overwhelmed me with the statistics and research facts. I mean some points were interesting and others, well they scared me more than living my current life. How could I cut out meats and dairy? I mean I married the son of a son of a farmer.

A few years went by since all of this occurred; however, my reoccurring growing stomach issues lingered. It wasn’t until a few months ago that I actually sat down and decided to give this whole diet thing another look. And, by diet I am not referring to what probably first pops in your mind, but instead my own personal diet… a lifestyle change.

Two words – Clean Eating. Three words – Eliminating processed foods.

That pretty much sums it up! Thinking before you eat. Choosing healthy and natural options vs processed options. It gets a bit deeper but on the surface this simple task alone makes a huge difference.

To go back to my early read, I think the reason “The China Study” scared me so much back then was that it does focus on a plant-based diet, which is something I was not ready for then or even now. I mean I love a hamburger or some BBQ during the summer and don’t you dare touch that bowl of my Grandma’s homemade chicken and wild rice soup. Co-Author, T. Colin Campbell will state that he doesn’t believe in using the words “vegan” or “vegetarian” but plant-based. And, while he doesn’t altogether state you must go 100% plant-based, the book does advocate for such a diet. I can’t give up my meat and dairy, but I can choose the quantity and quality of my food. That is why I have found “Clean Eating” to be much easier to chew on. (Pun 100% intended).

Pinterest has been a HUGE help in this effort. You can find great articles, helpful tips and amazing recipes. Check out my – “Lean, Green and Eat Clean” Board. I started this little journey almost two months ago, with baby steps, and I mean baby steps. The results so far have proven to be quite rewarding. I am hoping to use this Blog to continue to share my story, and hear from you.

Here are a few quick tips on starting to incorporate Clean Eating into your diet.

1) Start Small – I find things are most successful when I don’t put all my eggs in one basket or stop cold turkey. This has been super gradual for me. I still LOVE salty potato chips dipped in cheese and who can say no to an Oreo, but chose moderation and start finding out what is really behind your cravings. For example, for me I have found after a super stressful day I craved sweets and I would reach for a cookie in the cupboard, but now I have found that fruit is just as sweet. I will go for slices of pineapple over a cookie now. 80% of the time stick to the plan and 20% of the time allow yourself to indulge.

2) Add to your Diet… Load up on the veggies and fruits, lean meats and whole grains. At first it may be a challenge, but after about two-weeks I was craving fruits and veggies over sweets.

3) Avoid from your Diet… Processed foods, fast foods, soda and sugary drinks and refined sugars. This is a good starting point. Start making healthy decisions – Choose fresh fruit and veggies over canned, switch a coke for an ice water with lemon, and substitute sugar with some honey in your Hot Tea. Baby steps.

4) Drink Lots of Water – I cannot stress it enough. I drink water all day, but definitely make sure to drink as soon as you wake up, before a meal and before bed. It does wonders.

5) Plan, Plan, Plan – Have you read my Blog Name? Backwards N High Heels – I am busy! Eating clean won’t work unless you plan. Usually Sundays are reserved for week long meal plans followed by a Market Order. Not only does it #1 help me not stress out over dinner during the week, but #2 helps me stay focused so I try not to lose course.

Quotes

I am not perfect and I am by no means a nutritionist, nor have any medical background. This is simply me sharing my experiences with you. I am also practicing in moderation. Please read that again, I am practicing in moderation. Don’t hold it against me if you see me out indulging in wings (oh, because I am a sucker for wings) or enjoying a few cold beers, but know that small, simple changes have made an impact on me and hopefully may help you. Enjoy!