Simple Guidelines

I have posted this image before, but to me, it is such a great visual as to what the Zone is all about! Pretty simple huh???

Beef and Vegetable Stir Fry

I love the flavor of steak in stir fry...but use whatever leftovers you have. This is the easiest one pan meal you can make! I used leftover skirt steak and sauteed it with some red bell peppers and onions in 1 TB olive oil over med heat. Add: 1 cup sliced celery, 1 sliced zucchini, 1 sliced carrot, 1 cup green beans (frozen work great) and 1 cup chopped broccoli. Add 1/2 cup vegetable broth and simmer until veggies are tender. Sprinkle with pecans or almonds and serve.

Check it Out!

Mary Conover of CFSCC loaned me this cookbook (the chili recipe earlier in the week) and it has some really great recipes! For those of you looking for a good Zone cookbook this is a good one! It is called Cooking in the Zone and it is put out by a company called Envion International.

Swiss Steak

I used a London Broil cut into smaller pieces for this and it turned out great (lots of leftovers!). Braise pieces of meat until browned on both sides and place in a slow cooker. Add 1 red and 1 green bell pepper sliced, 1 can stewed tomatoes, 2 TB Worcestershire sauce, 1 clove minced garlic, salt and black pepper to taste. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-6 hours or until meat is VERY tender! Serve with side of your choice!

Zone Chili

Mary Conover of CFSCC let me borrow one of her Zone cookbooks called Cooking in the Zone. This recipe is one of many that I am looking forward to trying, and I hope they are all as good as this one! To make: Heat tsp olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add 2 medium sized peppers (I used one red bell pepper and one yellow) diced, 1/3 cup diced onion, 2 minced garlic cloves and saute the mixture for about 5 minutes. Add 2 tsp chili powder and 1 pound ground turkey and cook until well browned. Add 1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes, 1 can dark red kidney beans (drained), 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer for about 20-30 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese to serve.

Farm Fresh

I recently starting getting this service at my house, and so far it has been great. Every other Thursday (you can opt for every week if you choose) a box of fresh, organic vegetables and fruit come to my door. The company is call Farm Fresh to You and they offer a great variety of packages to fit any one's needs. Once you sign up they have an exclusion list on your account so that you can list the foods you like and dislike. That way you only receive the food types you will use. The website to check it out is farmfreshtoyou.com, so if it sounds like something you might be interested in...check it out!

Turkey Taco Salad

This is a great simple dinner than makes easy leftovers for lunches during the week if you make extra taco meat. Make your portion to suit your blocks (this one is 3 blocks) just remember that ground turkey is 1 1/2 oz per block!