Recipes: Beef, Broccoli, and Bok Choy
A main dish with beef and two green vegetables – broccoli and bok choy. This dish is inspired from my Mom’s Beef & Broccoli recipe a few years ago. We took her Beef and Broccoli recipe, adding more ingredients, and removed other ones. The main dish includes both your meat and vegetables, yet the kids love it! You can choose whatever meat you want to use with this recipe and whatever amount of broccoli. We like this nice blend of meat and broccoli with a touch of bok choy for this recipe.
Beef, Broccoli, and Bok Choy
A main dish with beef and two green vegetables – broccoli and bok choy. This dish is inspired from my Mom’s Beef & Broccoli recipe a few years ago. The main dish includes both your meat and vegetables, yet the kids love it!Servings: 4 peopleEquipment
- Wok
Ingredients
- 1 lb Lean Beef Steak Round, Sirloin, or Flank Steak work well
- 1 head Fresh Broccoli
- 1 head Fresh Bok Choy Small
- 2 tbsp Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- 1 clove Garlic, minced or pressed
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 tbsp Water
- 1 1/2 tbsp Corn Starch
- 1/4 tsp Ground Ginger
- 1 cup Beef Broth
- 1 dash Red Pepper Flakes
Instructions
- Cut broccoli and bok choy into 1 inch pieces set aside. Slice the beef along the grain into 1/2 inch wide strips. In bowl mix beef, soy sauce and garlic. Let marinate 10 minutes. Mix together corn starch, ground ginger, dash of red pepper, and beef broth.
- When wok is hot add 1 tablespoon of oil, add half of the meat mixture. Stir fry until browned (about 2 to 3 minutes). Repeat with second half of meat and 1 more tablespoon of oil.
- Stir in the broccoli for about 1 minute. Add water cover and cook about 3 minutes.
- Add cooking sauce to meat and stir until the sauce has thickened. Add the bok choy and cook for about another minute or until it starts to wilt.
You can add in all kinds of other ingredients like onions, mushrooms, spinach, and more to your main dish.
Hot and ready to be eaten for dinner!
Recipes: Eggs with Portobello Mushrooms (Breakfast)
Eggs with Portobello Mushrooms for breakfast. The mushroom slices makes it resemble a flower shape.
At times breakfast can be kind of hurried around our house. Especially when the kids are trying to off to school, Jake’s heading into work, and I have various activities going on that day as well. We try to have our family dinners together during the weekdays and on Saturday morning we have a family breakfast or brunch (most Saturdays). We started doing this because Saturdays typically get busier and fill up the later in the day. This allows us to have at least one meal a day together as a family.
It is always nice when we have a chance to sit down, relax, and enjoy some time together at breakfast. A lot of times Jake’s will make up something tasty for our family breakfast. One day Jake was frying up an egg for himself and told me that he was going to make me something for breakfast so don’t worry about getting anything ready for myself that morning. When I arrived at the table this is what I had waiting for me. He had made scrambled eggs topped with bok choy, ham, cheese, and surrounded by a sliced up and sauteed portobello mushrooms. It was delicious!
Eggs with Portobello Mushrooms Recipe:
- 1 Egg
- 1/2 cup Fresh Bok Choy (cut into 1 inch strips)
- 1/4 cup Ham (diced)
- 1 large Portobello Mushroom Cap (cut into strips)
- 1/2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 slice Ultra Thin Sargento Colby Jack Cheese
1. Slice the bok choy, ham, and portobello mushroom cap and set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil up in a pan on medium heat for 1 minute. Add the portobello mushroom and diced ham; cook for 3 minutes.
3. While the mushroom and ham is cooking make crack the egg and beat it slightly to make scrambled eggs. Add 1/2 tablespoon of water or milk (I prefer water in my scrambled eggs, but a lot of people like milk). Place the scrambled egg into a small frying pan that is lightly greased (spray with cooking oil or a couple drops of olive oil).
4. As the egg is cooking add the bok choy to the mushroom and ham mixture. Cook until the bok choy starts to wilt.
5. Place the egg in the center of the plate. Top with the bok choy and ham. Add the portobello mushroom slices around the outer edge of the egg stack and top with a slice of cheese.
It tasted AMAZING! A great start to the day!
Recipes: Chicken Tomato Pasta
Chicken Tomato Pasta Dish
Another great meal made by my awesome husband. He came up with this pasta recipe one Sunday for lunch. The base is animal shaped pasta noodles (can you guess who picked out the noodles)?! Topped with chicken, tomatoes, bok choy, spinach, and mushrooms. It was a fresh and tasty combination perfect for dinner out on the deck with the family on a sunny Sunday afternoon.
Chicken Tomato Pasta Recipe:
- 1 lb Chicken Breasts (sliced, cooked, seasoned, and drained)
- 12 oz Pasta (we used Organic Vegetable Pasta in the shape of Animals)
- 1 large Tomato (or can of diced tomatoes)
- 1 cup Fresh Spinach
- 1 cup Fresh Bok Choy
- 1/2 cup Fresh Mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Minced Garlic
- Optional – 1/2 small Onion
- Optional – 1/4 cup shredded Cheese
1. Slice the chicken in about 1 inch strips. Heat 1/2 tablespoon of Olive Oil in a frying pans on medium heat and add the minced garlic (and onion if using it). Cook over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add the chicken and stir gently as every couple minutes while working on the other steps.
2. Add water to a pot and turn it on medium-high until it is at a rolling boil and add the pasta. Cook the pasta per the directions on the package.
3. Slice up the vegetables into about 1/2 inch to 1 inch pieces (tomatoes, spinach, bok choy, mushrooms). Heat 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and tomatoes cooking them for about 2 minutes. Add the spinach and bok choy, cooking for an additional 3 minutes or until the leaves are starting to wilt.
4. Scoop some pasta onto your plate. Top with the tomato and vegetable mixture. Add the chicken and a little more of the tomato and vegetable mixture. Optional: Garnish with sauteed bok choy centers and a sprinkle of shredded cheese.
Chicken Tomato Pasta with a Bok Choy garnish!
Healthy & Easy Way to Wash Produce
A sink full of fresh produceOur family eats a lot of fruits and vegetables so I love it when I find a great deal on produce. We have one large drawer full of vegetables, another one full of fruit, and we have a fresh fruit basket on the counter. One problem I had with produce in the past was it spoiling too fast. Also, the produce needs to be washed to remove any germs, sprays, mold, or other spores that that tend to spoil or contaminate the produce more quickly.
I have found the best way to rinse and clean the produce is to put everything in a clean sink, fill the sink with cold water, add approximately a half of cup of white vinegar, and let the produce soak for about 10 to 20 minutes. After the produce has soaked drain the water and rinse thoroughly before putting it away. You will be amazed at how much stuff comes off the produce (the sink is usually covered with a film, dirt, and little particles after I drain the water). Some of the items in the sink for this rinse – pineapple, mango, strawberries, kiwi, red delicious apples, granny smith apples, golden delicious apples, grapefruit, blackberries, oranges, clementines, cucumbers, tomatoes, celery, and a few other items.
One other way we have found that prolongs the life of our fruits and vegetables is the BluApple. The BluApple absorbs the ethylene gas is given off naturally by fruits and vegetables as a signaling mechanism in order to coordinate uniform ripening. We stick one BluApple in the vegetable drawer and another in the fruit drawer to prevent the produce from ripening as quickly. Between rinsing the produce with vinegar water and using the BluApples the life of the produce is extended 2 to 7 times the normal shelf life (at least for our family). A container of strawberries will last 2 to 4 weeks (if they last that long and are not eaten before that time) in our fridge. We have been doing this way for over a year now and it has worked very well for our family, hope these tips are a huge blessing to you too!
The clean sink starting to fill up with water (and three tomatoes).
Draining the dirty water
Up close picture of all the “stuff” floating in the water after washing the produce! Yikes!
After draining the water there is always a film around the sink with bits and pieces of produce, dirt, and other particles stuck to it. If you look closely you can even see the water line.
The Fast Metabolism Diet by Haylie Pomroy
A few weeks ago I got a book from SheSpeaks called The Fast Metabolism Diet by Haylie Pomroy. Haylie Pomroy is a celebrity nutritionist and wellness consultant. She has Grammy and Academy Awards winners to Super Bowl champions and Olympic athletic clients that she has helped, including Jennifer Lopez, Reese Witherspoon, Cher, Raquel Welch, Robert Downey Jr., and more. Her nickname is the “metabolism whisperer” because she has helped numerous clients lose weight, enhance their health, and meet their personal goals. She currently has integrative healthcare clinics in Beverly Hills, Burbank, Irvine, and Fort Collins.
Food is not the enemy, it’s medicine needed to rev up sluggish, broken-down metabolisms and turn bodies into fat-burning machines! – Haylie Pamroy
The book came during a very busy time with our family so it took me a little longer to read the book and get prepared so I could start the plan. After reading the book I wrote out my meal plans for the entire week and went shopping. I have to admit the planning and shopping took me a lot longer, especially the first week. I am about done with my first full week and the recipes overall have been really good. I did find a couple here and there that were not my favorite so I picked another one to try out the next day and saved a few new ones for next week. I really like that she gives a lot of variety in her recipes. She also does a great job explaining the science behind it in her book.
A little more about the Fast Metabolism Diet:
- It is four weeks (28 days) of fat-burning meal plans with more than fifty recipes (includes vegetarian, organic, and gluten-free options too).
- No need to count a single calorie or fat gram.
- Rotate what you’re eating to induce precise physiological changes that set your metabolism on fire.
- Haylie Pomroy has over seventeen years experience helping people lose weight, improve fertility, overcome health challenges, and reach optimal health while still enjoying real food and not going hungry
- Going through the plan you will lose weight and feel better, plus you may also see your cholesterol drop, your blood sugar stabilize, your sleep improve, and your stress level decrease as well
- Eat a variety of real, delicious, and satisfying food.
- Drink half your body weight in ounces of water each day
There are three phases you will go through every week. She recommends you start on Monday, but you can do whatever day of the week works best for your schedule.
- PHASE ONE (Monday-Tuesday): Lots of carbs and fruits (Phase 1 is for the carb lovers, fruits, pasta, rice, bread, crackers and pretzels, and includes a cardio workout).
- PHASE TWO (Wednesday-Thursday): Lots of proteins and veggies (Phase 2 is focuses more on muscle building, giving you foods that include lean proteins and targeted vegetables and includes a weight lifting workout).
- PHASE THREE (Friday-Saturday-Sunday): Some of the food from phases 1 & 2 plus healthy fats and oils (In phase 3 your your body is ready to enable the “thermogenic three – hormones, heart, and heat” I like the the workout for this phase, it includes yoga or relaxing massage or deep breathing exercises)
- Repeat for four weeks!
The first week has been crazy busy, but I have managed to stay on track. I have been prepping the breakfast, snacks, and lunch the night before so that it will help during the busy days. So far on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I have made dinner those nights and saved the leftovers for the next night to cut down on all the cooking. Any leftovers for each phase I have been freezing for another night later in the month.
I did have a small headache at the end of the first two days, but I am not sure if that was allergies or my body adjusting to the new foods. I was really hoping that I would feel awesome with a ton of energy within the first a couple of days, instead I think I was actually a little more tired (but it was a really busy week with Jake out of town and starting a new meal plan).
I have been keeping the book on the kitchen counter for reference to the recipes and made myself a little chart to remind me what food groups I need to eat on which days and what to pick for each meal and snack. Also, the night before when I am prepping for the next day I will write what I am planning on eating for the next day on a sticky note as a quick reminder. It has gone pretty smoothly and since I have been cooking the main meal for the entire family it has been neat to hear their reactions, they have enjoyed all the recipes (one night the girls had 2 bowls of soup)! 🙂
Most of my shopping has been done at Trader Joe’s, Aldi’s and some at Whole Foods. Finding some of the foods took awhile at first and I noticed a difference in prices from store to store, but it is worth it if it means I am healthy and have more energy in the long run. At least for our area I found that Trader Joe’s and Aldi’s had the best prices (I think they are part of the same parent company too).
I have already planned out my menu for next week, went shopping, and am looking forward to seeing what it brings. Hopefully, I can stay on track and complete the full four week plan. I already have several meals in the deep freezer for upcoming weeks so that should help with those busier days. If I continue to plan ahead and prep the night before I think it could be very beneficial. So far the food has been delicious and the bonus is its healthy for me too.
More information about Haylie Pomroy:
- Like Haylie’s Facebook Page
- Follow Haylie’s Twitter Feed
- Follow Haylie’s on Pinterest
- Fast Metabolism Diet Website
A special thanks to SheSpeaks and Haylie Pomroy for sponsoring this post! Any specific product information was provided by Haylie Pomroy and SheSpeaks, however, the opinions expressed in this post are our own. We received a complimentary copy of the book for sharing information and our family’s experience.
Fun Edible Snacks
The girls love it when we put together a snack with a silly edible face. Usually after Awana on Sunday evening while they are taking their baths I will get a small snack for them to eat before heading to bed. I don’t want to give them something too heavy or unhealthy so there is usually a mix of fruits and veggies. On this particular silly face they had:
- Fresh Watermelon Slices
- Fresh Honeydew Slices
- Orange Pear Tomato
- Two Ritz Crackers
- Two Slices of Pepperoni
- Two Whole Cashews
Steamed Fresh Vegetables
There is just something about Spring and fresh garden vegetables! Whether you get your vegetables from a garden or the store they are still delicious and a healthy part of the meal for your whole family. We enjoy our vegetables raw (at meals, in lunches or just for a snack), on the grill (add touch of Italian salad dressing and they taste amazing), baked, or steamed (a perfect compliment to any meal).
The pictures are some of the vegetables we ate recently. Included in the steamer are cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, green beans, and purple beans. Some were ones we had from our garden and the rest we got at our local grocery store. I prefer to steam the vegetables over boiling them because I believe more of the nutrients remain in the vegetables plus they tend to stay more firm (not mushy, which happens if they are boiled too long).
Our steamer has printed on it how long it takes to steam a variety of items. Since there are several vegetables in this one I just average out the time for the items I put into the steamer and make sure to check it before dinner is served. Although the purple beans are beautiful they do lose their purple color (they turn green) when cooked. If you want the purple beans to retain their color you will need to serve them raw (on a salad, raw, or in any other cool dish that calls for green beans). What is your favorite way to eat fresh vegetables?
Steamed fresh vegetables
Silly Clown Snack
Clown snack
The girls love it when they get simple silly snacks. One weekend evening recently we were especially busy, by the time we got home it was already bed time so while they jump into the shower I made a quick supper for them to eat. They gobbled up this silly “clown” as they named it.
Even though it only took me a few minutes to put something together it is somehow more special when it is shaped differently. Plus it seems like they eat a little better when their food is a little entertaining because they are so busy looking and talking about it before they know it the food is gone. Included in this snack is one hotdog, one hotdog bun, ketchup, mustard, one cherry tomato, two pringles chips, and one purple green bean cut in half.
Easy Appetizer – Vegetable Tray
Lately with it being busy around our house I have been all about quick, easy, and healthy options for when we are going out or bringing items to a gathering. Last week I shared one of our simple fruit appetizers – Fresh Apples & Caramel Dip to make so this week I am going to share another one of our family favorites!
If you a looking for a quick and healthy item to bring to the next party try putting together a veggie tray. With Spring starting this week you may be starting to plan your garden and will have a bundle of fresh vegetables to share in a couple months. Most grocery stores will have a lot of great produce on sale during this time of year too. Pick up items that are on sale, put the vegetables on a serving dish and add dip (if you want) and you have a healthy and colorful treat to bring to your next party.
What To Do With 25 Pounds of Fresh Organic Carrots
A few months ago I found this 25 pound bag of Fresh Organic Carrots marked down to $2.99 at our local Ingles store. Yippee!!! I checked to make sure all the carrots looked fresh and good. I was super excited because our family loves carrots, these looked great, and having a big bag could be beneficial for several recipes over the next few of months. We counted the carrots and if I remember correctly there were 76 large (some very large) full size carrots in this bag.
What did we do with all the carrots?
- Eat It – we ate them raw, in salads, dishes, cooked, and a variety of other great ways (our kids love munching on raw carrots or really anything with carrots in it)
- Share It – we gave several bags of carrots away to friends and family to use in their cooking too.
- Feed It – since we have goats they enjoyed a lot of delicious carrot treats over the next few months.
A bowl of fresh sliced carrots
How did we store all the carrots?
After scrubbing, washing, and drying the carrots we did a number of different things with them:
- Dehydrated Carrots – we sliced up a dehydrator full of carrots to use in soups, stews, and as treats for the goats. The goats LOVE crunchy dehydrated carrots as a snack!
- Frozen Carrots – some of the carrots we sliced up or shredded then put into Ziploc bags in the deep freezer to use for future recipes.
- Fresh Carrots – we used some right away for various recipes, ate raw carrots, and stored them in the refrigerator. We put the carrots in a drawer with other vegetables and our BluApple to help keep them fresh longer.
Tray full of sliced carrots ready to be dehydrated
Dehydrating 5 trays of sliced carrots – these are very good in soups and the goats love these as a special treat!
The carrots were still really fresh and I didn’t have to throw any out. These carrots lasted for several months frozen and dehydrated. Even though it is a lot of work when you get a big bag (25 pounds) up front the benefits will last a long time so it can be really worth it.
