Sesame Beef Stir-Fry

Hey everyone! I wanted to share this Sesame Beef Stir-Fry recipe because it is so simple to prepare. If you grate the carrot and Napa cabbage a day or two before you make the meal, it is very simple to throw together. This meal is also fairly cheap for the variety that it provides, and it's very delicious.

Taste: Even though this dish is limited on spices and sauces, it has a very bold and delicious flavor. I love sesame oil, and this recipe has the perfect balance, not overpowering, but definitely not bland.  

Ease of Preparation: This recipe takes a little time, but if you shred the carrot and cabbage a few days before, you really just have to add everything to a frying pan! The thing that takes the most time in this recipe is cooking the rice, and you can always put the rice on in advanced, or even used left over cooked rice. This recipe is very versatile!

Specific Nutritional Value: This recipe is very high in nutrients, and low in carbohydrates and sugar, but it is also high in fat. The variety of vitamins and nutrients that you receive from this recipe are outstanding. I was able to figure out the daily nutritional value of one serving, it is as follows: 

Calories: 519    Calories from Fat: 232

Total Fat: 40%

Saturated Fat: 33%

Cholesterol: 26%

Carbohydrates: 14.5%

Protein: 28.38%

Dietary Fiber: 16.5%

Sodium: 26%

Iron: 22%

Calcium: 6.5%

Vitamin A: 73%

Vitamin C: 60%

Potassium: 617 mg

Fats and Sugars

The really neat thing about this recipe is that most of the fat comes from the beef alone. When I made this I used ground beef that was 85% lean and 15% fat. I live in a small town (Dugway, Utah), and they often do not have the best selection of meats. I have made this recipe before using ground turkey, and that will make the fat content (especially the bad cholesterol) drop substantially, also reducing the risks of heart disease! 

None of the nutritional labels stated that there was any sugar! This is a very good recipe if you have too much sugar in your diet. 

Vitamins and Minerals 

This recipe contains a decent amount of Iron. We have all heard of iron deficiency, mainly because it is the most common nutrient deficiency worldwide. Women also require more of this nutrient than men do, which is a bonus for me while eating this meal. Iron is very important for brain functions, and different parts of the blood. 

The carrot found in this recipe is full of vitamin A. Though I understand that many vitamins and nutrients can be cooked out of a food, after the carrots are added, they only cook for a couple of minutes. Vitamin A is very important for our eyes, and it  helps us to maintain good vision. This vitamin also aids in things such as Growth, development, infection fighting and reproduction.

The cabbage in this recipe is a very good source of folate, copper, and maganese. Though this recipe is diverse in its minerals and vitamins, with little surprise, it is a bit high on the amount of sodium it contains. In my recipe I used regular soy sauce, but there is also the option of using lite soy sauce, which i'm sure would be just as good, but my grocer did not have any of the lite soy sauce. Using the lite soy sauce would decrease the chances of developing hypertension. 

Overall I really enjoy this recipe. Though I could have used the ground turkey as a substitute along with the lite soy sauce, it is a very nutritious meal. The whole grain rice in this recipe is perfect, not only because it adds body to the recipe, but it provides you with much needed whole grains! If you are in a big hurry you can always use frozen broccoli and left over cooked rice, it really makes the recipe useful during the work/school week.

This recipe does not include any fruit or dairy. I really enjoy having a bowl of cereal in the mornings paired with a fruit smoothie. I just throw whatever fruit I have (including frozen mixed fruit) into the blender along with some ice and water; it turns out great every time. You could also snack on dried fruit throughout the day to get your fruit, just watch out for extra sugar.

Here is the Recipe: 

Servings: 2

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Sesame Beef Stir-Fry

1/2 cup uncooked brown rice

1/2 lb. lean ground beef 

1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

2 cloves garlic (i use the refrigerated bottle of minced garlic to make it easy)

1 carrot, shredded

1 cup broccoli

1 cup napa cabbge, shredded

1 Tbsp soy sauce (or lite soy)

Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

Directions

1) Prepare brown rice according to its package directions. 

*I own a rice cooker that includes a vegetable steamer. I always start the rice and broccoli very first,  that way I can just throw them in later. I very finely chop my broccoli when its finished cooking, but you can leave it whole if you prefer. 

2) While the rice is cooking in a medium skillet (or wok), brown the ground beef over medium heat until no longer pink. Remove the beef from the skillet, drain and set aside. 

3) Heat sesame oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, stir for 1-2 minutes. Add the cabbage and shredded carrot; stir for 2 minutes. Add rice, broccoli and soy sauce; stir 1-2 more minutes. 

4) Return the ground beef to the skillet with the rice and vegetable mixture and season with red pepper flakes, to taste. Stir until ingredients are well combined and heated through, another 1-2 minutes. 

5) Divide the recipe into 2 portions, and enjoy! 

Fisher, A.