Sesame Korean Beef Bowl

So after recovering from the blogathon that was the Sugar-Detox Challenge, I am finally back again with new recipes! This rainbow of a meal is light and fresh, but filling. My favorite part has got to be the caramelized beef. It's sweet and savory thanks to tons of fresh ginger, pressed garlic, a splash of soy sauce and a touch of coconut sugar (more on that below). I spoon this meat mixture into a bowl of crisp lettuce along with a little rice, crunchy red cabbage, sweet carrots and yellow bell pepper. Just top it all off with some sesame seeds and Sriracha and you have yourself a pretty kick-ass salad.  

The health rundown:

• Protein: Beef is very high in protein (building muscles) and good source of iron (transporting oxygen to brain and body). Regrettably, beef is high in fat and cholesterol so eat it in moderation, like in this salad, and opt for the lean version (90-95% fat free) when you can.
• High in fiber: The lettuce, carrots, cabbage and bell pepper are all high in fiber, which keeps you full longer, regulates blood sugar and is important for your digestive and heart health. The fiber ensures you have more time to digest and absorb nutrients and helps you eliminate toxins and waste from your digestive system more effectively!
• Great source of Vitamin A & C: The veggies are chock-FULL of this stuff. Think beautiful skin (cell repair), a strong immune system and eye health.
• Carotenoids: Your parents were actually right. The carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin found in carrots promote eye health.
• Phytochemicals: Thanks to the indoles, dithiolethiones, isothiocynates and sulforaphane found in cabbage, this meal also helps protect you from cancer! They help fight damage from free radicals and carcinogens.

I also want to take a minute to talk about coconut sugar. Seeing as how I just finished my Sugar Detox, using "sugar" in my very first recipe post following it may seem a little...well hypocritical. But now that I've kicked my intense sugar cravings in the butt, I do like to include natural, unrefined sweetners in my diet. To read more about what natural sweeteners are great options, read this post by the Food Babe (so proud that she is from my hometown!). Coconut palm sugar is obtained from drying the sap from the coconut palm. Because it is not bleached it is full of vitamins and minerals that would otherwise be stripped away in processing. Food Babe explains: "It is naturally high in amino acids – has 10,000 times more potassium, 20 times more magnesium and 20 times more iron than conventional sugar." While they are not the most nutritious calories you will ever consume they are certainly not empty and the best part is you can use them in the same ratio in baking and cooking as regular sugar! Because it’s glycemic index is half of that of regular sugar, switching to coconut sugar lowers your risk of developing diabetes and makes sugar cravings less likely.

Veggie Chili Con Carne

OK, now that my health post is out of the way, I can tell you about this chili! Fall is finally here and the crisp air makes me want to sit down to a bowl of something warm that sticks to my ribs. Nothing fits the bill better than chili. 

Now there is meat in here, but anyone who is from Texas probably won’t count this as chili. I not only added beans, but veggies too. Since chili is generally a no-fuss, one-bowl meal, I wanted to make sure I was getting some other than a protein and fiber. Adding zucchini, bell pepper, onion and corn not only lighten up the meal and give your some more vitamins and minerals, they really make each bite more succulent and delicious.

Adding a tiny bit of unsweetened cocoa powder really balances out the spice and helps all the flavors meld together!

What you are getting:

Beef – Besides the obvious protein, I opt for beef instead of turkey, because red meat is the best source of iron. The iron helps your body transport oxygen, which is critical for your nervous system and cell functional throughout your entire body. Iron deficiency can leave you feeling tired, looking pale and bruising easily. And after all the blood tests I did, my iron levels were borderline anemic.

Beans – Also a great source of protein, but they are also packed with fiber that helps you stay full longer, regular your blood sugar and absorb more nutrients from your food since your body takes longer to digest it! (Nutrition Data)

Onion – While uncooked onions help kill bacteria, cooked onions still have a good amount of vitamin C and B6. (Nutrition Data)

Zucchini – Low in calories, these veggies are a good source of Thiamin, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6 and a very good source of fiber, Vitamin A, C and K as well as Folate, Megnesium and Potassium. (Nutrition Data)

Bell pepper – They are also a good source of fiber, Thiamin, Folate, Potassium and Copper, and a very good source of Vitamin A, C (1 cup =385% DV; take that oranges!), E and B6 as well as Manganese. (Nutrition Data)

So eat up! And stay warm and healthy!

Mexican Pizza

 

Smokey spiced meat and black beans covered in sweet red onions and melted cheddar cheese. To top it off, a homemade salsa and slices of creamy avocado.

So cilantro was on sale and I, not being one to pass up a bargain, decided that I needed to purchase unreasonable amounts of the herb. The result: I ended up having Mexican food four out of seven days last week. Am I sick of it yet? NOPE! I did my standard chicken enchiladas, but decided to get creative come Friday with some fusion food! Pizza meet burrito. So, so good.

Now, this is not one of my lightest meals. There is bread, cheese and ground beef involved here, but I don’t feel guilty in the least. Why? Because its actually pretty good for you. Beside the fresh tomato salsa you pile on every slice, which gives you some vitamin A and C, the avocado has health omega 3’s to boost heart health and brain function. Adding herbs like cilantro helps pull toxic heavy metals out of your body and the lime juice helps the liver flush out toxins. Plus, there is fiber from the beans and the protein I use is lean ground beef. Ground turkey is another great alternative or you could do shredded chicken.

If you are really looking to cut down on calories and carbs, simply replace the standard crust with my cauliflower crust recipe. Since we are piling on the toppings this time, I’d recommend cutting out or back on the tomato sauce to keep the crust slightly more firm.

Sesame Beef & Veggie Stir-Fry

Whenever I feel a little sluggish and notice that I'm bruising a little too easily, I eat red meat.

It gets a bad rap and people often link it with heart disease, but a lot of this comes down to the cut of meat you eat, how much and how frequently you consume it and how you cook it. Occasional indulgence is the way to go.

Regularly eating Kobe beef (if you could afford to!) is sure to shorten your lifespan, but not all cuts are high in saturated fat that will clog up your arteries and raise your cholesterol. With a lean cut of beef (guide to leaner cuts) you are getting a great source of protein, zinc, vitamin B12 and iron. While protein helps your body build bones and muscles, zinc promotes a strong immune system and B12 keeps nerves and red blood cells healthy, what I’m really interested in is the iron. It's an important dietary mineral that helps your body’s red blood cells transport oxygen to all your organs. It’s particular important for women, since we regularly lose blood.

Red meat the one of the best sources of heme iron, which is more readily absorbed by the body than non-heme iron (found in vegetables, grains, beans and lentils). While consuming too much iron can cause it to build up and damage your organs, I typically find myself more on the iron deficient end of the spectrum. To get an idea of where you might be, ask your doctor to run a blood test.

If you want a more extensive overview on red meat, iron, and iron absorption check out these helpful resources: WebMD, Iron Disorders Insitute.

While this dish is a great way to get a decent amount of red meat along with your veggies, the beauty of a stir fry is you can easily swap out ingredients to match the ones in your fridge. Only have chicken and zucchini? Go ahead use those instead! This time I served the dish over tri-colored quinoa instead of rice. If you want to steer clear of white rice too, you can also use brown rice, bulgar or my favorite cauliflower rice.  

Stuffed Zucchini with Arugula Quinoa

Call me strange, but I’m not always in the mood for pasta. Unless it’s freshly made, I feel like it’s just a filler most of the time. Food that is meant to fill me up without actually adding much itself. A vehicle for the sauce! 

So last night when I made thick Bolognese sauce, I loaded it into hollowed out zucchini. Instead of pasta, though, I paired it with spicy arugula quinoa. It's heavier than a salad, but lighter than a portion of pasta. And the flavors melded so well… spicy arugula, salty feta and bright lemon juice. Yum!

Not to mention quinoa is kind of a superfood*:

• Great source of protein: It is one of the few plant-based foods that contains all nine essential amino acides necessary for our body to make protein.
• Rich in iron: Helps transport oxygen to cells in our body. This also helps improve brain function, because our brain requires around 20% of our body's oyxgen. (Read more here)
• High in fiber: Improves digestion and helps you stay full.
• Contains Vitamin B2: Improves energy metabolism in the brain and in muscle cells.

Another fun thing about this meal is you can adapt the sauce. Want a meat-free meal? Skip the ground beef and add squash or spinach. Want a richer, creamier dish? Add a scoop or two of mascarpone cheese.

*For nutrition data on quinoa click here.

Shepard's Pie

It's that time of year folks. Cold, dreary, dark. I don't know about you, but all I want to do is make a cup of tea and wrap up in a blanket so I can dream about warmer, sunnier places. Oh, and eat comfort food.

That is what inspired the latest creation to come out of my kitchen: shepard's pie. But with a twist. What appears to be fluffy, rich mashed potatoes covered in cheese is, in fact, cauliflower covered in cheese. Who knew cauliflower could be so versatile!? I'm just thrilled and to think I used pass over this vegetable in the grocery store.