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!

Steak and Broccoli Slaw

Skirt or flank steak both work well with this because they are easily cut into strips. I used 1 whole bag of broccoli slaw and added in some broccoli crowns, red bell pepper and ginger. Grill you steak and set aside. Saute all other ingredients in a stir fry or large saute pan until veggies are tender. I whole bag of broccoli slaw is only 1/4 block of carbs...so you get a LOT! Add in whatever you desire and place your block portion of steak to top!

Soups On!

Sometimes there is nothing better than a bowl of hot soup! Most of these ingredients are things I always have on hand, but feel free to vary it to suit your tastes! To make: Add one carton of organic (Trader's has a good range free one) chicken broth to a medium sized pot. Add 3 celery stalks sliced, 2 sliced carrots, 2 zucchini halved and sliced, 1/2 yellow onion, 1/2 cup parsnip chopped, 1 1/2 cups pre-cooked chicken cut into pieces, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning to taste. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low to simmer. I figure each cup is about 1 block of carbs and protein. You will need to add fat to balance.

Omega 3's

Fish oil is the only supplement that I take. I have always believed that if you eat good food you should not need to supplement. I know that I do not eat enough fish and seafood throughout the week, so I am trying to do better! Grilled prawns are a new favorite!
5-6 med sized prawns (3 blocks protein)
2 cups mixed green salad (2 blocks carbs/ 3 blocks fat)
1 1/2 cups sauteed zucchini with onions (1 block carbs)
Post thoughts to comments.

White Bean Soup

This is a really easy, hearty soup that is good with either chicken or sausage. To make: in a large pot heat 2 tsp olive oil over medium heat. Add meat of your choice and saute for about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup chopped onion, 3/4 cup chopped celery, 3/4 cup chopped carrot, and 2 cloves garlic. Saute for about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup water, 2 can cannellini beans, 2 bay leaves and 1 can (15 oz) chicken broth. Bring soup to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. This is about 1 block per cup if you measure out your protein. Post thoughts to comments.

Santa Maria Tri-tip Salad

The Santa Maria rub on the tri-tip gives this salad a lot of extra flavor!
3-4 cups ruby red lettuce (1 block carbs)
1/4 cup kidney beans ( 1 block carbs)
1 oz feta cheese (2 blocks fat)
3 oz tri-tip (3 blocks protein)
olive oil dressing (2 blocks fat)
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How's Your Sleep????

If you are reading this blog then you are most likely in the small percentage of Americans that watches what they eat, and exercises on a regular basis. We spend a lot of time learning about nutrition and pushing our bodies to new limits. However, there is one piece that is still missing for many people...and that is adequate amounts of sleep! The Zone is centered around controlling and maintaining insulin levels in the body. However, lack of sleep can impair the bodies sensitivity to insulin which can lead to:

1. Abdominal Adiposity= belly fat

2. High circulating blood glucose

3. High blood fats- (triglycerides)

4. High blood pressure (hypertension)

Are you getting enough???? Post thoughts to comments.

Grilled Chicken with Sweet Potato

I used a teriyaki marinade for this chicken, so if you are going "gluten free" you will need to change to a different marinade or rub.
3 oz grilled chicken (3 blocks protein)
2 cups broccoli /cauliflower (1 block carbs)
1/2 sweet potato with olive oil and salt/pepper (2 blocks carbs/ 1 block fat)
Handful of cashews (2 blocks fat)
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Skirt Steak and Veggies

I love grilling skirt steak because it cooks so quickly and is easy to either marinade or season with a rub.
3 oz skirt steak (3 blocks protein)
2 cups spinach salad with apples, pecans and raspberry vinaigrette ( 2 blocks carbs2 block fat)
2 cups broccoli slaw with snow peas (1 block carbs)
Post thoughts to comments.