Broccoli Salad for the err..

Twice in as many weeks, I've been asked "Are you expecting?"

Last night it was my neighbor.

Yes, I do have cravings, but no, I'm not having a baby. Thank you for asking.

Women love that question. #sarcasm

I actually wasn't offended, though. I wasn't upset when the cashier at the grocery store asked me last week either. There was so much excitement in her voice. "Are you having a baby?!"

I was almost sorry to disappoint her with, "No, I just need to lose some weight."

My weight does like to show up in my midsection and even when I'm more fit, it hangs on right there, around my waist like a warm hug.Those are the last pounds to say goodbye. I credit genetics and my love of sweets. I've made peace with my belly.

In the meantime, I have been craving broccoli salad. I love the stuff. And when I really was pregnant years ago, I would frequent Sweet Tomatoes just to eat their version.

Here is my own. It's lighter since it doesn't have mayo like most broccoli salads. But it's full of flavors and texture like sweet and sour, smoke and crunch.

Shrimp Stir Fry

It's spring now. Isn't that exciting?! 

Feels good, the weather is getting nicer and the sun lingers in the sky a little bit longer each day.

I don't mind it one bit. 

And since I like to be outside more during this time of year (even if I'm just walking through the mall parking lot), my meals are quick fixes, or things I can make in a short, lil itty bit of time.

This stir fry is one of those things. 

I didn't even bother to make any rice. In and out, that's the goal. 

Ingredients

Broccoli

Carrots

Shrimp

Butter

Salt, Pepper, Garlic

1. Rinse off your produce, get the carrots peeled up too. 

2. Chop up the broccoli and carrot.

3. Heat a skillet, toss in a tablespoon of butter. =)

5. Season the shrimp in a separate bowl with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

6. Back in the skillet, when the butter is melted, saute the veggies until the color brightens, you don't want to cook them to mush, just heat them up and let the carrots get very slightly tender. It's good for these to maintain their bite!

7. Now toss in your shrimp. It'll only take 2-3 minutes for the shrimp to curl up and turn opaque. 

Ta da!

Spicy Beef and Broccoli

Those Chick-fil-A cows would really like it at my house we "eat mor chikin" than anything else. I don't fool with beef too much because it's a little too temperamental to be such a hearty protein. If you cook it too fast or too long, it turns all chewy.

The only techniques I've found to produce tender, palatable textures from beef are:

1. Buying the expensive cuts for about $12 to $19 a pound
2. Eating it rare, medium rare or medium well, because as soon as it's well done, it becomes too dry and chewy.
3. Cooking it slowly enough(stewing, roasting, braising)to break down the membranes that make it tough.

But occasionally my appetite starts chanting "Where's the beef? Can I get a steak? I'm Iron deficient!" So I wander over to the reddest section of the farmer's market just below the huge diagram of a cow that has all the cuts and body parts clearly labeled. Then, I make a decision about which of the richly hued pieces I'd like to take home.

Recently, I picked out some beef strips - the cuts that are best for stir frying or fajitas. I decided I'd do a spicy beef and broccoli stir fry meal.


Ingredients
1lb Beef Strips
2 Heads of Broccoli
Medium Onion
Mushrooms (optional)
Red Pepper Flakes
Salt and Pepper
Garlic Powder
1/2 cup Beef Broth (water will do also just be sure to taste as you go and season well)

1. Season beef with salt, pepper, garlic and red pepper flakes, let it rest until it's room temperature
2. Heat a skillet and toss onions and beef in to cook, once the meat browns, toss in mushrooms and liquid (either broth or water) and turn down to a simmer.
3. In about 20 minutes it will be tender, keep tasting/seasoning until the flavor is right.
4. Serve with rice.

Broccoli Trees

Children are so amusing. My 2-year-old makes me laugh on a daily basis. It's her genuine and uncensored remarks about the world that are so refreshing, true and downright funny. At the very least, her interpretations are cute.

For instance, she likes broccoli. When I roast it she picks it up with her fingers and chomps it down. 

Initially, I would chop hers down into pieces small enough for her load onto her tiny toddler utensils, then she noticed the pieces on my plate. 

So without asking she began to grab florets off my plate. "Mmmm, I like dat trees!"

"Mommy gimme dat trees," she says. 

I'm amused and would be content to let her continue calling them trees. They do resemble tiny oaks. But I must be responsible and correct her, even if I get a kick out of her honest assessment. So I tell her. "This is broccoli. Can you say broccoli?"

She nods and says "Mommy gimme dat broccoli trees!"

Ingredients

Fresh Broccoli Heads

Olive Oil

Salt 

Pepper

Additional Spices of your choice. 

1. Chop broccoli heads into bite-sized pieces

2. Toss with olive oil to coat

3. Add in seasonings

4. Spread out on baking sheet and bake in oven (or broil for crispier finish)