Recipe: Garden Veggie & Ginger Beef Stir Fry

There is a myth out there that eating healthy or trying to lose weight means eating boring, flavorless foods, but nothing could be further from the truth! The best foods for your health are often some of the tastiest as well! This delicious, healthy stir fry packed with flavor and nutrients is a great example.

Lots of fresh veggies and tender grass-fed beef will make this a super healthy and delicious meal, without all the fat-promoting carbs. For even fewer carbs, omit the rice and serve over shredded cabbage instead, but a bit of brown rice now and then is fine for most diets. You can easily make this vegetarian as well; just use tempeh or firm tofu in place of the beef.

Garden Veggie And Ginger Beef Stir Fry
(Serves 4.)

(Image courtesy of zirconicusso at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.)

Ingredients:

1 tsp soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1-2 tsp minced fresh ginger (to taste)
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup avocado oil or coconut oil
8 oz lean grass-fed beef, sliced thin
1 cup carrot, cut into thin strips
1 bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 small onion, sliced into thin strips
2 cups broccoli, small florettes
8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
Cooked brown or wild rice, optional

Directions:

• In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and water, and mix together; set aside.
• Heat 1/2 the oil in wok or large frying pan, when hot add beef and stir, cooking quickly; remove beef.
• Put remaining oil in wok and add the carrots, cook for 1 minute, stirring, then add the remaining vegetables and cook, stirring often, until vegetables soften slightly.
• Pour in the soy sauce mixture you made earlier, stir, reduce heat, and cook for another minute until hot and bubbly and aromatic.
• Remove from heat, add beef back into the mixture, and stir.
• Serve over cooked brown rice or wild rice if desired.

Low-Carb Recipe: Garden Veggie And Ginger Beef Stir Fry

Stir fries work great for a low-carb diet, as they generally include lots of veggies and protein, without any heavy simple carbs - plus they make a quick and easy weeknight dinner. This one includes plenty of fresh veggies, along with tender beef and spicy ginger. if you want it spicier, you can add a minced chili or some red pepper flakes. This is traditionally served with rice, but if you're really trying to cut carbs, you can serve over lightly sauteed Chinese cabbage instead.

Garden Veggie And Ginger Beef Stir Fry
(Serves 4.)

Image Courtesy of KEKO64 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

Ingredients:

1 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup frying oil
8 oz lean grass-fed beef, sliced thin
1 cup carrot, cut into thin strips
1 bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 small onion, sliced into thin strips
2 cups broccoli, small florettes
8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
Cooked brown or wild rice, optional

Directions:

• In a small bowl, put the soy sauce, garlic powder, ground ginger, and water, and mix together; set aside.
• Heat 1/2 the oil in wok or large frying pan, when hot add beef and stir, cooking quickly; remove beef.
• Put remaining oil in wok and add the carrots, cook for 1 minute, stirring, then add the remaining vegetables and cook, stirring often, until vegetables soften slightly.
• Pour in the soy sauce mixture you made earlier, stir, reduce heat, and cook for another minute until hot and bubbly.
• Remove from heat, add beef back into the mixture, and stir.
• Serve over cooked brown rice or wild rice if desired.

Recipe: Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry With Orange Sauce

Broccoli lends itself very well to stir fry dishes, with it's fresh green color and crunch, and the fact that its health benefits are most potent when it is not cooked for long periods of time. The light citrusy sauce gives this a nice Asian flavor, and it's very quick to throw together!

Try this classic beef & broccoli stir fry dish and add a fresh green salad for a quick, tasty, and healthy dinner packed with flavor and nutrients.

Beef & Broccoli Stir-Fry With Orange Sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup long grain white rice
1/4 cup orange juice
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. light brown sugar
1 pound top round steak, cut into strips
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
salt and black pepper to taste
1 pound broccoli, florettes broken into small pieces
2 Tbsp. peanut oil, divided
1 red bell pepper, cut into very thin strips

Directions:

• Cook the rice using directions on box; set aside.
• In a bowl, whisk together the orange juice, vinegar, soy sauce, and brown sugar; set aside.
• In a large bowl, toss the beef with the cornstarch, season with salt and pepper; set aside. 
• In a wok or large skillet over high heat, put broccoli pieces with 1 cup of water, sprinkle in a little salt. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down to medium-high and cook until broccoli is just crisp-tender (about 2 minutes). Remove broccoli to a plate, pour out and discard any remaining water in the wok, wiping to dry with a paper towel. 
• Put wok over high heat, add 1 tablespoon oil and heat until sizzling hot. 
• Add half of the beef and cook, stirring, until browned; remove the beef using a slotted spoon, and put on plate with the broccoli.
• Put remaining oil in wok, add remaining uncooked beef, stir and cook until browned.
• Now add back into the wok the beef and broccoli that was set aside, then pour in the orange juice mixture and the cut bell pepper. Stir gently to combine, then allow to cook on high heat for a couple minutes until the sauce thickens. 
• Serve over rice.

Recipe: Asian Inspired Beef Pot

This makes a great almost one-pot meal (you will need to cook the rice separately), and if you like Asian flavors, this one's got you covered! Plenty of veggies, paired with beef and sweet, spicy, and salty tones, make a great meal that will satisfy your taste buds and fill you up fast.

Asian Inspired Beef Pot
(Serves 6-8.)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb grass-fed beef, cut into very thin strips
1 Tbsp peanut oil
1 green bell pepper, cut in thin strips
1 red bell pepper, cut in thin strips
1 celery stalk, cut into thin strips
1 onion, cut in thin strips
4 oz fresh sliced mushrooms
4 oz fresh snow peas
1 can (8 oz) sliced water chestnuts
1 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp pineapple juice
1 tsp fresh grated ginger root
1 garlic clove, grated
Hot cooked rice for serving

Directions:

• In a large pot over medium-high heat, add oil and beef (in small batches) and cook quickly until beef is browned; remove as the strips cook to keep from overcrowding the pot.
• With pot still over medium-high heat, add the green pepper, red pepper, and the celery, and cook quickly until just softened slightly.
• Then add the onion, mushrooms, snow peas, and water chestnuts and cook until onion softens slightly.
• Add beef back into pot and stir to combine.
• With heat still on medium-high, stir in the remaining ingredients, quickly combining all ingredients with the sauce.
• Turn heat down to low and let ingredients cook together for about 3 to 5 minutes, very slowly.
• Serve hot over rice.