Healthy Recipe Friday!

I have SO many favourite recipes that really make our dinner time a lot less boring than it might have become as we live the low-cal lifestyle so on the advice of Pat, I thought I would take a day a week and share one with you! Some of them I share might be super easy (like the one I'm posting here) and some are more complicated, it will depend on which book or site I got it from.

2 of my favourite cookbooks are "Now Eat This" by Rocco Dispirito and "Eat Shrink and Be Merry" by the Podleski sisters. Since Rocco is a chef, his recipes tend to be a little more involved with a few more steps and exotic ingredients wheras the Podleski sisters tend to create recipes for everyday living with everyday ingredients. I've cooked my way through many of the recipes from both books and Pat and I have come across quite a few that make regular rounds to our table!

Remember your portion sizing, each recipe will make a certain serving amount so if you're only cooking for 2 like me and Pat, remember to still divide your meal properly and refrigerate or freeze the leftovers for delicious lunches! Cooking for yourself is rewarding, healthy and economical if you do it right :)

Plan your meals for the week and shop accordingly. Try to buy ingredients that will be good for many recipes. For instance, this recipe calls for basil, so pick another meal that week to have basil in it to make sure you don't waste any! Easy peasey!

There are my tips! Let's get to the good stuff. This is a super quick and easy mid-week meal, prep time and cook time is short and so is the ingredient list so this is a recipe that it's good to keep the staple ingredients on hand for those days when you can't think of anything else to make. This one is by FAR one of my all-time favourites!

Wok This Way (from Eat Shrink and Be Merry)
Asian beef stir-fry with basil and red bell pepper

1lb sirloin steak, trimmed of fat, thinly sliced (I recommend buying a cheaper cut of meat, like the fast fry variety, the sirloin really doesn't make a difference so save yourself some money)
3 tbsp asian fish sauce
2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp grated gingerroot (a easy tip about gingerroot, buy it once, peel it, and freeze what you don't use. It freezes well and when you need it for another recipe just take it out of the freezer and grate it)
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbsp peanut oil or canola oil
1 large bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
1 medium red onion, sliced
Lots of fresh basil leaves (approx 20)

• Place steak slices in a shallow bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, gingerrot, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes. Pour over steak. Marinate at room temp for about 30 minutes.
• Heat oil in a large non-stick wok over medium-high heat. Remove steak from marinade and shake off excess. Reserve marinade. Cook steak in hot oil just until cooked through, stirring constantly. Remove steak from wok and set aside. Add red pepper and onion to wok, cook and stir for about 5 mins until vegetables are tender. Return beef to wok and add basil and reserved marinade. Cook 1 minute until basil is wilted and beef is hot.

I like to serve it with 1/2 cup basmati or jasmine rice for a full meal. It's filling and delicious!

Serves 4
Calories without rice: 258/serving        Calories with rice: 368/serving