Take-Out Fake-Out Crispy Beef and Broccoli with Cauliflower Rice

Sundays used to be a day of Chinese buffet engorgement. It was a day to nurse hangovers. It was also the place I met my husband for our "first date". He will tell you it was "just lunch". But that lunch lasted 5 hours...soo...I say it was our 1st date. So Chinese food holds a small, special place in my heart.

However, since changing my eating habits, I have noticed more intensely how my body doesn't react too kindly with the buffet line these day. Luckily, I can make my own Chinese take out at home and make it much healthier! This is a super non-intimidating recipe that your whole family will love. Pst--we are going to sneak in lots of veggies!

Gather Up:

• 1 pound grass-fed steak (flank or skirt work fine!) and cut into thin strips
• 2 heads of fresh broccoli or one bag of frozen
• 1 head cauliflower
• Garlic powder
• Ginger powder
• sea salt
• pepper
• ghee, butter, or oil
• 1 cup coconut aminos
• 1/4 tsp fish sauce
• Juice of 2 limes
• tablespoon arrowroot powder

1. Chop cauliflower florets and add to a food processer. Pulse until the cauliflower resembles rice and set aside.
2. Heat pan to medium heat and melt 2 tablespoons of butter, ghee, or oil
3. Place beef in pan a few strips at a time. Do not overcrowd! We want to let them be for 3 minutes on each side to get them nice and crispy to get that nice take-out texture. You may need to do the beef in a couple batches. Once you add the beef to the pan, sprinkle with garlic powder, ginger, salt and pepper. Flip and repeat. Set crispy beef to the side.
4. Add in your broccoli and let it cook in all that browned seasoning and fat. Cook until tender yet crisp and remove to the plate with beef.
5. Reduce the heat to low and add coconut aminos, fish sauce, lime juice, and arrowroot to the pan. Be careful with fish sauce--it is very salty! Scrape up any remaining browned bit in the bottom of the pan. Let the mixture simmer until it thickens to coat the back of a spoon.
6. Meanwhile heat another pan over medium heat and add a tablespoon of butter, ghee, or oil. Add cauliflower rice and saute for approximately 5 minutes so your "rice" remains al dente.
7. Keep and eye on your sauce mixture. Once thick, add the beef and broccoli back to the pan and toss to coat and heat through.
8. Add "rice" to plate and top with beef and broccoli mixture! Sprinkle with red pepper flakes for good measure. 
9. Devour with someone you love!

Venison and Pork Apple Breakfast Sausage

Oh man, I am really sorry this post is coming up so late! Today is my birthday (whoo!) and I actually took the day off, so you would think that this would have gone up with my morning coffee. However, I went out with friends last night and lets just say that 29 year olds don't bounce back like 21 year olds. Damn. I had to go eat some BBQ ribs to get me back up and going!

Ok, on to the food...this sausage totally hits the spot! So, I used venison AND pork as you will see. I was given some venison and I am not usually one to enjoy the gamey taste, but I am good at masking it! Venison is such a lean meat that I am learning to love more. I am trying to get experimental with it. If you have favorite ways to use venison (steaks or ground) please post in the comments! And before I get the question...yes, you can make this with exclusively pork too :) 

Gather up:

• 1/2 lb pork sausage
• 1/2 lb ground venison
• 1/2 apple, diced
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 onion minced
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sage
• 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• butter, ghee, or coconut oil for pan

1. Add everything except the butter/ghee/coconut oil to a large bowl and mix really well. I just dive right in with my hands
2. Divide sausage into about 8 equal balls and flatten with your hands
3. Heat a cast iron skillet over low heat and add your cooking fat. Add patties and let cook until browned on both sides and cooked through. I let mine cook for about 6-8 minutes on each side. I don't wanna eat raw pork...mmmmkay? Cooking on low will let you cook them for longer without burning them!

If you follow my portion control system, you can use your red container to measure out your patty size! You may need to make 1 red into 2 patties though :) Once you figure that out I would roughly count this as: 1 red, 1 tsp. Technically pork sausage is not on the 21 Day Fix approved list, but once we know our bodies we can wiggle a little (if you need assistance with this, email me! brittanylerbakken@gmail.com)

Crockpot Spicy Pulled Pork

Yall--this. is. a. WINNER! My husband asks for it frequently, it accompanies me on many potlucks, and is just downright delicious right out of the crockpot or as leftovers.

Now, this is not a saucy pulled pork. It is all about the rub, baby. Mix up some spices, rub it on and let it sit. I like to add mine to a waffle for a little twist on a southern favorite. You can try this easy and healthy waffle or one that suits your dietary needs! Or tacos...oooo tacos! I can picture it with tortillas, pico, guacamole and lime wedges. Save me from myself.

Gather up:

• 1 large pork roast (also called pork butt). I typically grab about 2.5-3 lbs
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 minced garlic cloves
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp chili powder (ancho chili powder is fun too!)
• 1 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp paprika (I also like smoked paprika!)
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon (ooooh yea, we did that!)
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1 lemon
• 1 lime

1. Dump your diced onion in the bottom of your crock pot.
2. Slice your lemon and lime in half. Squeeze half of the lemon and half of the lime onto your onion. Save the other halves for a few minutes.
3. Mix all your spices together in a bowl and mix to combine.
4. Rub that spicy, delicious, mixture all over your pork shoulder. I add it all, even if it looks excessive.
5. Add the pork to your crockpot and rest it on top of the onion.
6. Squeeze the remaining lemon and lime halves on top of your pork.
7. Set your crockpot on low for 8-10 hours and wait for your house to smell UN-FREAKIN BELIEVABLE! 
8. After it is done cooking it should easily shred with 2 forks.
9. Impress your friends and devour.

If you follow my portion control system the pork by itself can be measured as 1 red!