Tender Beef Stir Fry - Mexican Style!

By now you know I could spend HOURS in the kitchen working on one meal - (and making a HUGE MESS).  But NOT when I am literally starving to DEATH.  During those times, I want something FRESH, GREAT TASTING AND HEALTHY  - and yes, I STILL want it fast.  I know what you're thinking....but the answer is NO!  Those canned, boxed or pre-made convenience foods are not really options for me on a regular basis. Even if I need food faster than you can say "Dinner is served !!

After my work-outs I am SO hungry these days!!  NOT not a little.  I mean REALLY, REALLY HUNGRY and a bit on the CRANKY side.  Well, OK...maybe more than just a tad, bit cranky (sorry honey!!)   But it's true.  I cant help it - that dip in blood sugar takes it's toll and POOF (like the little bunny Foo- Foo) I am turned into a mean, cranky and IMPATIENT hungry person!!

Sometimes I have  2 pt shake as a quick snack while I cook.....I feel (somewhat) satisfied so that I can withstand  cooking without eating everything in site during the process, But STILL, that darn meal better be on the table FAST because my body burns  that shake up quickly when my metabolism is in high gear!!

If you are growing veggies - especially cherry tomatoes and/sweet peppers - this is a great recipe to use them in.  I had just harvested a pepper and some tomatoes (along with green beans!)  I threw everything in with other veggies in an effort to boost nutritional value by creating that all important "rainbow" of colors (we will talk about that later), and to BULK IT UP!! 

Go ahead, throw in the kitchen sink (or not) depending on your preference - this recipe can take it!

Tender Beef Stir Fry - Mexican Style

For the STEAK
1/2 Pound top sirloin, skirt or tri-tip (I used a tri-tip steak)
juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 teaspoon Chili powder
1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder
salt and pepper

For the Stir Fry
1-2 small to med zucchini squash cut into sticks
1 large onion sliced thin
Cherry tomatoes (quartered or halved)
ANY OTHER VEGGIES YOU WANT (cabbage or green beans....?)
Your favorite salsa
Fresh cilantro - chopped
Avocado, Diced
Fresh limes
olive oil

FOR THE RICE
1 cup rice
2 cups water

1 Pack Knorr Fideo con pollo (chicken noodle) or any other Chicken noodle soup mix

First Get your rice in your rice cooker or on the stove.  I used a rice cooker - I added the rice, water and ONE packet of the chicken noodle soup:

Let rice cook and gather the balance of your ingredients:

Grab your steak - it's best to have it partially frozen so it's easier to cut into thin slices

Now thinly slice your steak AGAINST the grain:

In a bowl, toss the steak with the garlic and chili powders along with a good amount of salt and pepper - add more spices if you wish and then squeeze in the lime.  Toss well and set aside.  It should look like this:
                                (Definitely not that exciting looking...but the taste is great!!)

Prep your veggies:

Prep your mango by cutting off the flesh then dice and set aside:

Now heat a non stick pan with a little olive oil until very hot.  Toss in your seasoned meat and COOK FAST until JUST BARELY DONE - if you overcook now, you will end up with chewy steak!!  Trust me on this one.  REMOVE your steak to a bowl and set aside.  Toss out any juice that accumulated in the pan and reheat with a bit more olive oil.

Add the onions and cook until nicely golden (not too dark) - The flash "bleached out some of the color (sorry!)

Then add peppers, and other veggies that take a bit longer to cook and saute until crisp tender.  Add zucchini and saute until done ( just a few minutes or they will be too soft)

** Check your rice for doneness and turn off (if done) and let sit:  It should look like this - note the little brown noodles in the rice?  YUMMY in your TUMMY!!

  Add your meat, tomatoes, fresh chopped cilantro to taste and about a 1/2 cup of prepared salsa. Toss until hot and REMOVE FROM HEAT (your tomatoes will sort of smoosh from the heat, which I like!)

Put the stir fry over the rice and top with mango, avocado, cilantro and extra lime juice!

The result?  A quick, healthy and delicious meal that's full of color, flavor, nutrition (Don't forget the YUMMY rice!)  This is a great dish to get your servings of fruits and veggies.  PLUS its an opportunity to use up the stuff in your garden or veggie bin.  AND, if you want - go ahead and throw in the kitchen sink!

From my home to yours, ENJOY!

Shaking Beef Steak Salad

I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day Weekend!  I was off for 4 days (first 4 days in a row since starting my new job!!).   I want to give a big shout out to my Son-in-Law, Patrick who is serving in the ARMY!  Thanks for everything you do for our country!

If you've been reading the blog for a while, you have read I am on a weight loss plateau.  I don't know what else to call it as I have been trading the same two pounds back and forth for 2 months!  UGGHHH.  So frustrating!!  For a while, I felt like giving up and yes, I cried each week. Poor Steph who goes with me and has to listen to me WHINE my butt off about it.  But I have lost inches, I do feel better and I am working out 6 days a week....OH! and get this!  I am JOGGING now (OK don't laugh) but it's true.  I just jogged 2.5 miles yesterday morning STRAIGHT without stopping.  I felt so good!  I NEVER thought I would say that.  I would have ran the entire 5K (3.1 miles) but My foot was killing me (YEP, I am going to the running store today to figure that out) but I did it!  2.5 miles!  What an accomplishment. SOOOO, I know good things are happening to my body and  I have decided to STICK IT OUT with Weight Watchers for a bit longer.  The alternative is not much better!

I lost my pictures as I told you on the Onion Balsamic Glaze.  The pictures of this salad were with those.  I am so frustrated., but again, it's so good I didn't want to hold up the recipe.

I have a list of blogs that I like to read, you can see those on the right side of this posting.  One of those blogs, is  WWW.SKINNYTASTE.COM.  Her name is Gina and she works hard to provide healthy and Points friendly recipes!  Plus her photos are AMAZING.  I usually make and post my own recipes, but once in a while, something in hers looks so good I must try it.

She recently posted a recipe call Vietnamese Shaking Beef Salad (Bo Luc Lac).  It looked amazing, healthy and refreshing, I made it and it was just that.  I tweaked he salad portion of the recipe (just a bit) but the dish was pretty true to recipe.  If you want to see the original recipe and her awesome photos, please visit her blog and check out some of the other awesome recipes she has.

The changes I made were to use Skirt steak instead of top Sirloin (yes, a bit higher points) I think for quick cooking and marinating skirt steak is tender, tastes great and cooks fast.  It's much thinner which I like, so you feel like you get more meat.  I have to trick myself like that!  Also, instead of salad greens or arugula I used lightly sauteed spinach. It just suited the meat better, I thought.   The meat should marinate overnight  or for a least a few hours.  I let it marinate overnight which I feel was worth it.  There is also this SUPER salty and limey "dipping sauce" which I thought was not worth making.  It did nothing for the meat and was so salty and potent, it was distracting.

See what you think:

Shaking beef Steak Salad
WW PP 9 pts if using skirt steak, less with other cuts
This recipe will serve 4 - make sure you have a TON of spinach when making

Steak Marinade:
1-1/2 pounds of skirt steak (Her recipe calls out for top sirloin - use either)
6 cloves garlic, minced (or equivalent out of jar)
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tsp of what's called THICK or BLACK soy (This is VERY special soy and it's not available in the average grocery store, if you don't have it, call me for some or use regular SOY)

Salad Vinaigrette:
1/2 cup seasoned rice  vinegar
1-1/2 tablespoons sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons salt

SALAD:

Fresh baby spinach - I used one of those big plastic tubs it probably has about 8 cups in it.
Red bell, pepper finely, sliced
2 whole Roma tomatoes, sliced
About a 1/3 of a can of water chestnuts, chopped (optional)
Cucumber. sliced thin

Mix the marinade together and add the cubed steak.  Put it all in a plastic bag, remove most of the air and put in to refrigerator overnight or for a few hours.

When ready to make salad lightly saute spinach in batches (Don't over saute and really cook the spinach - it will reduce but you want some leaves barely sauteed also) and put onto large platter.  Top with sliced tomatoes, cucumber, red-peppers and water chestnuts.

Mix the vinaigrette together and set aside.

If you are going to want white rice, start it now.....(we ate it with some rice)

Heat a saute pan VERY hot.  Add a bit of olive oil and put in about a 1/3 of the meat in a single layer- DO NOT CROWD THE PAN...as Julia Child's would say.....heat until VERY darkly browned and start shaking the pan back and forth to turn meat and deeply brown  the other side.  When done put meat on top of salad and repeat again and again until all meat is done and on the salad.

Top the salad with the vinaigrette and serve with rice on top or on the side.

The result was a SUPER fresh and authentic meat salad that is sweet, tangy and vibrant.  I apologize for the lack of pictures, but make the salad, it's worth it!

From my home to yours, ENJOY!