Healthy Habits 365

Beef and Green Bean Stir-Fry!

Ingredients:
Stir-Fry Mixture

-1 ½ pounds flank or sirloin steak
-3 tablespoons cornstarch divided
-1 pound green beans trimmed (frozen is fine; if possible, at least partially thaw before cooking)
-5-7 green onions about 1 small bunch, chopped (reserve the green ends for a flavorful garnish)
-1 red orange, or yellow bell pepper, sliced
-3 cloves garlic minced
-1 teaspoon ginger fresh, minced
Sauce:
-½ cup pear juice look for it near the baby food or apple juice
-½ cup soy sauce
-⅓ cup brown sugar
-1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
-1 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions:

Whisk together the sauce ingredients and set aside. Set aside 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of pear juice as well.
Slice the steak into ¼" slices (or slightly thinner if you prefer). Sprinkle them lightly with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and toss to coat the steak.
In a large skillet, heat 1-2 tablespoons oil (one with a high smoke point like grapeseed, peanut, or canola oil) over medium-high heat. Add the steak in a single layer that covers the whole pan and cook 3-5 minutes or until the steak is cooked through. Move the steak off to the side of the pan (if it's very large) or transfer it to a plate while you cook the veggies so the meat doesn't "boil".
Add the green beans and cook for 2-3 minutes or until they start to become tender-crisp. Add the chopped white ends of the green onions and the bell pepper and cook 1-2 minutes more. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant. Add the steak back to the pan and cook until the steak is heated through.
Turn the heat to high and add the sauce ingredients and bring to a boil. While the sauce is heating, whisk together the reserved cornstarch and pear juice. When the sauce is boiling, add the cornstarch mixture and cook about 1 minute or until the sauce is clear and thickened. Remove from heat and serve immediately over hot rice.

French Dip Sandwiches! 😁

Ingredients:

Beef roast – For best results, use a chuck roast. You could also use top or bottom round. The one roast to stay away from is eye of round; it is dry and flavorless.

Onion soup mix – Regular or beefy onion flavor will work.

Beef broth – You’ll notice the recipe calls for 4 cups of beef broth, which is 1 32-ounce box. 2 cans of beef broth will also work, even though they don’t equal a full 4 cups.

Rolls or bread – How you serve these is totally up to personal preference. Crusty bakery rolls, baguette thirds, or ciabatta rolls all work great.

Cheese – Take your pick when it comes to cheese! I like Swiss, provolone, or mozzarella, shredded or sliced.

Huli-Huli-Chicken! 👅

Huli Huli Chicken is a Hawaiian-inspired BBQ Chicken. It’s sweet and savory and smoky and ABSOLUTELY delicious! ☺️☺️

Ingredients:

Chicken Thighs – You’ll want to use boneless skinless chicken thighs.

Brown Sugar – Light or dark brown sugar will work here.

Ketchup – Any ketchup will do. This adds both flavor and viscosity to the marinade.

Soy Sauce – You can use regular or light soy sauce. I especially like the flavor of Aloha brand. If you’d like to make this gluten free, coconut aminos are a great substitution for soy sauce.

Pineapple Juice – You can use the juice from canned pineapple, juice made from frozen concentrate, or fresh pineapple juice if you have it.

Apple Cider Vinegar – Apple cider vinegar both acidifies and provides flavor to the marinade.

Ginger – I like to use fresh ginger. I always keep a piece or two in my freezer to pull out for recipes like this. You could also substitute 1/2 teaspoon of dry ginger if needed.

Garlic – Use fresh garlic for the best flavor.

Spicy Grilled Shrimp!

Ingredients:

⅓ cup olive oil

¼ cup sesame oil

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons hot sauce

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon ketchup

1 tablespoon Asian chile paste

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined

12 wooden skewers, soaked in water

Garlic-Brown Sugar Chicken Thighs!

Ingredients:

8 (5 ounce) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

salt and ground black pepper to taste

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

4 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon honey

½ teaspoon dried oregano

¼ teaspoon dried thyme

¼ teaspoon dried basil

The Best Chicken Pot Pie!

Ingredients:

⅓ cup butter

⅓ cup chopped onion

⅓ cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 ¾ cups chicken broth

⅔ cup milk

2 cups chopped cooked chicken

1 (14.5 ounce) can peas and carrots

½ (15 ounce) can whole new potatoes, drained

1 (14.1 ounce) package double-crust pie pastry, thawed

Apple Cranberry Pecan Salad! YUM! 😄

Tips and Tricks for success:

-Prep ahead of time. Save time by making the dressing up to 1 week in advance, and prepping and dicing the vegetables 1-2 days prior and storing them in airtight containers in the fridge.
-Cut in uniform size. Cut all of the salad ingredients in similar size pieces for a consistent bite.
-Use extra virgin olive oil. High quality extra virgin olive oil is ideal for salad dressings.
-Massage the kale. Massaging the kale softens the leaves, making them more tender and flavorful.
-Store the candied pecans. The candied pecans can be made in advance and stored at room temperature or the freezer to extend shelf life even further.

Ingredients:

-3 slices bacon, diced
-¼ cup apple cider vinegar
-1 medium shallot, diced
-1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
-⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
-1 tablespoon honey
-Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
-1 large bunch kale, stems removed and leaves shredded
-1 medium apple, diced
-½ cup sliced celery
-½ cup dried sweetened cranberries
-½ cup crumbled feta cheese
for the candied pecans

-1 large egg white
-⅓ cup sugar
-¾ teaspoon kosher salt
-½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
-⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
-2 cups pecan halves

Chicken Fried Rice!

Ingredients:

-⅓ cup oyster sauce
-2 tablespoons rice vinegar
-¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
-1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
-Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
-2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
-1 small onion, diced
-1 (3.5-ounce) package shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and choppped
-2 medium carrots, diced
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
-½ cup frozen green peas
-1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
-4 cups leftover white or brown rice
-3 large eggs, beaten
-2 green onions, thinly sliced
-2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

Baked Blueberry Lemon French Toast☺️

Ingredients:

-1 (12-count) package KING’S HAWAIIAN Original Hawaiian Sweet --Dinner Rolls, cubed
-1 cup blueberries
-1 ½ cups milk
-3 large eggs
-2 tablespoons maple syrup, or more, to taste
-1 tablespoon lemon zest
-1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
-1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
-2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
-For the crumb topping
-¼ cup all-purpose flour
-¼ cup brown sugar, packed
-½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
-¼ cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes