Fresh.

Isn’t that what each year brings us? The opportunity to put the past behind us. To begin anew. A fresh perspective. A fresh start. A chance to commit to a better lifestyle, more mindfulness, thoughtful and impactful decisions.

My goal is to hydrate more and to eat a bit cleaner. Not a bad way to look forward to the possibility of a great year.

Beauty Shot:

Beef Stir fry with Mushrooms and Snap Peas.

Ingredients:

Note: this is a two step process, marinate the meat for at least 4 hours, then create a sauce to pour over the stir fry.

1 lb Beef Flank Steak cut into strips (Note: I used venison fingers. Both are tasty!)

1/2 lb sliced Mushrooms

2 cups whole Snap Peas ( I like a lot of snap peas so I cook 3 cups)

1 tsp of Ginger Paste, divided into 1/2 tsp’s

6 T Olive Oil

1 T Sesame Oil

6 Heaping T Minced Garlic, divided into 2 T and 4 T

1 T Worcestershire Sauce

3/4 Cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce, divided into 1/2 cup and 1/4 cup

7 T Brown Sugar, divided into 5 T and 2 T

2 tsp Rice Vinegar

4 Cups cooked Brown Rice

After the marinade process, this comes together very quickly. Could marinade the meat in the morning, then make a 15 minute dinner when you get home.

Marinade:

Mix 2 T of the olive oil, 1 T of sesame oil, 2 T of minced garlic, 1/4 c of soy sauce, 1/2 tsp of ginger paste, 1 T Worcestershire, 2 T of brown sugar into a bowl or Ziploc gallon bag. Mix well. Add beef and cover in bowl or, add to bag and squish around a bit. Push air out and close bag. Place into refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

Sauce:

Mix 1/2 cup of soy sauce, 5 T of brown sugar, 6 T minced garlic, 1/2 tsp ginger paste, 2 tsp rice vinegar. Stir to combine well. Set aside.

Putting it Together:

Heat cast iron or heavy duty pan to medium high heat. Put 4 T olive oil into pan. When shimmering, add in sliced mushrooms. Cook till browned the way you like them and water has evaporated. Remove from heat into bowl.

Add in whole snap peas. I like mine seared with a few brown spots. They will cook quickly- like 3 minutes with stirring. They should be crunchy so don’t over cook. Remove from pan and place in bowl.

Remove the steak from marinade. Brown the sliced steak. You may have to work in batches- I did. And you don’t want to crowd the pan or meat will steam, not brown.

Once meat is browned, add the vegetables back in the pan with the meat. Pour the sauce over and heat through.

Serve the meat/vegetable mix over the rice. Spoon additional sauce over as necessary.

Optional garnish: if you choose, can add sliced green onions over the top.

Terri