Beef and Broccoli with Brown Rice

Try using tamari soy sauce in this dish. Compared to regular soy sauce, it’s made with less or no wheat and tends to be smoother, more complex, and less salty. You’ll find it in the Asian section of large supermarkets.

PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES / TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR 20 MINUTES / SERVINGS: 4











Ingredients
1 cup brown rice
1⁄3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch
8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced (about 1½ cups)
2 teaspoons canola oil
1¼ pounds sirloin tip steak, top sirloin, or top round, thinly sliced
1 large head broccoli (about 2¼ pounds), trimmed, florets cut into bite-size pieces
1 large orange bell pepper, sliced (about 1¼ cups)
1 tablespoon peeled, chopped fresh ginger (1″ piece)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted

1 BRING 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan on high heat. Stir in the rice, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid is evaporated, about 50 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand 10 minutes.

2 WHISK the soy sauce, vinegar, honey, sesame oil, cornstarch, and 3 tablespoons water together in a small bowl. Set aside.

3 COAT a large skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Add the canola oil to the skillet and raise the heat to medium high. Add the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and just cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Add to the mushrooms.

4 ADD the broccoli and bell pepper to the skillet and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add 2⁄3 cup water and simmer until evaporated, about 2 minutes. (If the skillet is too small to fit all the vegetables at once, cook in two batches, using 1⁄3 cup water per batch. Return all vegetables to the skillet before proceeding.) Add the ginger and garlic and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the soy sauce mixture and simmer until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the beef and mushrooms and cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Spoon over the rice, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and serve.

NUTRITION (per serving: 3⁄4 cup rice and 13⁄4 cups beef mixture) 554 calories, 40 g protein, 56 g carbs, 19 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 629 mg sodium

 

Creamy Broccoli-Pea Soup with Bacon and Cheddar

Cooked broccoli is quite mild in flavor, so we punched things up with sweet frozen peas and added potatoes for a creamy texture. Topped with bacon, Cheddar, sour cream, and chives, it’s like eating a veggie-stuffed baked potato in soup form. Pair any leftovers with half a sandwich for a filling, nutrient-packed lunch.

PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES / TOTAL TIME: 50 MINUTES / SERVES: 4








Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped (about 1¼ cups)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1⁄8 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
2 pounds broccoli, trimmed, florets chopped
1 small Russet potato, peeled and chopped (about 1½ cups)
2 cups frozen peas
3 strips lower-sodium bacon, halved crosswise
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
4 tablespoons reduced-fat (light) sour cream
2 ounces reduced-fat Cheddar, grated (about ½ cup)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

1 HEAT the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven on medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add 5 cups water, raise the heat to high, cover, and bring to a boil.

2 ADD the broccoli and potato and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, until the vegetables are very tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the peas and simmer until heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Working in batches, transfer the soup to a blender (or use an immersion blender) and puree until smooth (be careful when blending hot liquids). Return the soup to the pot.

3 COOK the bacon in a large skillet on medium heat until browned and crisp, turning once, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate and press with more paper towels to drain. Crumble when cool enough to handle and set aside.

4 REHEAT the soup on medium-low heat. Stir in the vinegar and season with ½ teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Ladle into 4 bowls and top evenly with the sour cream, cheese, reserved bacon, and chives.

NUTRITION (per serving: 1½ cups) 279 calories, 16 g protein, 35 g carbs, 11 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 611 mg sodium

BROCCOLI BACON FRITTATA

Ingredients

8 slices of thick-cut bacon, diced

1 bunch of broccoli, cut into small florets

Salt and pepper

12 eggs

½ cup (125 mL) of milk

2 cups (500 mL) of shredded

Cheddar cheese

 

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Turn on your convection fan if you have one.

Toss the bacon into a large, heavy ovenproof nonstick skillet. Add 1 cup (250 mL) of water (this helps the bacon cook evenly). Set the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring often, until the water is evaporated and the bacon is crisp, 10 minutes or so.

Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, leaving some or all of the delicious fat behind. Reduce the heat to medium and add the broccoli in a single layer. Season it lightly with salt and pepper and add ½ cup (125 mL) of water. Bring to a steady simmer, gently stirring and loosening flavors from the bottom of the pan. Cover and continue cooking until the broccoli is just tender, a minute or two more. Remove the lid and pour off any remaining water.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, cheese and ¼ teaspoon (1 mL) of salt. Pour over the broccoli. Add the bacon. Stir gently as large curds form, until about half the mixture is set, 2 or 3 minutes. Stop stirring so the bottom will brown and form a crispy crust, just a minute or so longer. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the top is lightly browned and the frittata is firm, about 15 minutes. Carefully invert onto a festive plate. Divide, serve and share!