Spicy Beef Lettuce Wraps

I am a huge fan of P.F. Changs. When I found this recipe, I was so excited! It tastes almost exactly like their spicy beef lettuce wraps. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

1 pound lean ground beef

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon hot water

1/2 teaspoon honey

1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 can bean sprouts, drained

3 stalks green onion, chopped

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 head of lettuce (iceberg, butter, your choice really)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large skillet, saute ground beef and onions until meat is almost cooked through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add garlic and ground ginger and continue cooking meat until no longer pink.

2. In a small bowl, mix together sesame oil, hot water, honey, and sriracha sauce. Pour over the beef (with the heat still on medium) mixture and stir - then add in the bean sprouts.

3. Remove skillet from heat. Add in green onions, cilantro, and lime juice. Divide the mixture between cleaned lettuce leaves and enjoy! 

Asian Beef & Broccoli

I absolutely love Asian food. Chinese, Japanese, Thai... they all make me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Here I have taken a popular takeout dish which can be full of nasty junk, and made it healthier : )

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons cornstarch (divided)

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons water

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 pound any cut of beef (we used skirt steak)

2 tablespoons canola oil

4 cups your choice of veggies (we used broccoli, sliced carrots & mushrooms)

1 small onion, sliced into wedges

1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground ginger

cooked brown rice

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, 2 tablespoons of water, and garlic powder in a bowl. 

2. Chop the beef into bite sized portion. Toss it in the cornstarch mixture. 

3. Heat a large skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of canola oil and stir fry beef until it reaches your desired doneness. Remove the beef from heat and keep warm in another bowl. 

4. Add the other 1 tablespoon of canola oil to the pan. Add your veggies and stir fry for about 10 minutes, or until they reach your preferred doneness. 

5. Return the beef to the pan. 

6. Combine brown sugar, soy sauce, ground ginger, 1/2 cup of water, and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in a bowl. Mix thoroughly and add into the skillet. Cover and cook for two minutes. 

7. Serve over cooked brown rice. 

FREEZING TIPS

Do not freeze the rice mixed in with the broccoli beef mixture. Just freeze the broccoli beef mixture alone. When you want to eat it, just make a batch of instant brown rice. 

Scrumdiddlyumptious Granola Bars

Granola bars are an excellent on the go snack. Unfortunately, they tend to be expensive and packed full of junk we don't need. My solution: make homemade granola bars!

Now, I do need to preface this recipe by saying that they did not pack well into bars. They crumbled when I tried to cut them. I think it was because I did not pack them firmly enough before baking. So, my next post about granola bars will be about my second attempt to get them into actual bars! Even though they crumbled, they are absolutely delicious! I made a huge batch and they are already almost gone. The possibilities are endless - you could add dried fruit, coconut, cinnamon, etc. Here I present to you: Scrumdiddlyumptious peanut butter chocolate chip granola bars!

INGREDIENTS

2 cups crispy rice cereal

2.5 cups quick cooking plain oatmeal

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup natural no sugar added peanut butter

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 tablespoons miniature dark chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees F.

2. Combine the oatmeal and crispy rice in a large bowl. 

3. In a small saucepan, combine the butter, honey, and peanut butter. Heat over medium-low heat until it becomes a smooth mixture. Stir in the vanilla.

4. Add the liquid mixture to the oatmeal and crispy rice. Gently stir until well mixed. 

5. Grease or spray a 9x13 inch pan. Add granola bar mixture. Press down into pan with wax paper firmly (I think this is where I messed up - I didn't press down well enough). Lift up wax paper, and add the chocolate chips. Press down firmly again to make sure the chocolate chips are pressed in. 

6. Bake at 200 degrees for 25 minutes. Here you have two options: A) shut the oven off, leave the granola bars in the warm oven for 2 hours. Then slice and store. OR B) remove from oven, transfer to fridge for about 30 minutes. Once they are hardened, cut and store. 

I store these in the fridge in a tupperware container to ensure freshness :) 

Stuffed Bell Peppers

I absolutely love stuffed bell peppers! This is my "healthified" version of what can be a very greasy and fattening meal. If you are not a big fan of green bell peppers, try the red or yellow ones. They have a much more mild taste : ) 

INGREDIENTS

1 pound lean ground beef or turkey

2 tablespoons olive oil

8 large bell peppers 

1/2 cup chopped onions

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 cups cooked brown rice

2 zucchini or regular squash, chopped

1 can diced tomatoes with the juice

1 small can of green chiles

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

salt and pepper to taste

shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Take a large pot of water and bring to a boil. While the water is heating up, cut the tops off of the bell peppers and remove all of the seeds. Blanch the peppers in the boiling water for about 2 minutes, then immerse into cold water. This ensures that your peppers are not too crispy and undercooked!

2. Divide the peppers into a large 13x9 pan or two smaller ones. Set aside. 

3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil. Add the ground meat, onions and garlic, and cook until meat is no longer pink. 

4. Add the squash, rice, tomatoes, green chiles, and all spices. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for about 8-10 minutes. 

5. Stuff each pepper with the mixture. Top each pepper with a small amount of shredded cheese. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until peppers are tender and cheese is bubbly. 

FREEZING TIPS

**If you are freezing, skip the baking. Freeze the peppers after stuffing them. When it comes time for you to eat them, just take out of the freezer. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 -40 minutes or until they are heated all the way through.

Whole wheat english muffin pizzas!

This is a very exciting recipe... whole wheat english muffin pizzas! They are a much healthier alternative to ordering pizza, which can be full of tons of processed nonsense. They also are much more cost friendly than frozen pizzas from the store. Make them at home for you and your family, save some money, and have a healthier meal! You can change the toppings from this recipe to suit your taste.

INGREDIENTS

Whole wheat english muffins

Pasta sauce

shredded mozzarella cheese

sliced mushrooms

sliced pepperoni

pineapple chunks, sliced (in juice, not syrup)

DIRECTIONS

1. Break each english muffin in half. Lay them out on a cookie sheet.

2. Put a few spoonfuls of sauce on each muffin, followed by your choice of toppings, and the cheese on top. 

3. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees until cheese is melted, about 15 minutes.

FREEZING TIPS

**Make just as directed above, except do not cook before freezing. Take the muffins on the cookie sheet and put the entire cookie sheet in the freezer. Flash freeze for about 20 minutes. Take out of the freezer, then individually wrap each muffin tightly in aluminum foil, followed by a layer of plastic wrap. When you want to eat them, just take them out of the freezer the same way you would do a regular frozen pizza. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and the middle is hot. 

Homemade Laundry Powder

I am all about pinching pennies whenever possible. Almost a year ago, I started making homemade laundry soap. The stuff from the store is just way too expensive! Especially with Justin having so many dirty clothes from being a personal trainer, I had to find a way to wash clothes for less cost. Here, I present to you - my homemade laundry powder! Just so you know, it is safe for HE machines, because it produces very low suds. I also love this laundry powder because it has no scent. It leaves your clothes smelling like, well, nothing. I am very sensitive to strong smells and also have sensitive skin, so this is a great choice for Justin and I. If you want a bit of smelly goodness on your clothes, just add one tablespoon of essential oil to the mix (try lavender!).

All you need:

1 bar fels naptha soap

1 cup borax

1 cup washing soda

1 tsp essential oil, if a scent is desired

(I always double this batch to make more at once!)

Directions: 

Using a cheese grater with the large holes, grate the bar of feels naptha. Combine the grated soap with the other ingredients into a blender or food processor. Blend until it becomes a fine powder. 

When washing the clothes, I use a leftover scoop from my Advocare Spark canisters. However, you can just use about 2 tablespoons per load. I drop the soap in, then start the water, and then load the clothes in. 

Fiesta Chicken & Rice

Ah, the end of another glorious cooking afternoon! Here is one of the delicious meals we made today to freeze for later in the week: Fiesta Chicken and Rice. Justin's eyes got wide when he tasted it and said "Not Fair!" Apparently it's too tasty for his own good. In any case, here is how you do it:

INGREDIENTS

1 pound chicken, cut into small pieces

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 can diced tomatoes

1 small 7 oz jar of green salsa (salsa verde)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup chicken broth

1 cup cooked brown rice

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until almost fully cooked. 

2. Add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to a simmer for about ten minutes. 

FREEZING TIPS

*Completely cool before freezing

*When you want to eat it, take out of the freezer the night before and put into the fridge. Once it is mostly defrosted, just heat in the oven or a skillet.