Apricot Beef Stir Fry

I was at a friend’s house a few weeks ago waiting for our small group gathering to begin and picked up an appetizing cookbook from her side table.  After leafing through it I asked where she had gotten it because I wanted to get one.  The next time I saw her she had bought a copy for me.

I’m making an effort to have my family eat better and add more vegetables to our diet.  Since Chinese food is always a big hit in our house I thought this recipe would be a hit- and it was!  Because it uses frozen stir-fry vegetables it’s quick, too!

Recipe from Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook.

Ingredients

1 t cornstarch
1/4 c cold water
1/2 c apricot preserves
2 T reduced sodium soy souce
1/2 t minced garlic (though I used more as we like garlic!)
1/4 t salt
1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes
1 lb boneless beef sirloin steak, sliced thin
1 T canola oil
1 pkg (16 oz) frozen asparagus stir fry vegetable blend

Directions

In a small bowl whisk cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Stir in preserves, soy sauce, garlic, salt & red pepper flakes.  Set aside.

In a large skillet or wok stir fry beef in oil until no longer pink. Remove and keep warm.  In the same pan stir fry vegetables according to package directions.  Return beef to pan.  Stir apricot mixture and add to beef mixture.  Cook and stir until slightly thickened.  Serve over rice.

1 c of beef mixture is 309 calories (not including rice)

Disclosure: I am an Amazon.com affiliate so if you click on the link and buy the book I may make a tiny (tiny) bit of money.

What Comes to Your Mind When I Say “Disney”?

Princesses?  Toy Story?  Fairies?  Or maybe exciting rides, long lines and lots of kids?

What about food?  Turns out Walt Disney World has quite an array of restaurants- from 5 stars to Mickey bars.  And I’ll be there this weekend, eating my way through the “happiest place on Earth”.

I’ll be taking pictures and sending out notes all weekend. If you want to follow the journey in “real time” I have a few suggestions:

We’ll be using #DisneyMedia on Twitter; you’ll be able to follow all of us attending the event. (If you aren’t following me yet I’m @iatraveler.)

If you aren’t on Twitter (and don’t want to be) become a fan of the new Family Rambling Fan Page as I’ll post photos and quick notes there, too! Click the button below to become a fan!
Family Rambling: tips and destinations from a traveling family | Promote your Page too

You can bet I’ll be trying one of these:

An Opportunity for Foodies

I work with a company called Mom Select quite a bit and they asked me to share this opportunity with my Fab Food Friday readers.  I’m happy to share this opportunity because this is a product I have been buying for at least 10 years.  You don’t have to be a mom to be part of this opportunity!  Fill out the registration form here.

If you are selected Near East, the leading brand of couscous and specialty side dishes, will send you a party kit with some of the key components that you need to prepare a range of cuisines, including Italian, Indian and Middle Eastern.

The Near East In-Home Party Kit includes

· Delicious Near East couscous products to serve at the party

· Extra Near East products to send home with your guests

· Suggested party activities and agendas

· Mouth-watering 5-minute recipe cards from YouTube sensation, Chef Peter Bowen

· Coupons for free Near East products for you and your guests

· Near East trivets for you and your guests

· Important information about upcoming Near East promotions

And the fun doesn’t stop after your party is over! You and your guests will have opportunities to get more 5-minute recipe ideas and enter a sweepstakes for the chance to win fantastic prizes by visiting www.AroundtheWorldin5.com.

Visit the site to enter the Near East Around the World in 5 Minutes sweepstakes for a chance to win the grand prize-a Mediterranean Culinary Adventure Cruise! There is no purchase necessary to enter the sweepstakes, which ends August 31, 2010. See Official Rules at the website listed above for details. You’ll also find video tutorials from Chef Peter Bowen, creative meal short-cuts and more within this interactive online community.

To be a part of this delicious opportunity fill out the registration form.  Remember, you don’t have to be a mom to be part of this opportunity!

Chicken Fajitas

Fajitas are a relatively easy dish to make- if you want to fire up the grill.  So we rarely made them outside of the summer months.

Recently my sister in law began selling Pampered Chef products and I bought the Deep Covered Baker for its versatility.  Besides, who doesn’t love Pampered Chef?  Anyway…  I got the following recipe for chicken fajitas that can be made in the microwave in 15 minutes.  Including prep time you’ve got dinner in less than 30 minutes.  And it’s really good!

Ingredients:

2 medium onions
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 T Chipotle rub (or fajita seasoning)
1 pkg fajita tortillas
8 oz sour cream
8 oz block or shredded cheese

Directions:

Slice onions and peppers; place in bottom of deep covered baker. Sprinkle with 1 T chipotle rub.

Sprinkle remaining chipotle rub on both sides of chicken and place chicken breasts on top of vegetables.  Cover and microwave for 12-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, wrap tortillas in foil and put in oven to warm at 250° (or place on microwave safe plate with damp paper towels and heat for about a minute).

When the chicken is done remove peppers and onions to a separate bowl and chop the chicken- leave it in the broth.

Serve with sour cream, cheese and your favorite fajita toppings.

*Obviously you would use the same ingredients if you want to grill your fajitas.  The vegetables will take less time, or use indirect heat on them.  I really like a BBQ grill basket for veggies.

Smoothies & Fruit Pops

Spring marks the beginning of “smoothie season” in my house.  That’s the season when breakfast or a quick snack can be created in minutes with a blender, some fruit, yogurt and milk.  With only 3 ingredients I can whip up a healthy filling beverage.  To make fruit pops just pour the smoothie into popsicle containers and freeze.

Strawberry smoothies are most often served in my house.  They are pink, you see, and my girls are “girly”.  I just toss things is a blender, but if I had to guess on measurements I would say:

1/2 c low fat vanilla yogurt
1 c skim milk
2/3-3/4 c frozen strawberries (if I have a banana handy I’ll toss that in, too)

Blend until smooth, pour into glasses and serve.

To help me celebrate “smoothie season” Midwest Dairy is giving away the fabulous bundle pictured at the left; it includes a Cuisinart Smart Stick ® Hand Blender (valued at $55), a Dairy Makes Sense apron & pot holder, smoothie recipes, a cheese knife, a magnet and a grocery pad.

Personally I’m a firm believer in “milk does a body good” but many people don’t realize that it goes beyond calcium.  Here’s some info the Midwest Dairy Council sent me:

Research shows that many people don’t fully understand the whole story of the nutritional value found in dairy! It goes beyond just calcium for strong bones – each serving of dairy provides 8 other essential nutrients, including:

Vitamin D: Vitamin D (“The Sunshine Vitamin”) promotes calcium absorption and helps strengthen bones. Milk is one of the few dietary sources of vitamin D and just one 8 ounce glass provides 25% of your recommended daily value.

Protein: Protein builds and repairs muscle tissue while giving you a boost of energy! The protein in milk, cheese and yogurt builds and repairs muscle tissue and can help you feel full.

Potassium: Did you know that milk and yogurt contain as much potassium as a banana? Potassium regulates the body’s fluid balance and helps maintain normal blood pressure.

Vitamin B12: Milk and yogurt are also excellent sources of B12, which helps maintain healthy red blood cells and nerve tissue.

It’s amazing what a little milk can do!  For more information about dairy- including recipes and resources visit www.dairymakessense.com.

This contest has ended.

Want to win this fun giveaway?  Leave a comment telling me your favorite smoothie- and if you make it at home include the recipe!

Want more entries?

• For one extra entry subscribe to Iowa Geek. You can do this near the top right of the page. Leave a comment letting me know you did this.
• Blog this giveaway. Leave the link in the comments so I can verify.
• Tweet this giveaway.
• Link this giveaway on Facebook. Leave the individual link in the comments.

Disclosure:

This post is sponsored by Midwest Dairy.  I was not told what to write and all thoughts are my own.

Contest open to all US residents.  Make sure I can easily find an email to contact you; I will not search for one. Contest ends April 15 at 11:59pm. I will draw the winner April 16. The winner will be contacted via email and will have 3 days to respond. If I do not hear back from the winner within that time another winner will be drawn.

Next Page »