Foodie Friday: Asian Sesame Broccoli with Spicy Sriracha Peanut Sauce {Giveaway}

If you ask me, peanut butter goes with everything. Sweet, savory, salty, spicy. Let’s do it!

As part of the Peanut Butter & Co. Yum Squad, I was given the opportunity to create a recipe using their peanut butter and a mystery ingredient. That mystery ingredient just so happened to be a staple in my houseSriracha.

YumSquad-Banner-MysteryIngredient-Sriracha

Peanut sauce fits right in with our typical meals around here and I had a recipe on hand I’d been wanting to try. Adding in the sriracha was the right pop of flavor that I knew would be perfect.

Asian Sesame Broccoli with Spicy Sriracha Peanut Sauce

Serves 4 as a side dish
Adapted from Gimme Some Oven Asian Broccoli Salad with Peanut Sauce

Asian Sesame Broccoli with Spicy Sriracha Peanut Sauce | Barr & Table

Ingredients
– 1 large head of broccoli
– 1 cup shelled edamame
– 1/2 cup sliced green onion
– 1/2 cup peanuts; chopped
– 1/4 cup toasted unsweetened coconut flake
– Sesame seeds for garnish
– 1/4 cup Peanut Butter & Co. The Bee’s Knees
– 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
– 1 tbsp lite soy sauce
– 1/8 tsp toasted sesame oil
– 1-2 tbsp sriracha
– 2-3 tbsp hot water to thin the sauce

Directions
Boil a large pot of water, add the broccoli florets, and cook for about 30 seconds. Drain the broccoli and add the edamame, green onion, peanuts, and coconut flake.

For the spicy peanut sauce, mix the remaining ingredients together, except the sesame seeds. Pour half of the sauce over the broccoli and mix well. Drizzle the rest of the sauce over top of the broccoli and top with sesame seeds.

Feeling a little extra saucy? Drizzle some more sriracha on top! What could be bad?

Giveaway Time!

Click here to win a #MysteryIngredient package from Peanut Butter & Co!

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Food for Thought

What would you make with the mystery ingredient?

Foodie Friday: Protein Peanut Butter Cups with TastyWHEY

A few weeks ago I received an awesome shipment from Adaptogen. They must know me because I didn’t even choose my protein powder flavor and they sent me Chocolate Peanut Butter. How perfect!

I’m always on the lookout for a delicious protein powder that’s good, not only mixed in a smoothie, but simply mixed with water or almond milk too. The name, TastyWHEY, hinted that it would be meeting my requirements and I couldn’t wait to give it a try. Ironically enough, I had an afternoon workout planned that day, as opposed to my normal morning routine, so I scooped it into my new blender bottle immediately after with some coconut almond milk. It was so creamy and tasted like a peanut butter cup! It was nice and smooth too; there’s nothing worse than a gritty protein shake, am I right?

At 160 calories per scoop, this protein powder is a bit higher than what I normally use but the ingredients more than make up for it. TastyWHEY uses a proprietary combination of exceptionally high quality whey protein, along with MCT’s [want to learn more about MCT oil?], low glycemic index carbohydrates, and micronutrients that make the awesome taste that much better. Knowing that what I’m eating or drinking is made from high-quality ingredients has become so much more important to me in the past few years. There’s no doubt that the quality of ingredients has greatly impacted my health and the way I feel on a daily basis.

Back to the taste, though. I couldn’t help but make myself some peanut butter cups. It only seemed appropriate with the flavor I received!

Protein Peanut Butter Cups

Makes 3 Cups

Ingredients
– 1 tbsp coconut oil
– 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
– 1 tbsp Adaptogen TastyWHEY Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Powder
– 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder
– 1 1/2 tsp peanut butter; divided

Directions
In a small bowl, microwave the coconut oil and maple syrup for 15-20 seconds until liquid. Mix in the protein powder and cocoa powder until smooth. Spoon 1 tsp of the mixture into 3 mini cupcake tins and place in the freezer for 5 minutes until hard.

Once the chocolate mixture has hardened, spoon 1/2 tsp of peanut butter to the center of each cup and cover with the remainder of the chocolate mixture. Place the cups back in the freezer to set. Once set, carefully remove from the cupcake tin with a knife and devour. Or store in the freezer.. your choice 😉

Nutritional Information
Per cup
81 Calories / 6g Fat / 4g Carbs / 1g Fiber / 3g Sugar / 2g Protein

Need Some TastyWHEY?

Of course you do! Purchase your own tub o’ protein or connect with Adaptogen!

Adaptogen TastyWHEY – http://adaptogenscience.com/tasty-whey
Adaptogen on Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Adaptogen-Science/pages/default
Adaptogen on Instagram – http://instagram.com/adaptogenscience

Food for Thought

What’s your favorite way to use protein powder?

This post is sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of Adaptogen Science.

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Foodie Friday: Citrus Capone SMASH

It’s Friday! We made it! I think you deserve a beverage, yes? Yes. Just so happens I have a delicious [and strong!] one up my sleeve.

Tomorrow, Al Capone turns 116 [that old fart!] and Templeton Rye wanted to celebrate it the right way. They kindly sent me a bottle of their delicious spirit and a recipe for disaster a tasty drink. I decided to brew one up of my own, too so you get a 2-for-1 special today!

Templeton Rye

When prohibition outlawed the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages in 1920, many enterprising residents of tiny Templeton, Iowa, population 350, came together to create an American classic known as Templeton Rye Whiskey, or “The Good Stuff” to those in the know.

Over the course of its storied history, Templeton Rye became Al Capone’s whiskey of choice, quickly finding its way to the center of his bootlegging empire. Speakeasies in Chicago, New York and as far west as San Francisco poured Templeton Rye as the “Best Whiskey in the House”.  Later legends suggest that a few bottles even found their way inside the walls of Alcatraz to the cell of prisoner AZ-85.

Available legally for the first time, the infamous rye whiskey returns. Aged in charred new oak barrels and based on the Prohibition Era Kerkhoff recipe, Templeton Rye provides a smooth finish and a clean getaway.

First up, I’m sharing The Capone; this is the drink created by Templeton Rye for Al’s [we’re on a first name basis over here] big birthday bash!

The Capone

Templeton Rye The Capone

Ingredients
– 3 oz. Templeton Rye Whiskey
– 1 oz. Grand Marnier
– Splash of Champagne
– Dash of bitters

In case that’s not enough to get your weekend off to a great start, my Citrus Capone SMASH will knock you off your feet. In a good way!

Citrus Capone

Makes 1 serving
Citrus Capone Smash | Barr & Table

Ingredients
– 2 oz. Templeton Rye
– 1 oz. fresh orange juice
– 1/4 oz. maple syrup
– A few dashes of bitters
– about 2 oz. sparkling water [enough to fill the glass]

Directions
Mix all of your ingredients together, except the sparkling water. Add 1 large or a few small ice cubes, then fill the rest off the glass with sparkling water. Clink with your neighbor and enjoy!

Like I said, just the right way to kick off the weekend 😉

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Food for Thought

What’s your favorite drink?

Foodie Friday: Baked Cajun Haddock & Veggies with Sizzlefish

One thing I love about going out to eat is getting seafood. I rarely cook it at home because Nathan doesn’t eat it so it’s a big treat for me. That said, sometimes I just crave a nice piece of fish at home. That’s where Sizzlefish comes in. A few weeks ago, I was sent a beautiful shipment from Sizzlefish that will surely satisfy all of my seafood dreams!

Sizzlefish

Aside from being downright delicious, fish has so many important health benefitsone of the biggest being the Omega-3s that it provides. Straight from the Sizzlefish website:

Think of Omega-3 fats as Nature’s best performance enhancers. They give cardio-pulmonary and anti-inflammatory benefits to athletes, while actually improving long-term health. They can help you manage weight.

In addition, Omega-3s can provide great benefits to athletes such as muscle recovery and joint health. But enough about the health benefits, let’s get to the cooking!

Baked Cajun Haddock & Veggies

Serves 2
Adapted from Half Baked Harvest

Baked Cajun Haddock & Veggies | Barr & Table

Ingredients
– 2 Sizzlefish Haddock filets
– 1 tbsp cajun seasoning
– 1/4 tbsp raw sugar [sub brown sugar]
– 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
– 1/2 tsp black pepper
– 1/4 tsp cayenne
– 1/4 tsp dried thyme
– 1 lb brussels sprouts; halved
– 1 tbsp lite soy sauce [sub tamari for gluten-free]
– 1 red bell peppers; chopped
– 1/2 onion; chopped
– 2 cloves garlic; minced
– 1 14 oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
– EVOO

Directions
Preheat your oven to 425°F. In a small bowl, mix seasonings from cajun through thyme. Place the brussels sprouts on a baking sheet with a drizzle of EVOO and a sprinkling of the seasoning mix and put the baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven.

In the meantime, heat a large skillet on medium high heat and add 1 tbsp EVOO. Add the pepper and onion to the skillet and saute 5-10 minutes, or until the onions are soft. While that is cooking, coat the haddock filets in the spice mix and place the filets on another lined baking sheet. Place the fish in the oven.

When the veggies are soft, stir in the garlic, and add 1 tbsp soy sauce. Add the diced tomatoes and simmer until almost all the liquid has evaporated. Remove the brussels sprouts from the oven [try not to eat all of them straight from the sheet pan..] and toss them with the rest of the veggies. At this point, the haddock should be fully cooked through; it only takes about 10 minutes! Spoon a scoop of veggies on a plate, place the fish on top, and spoon a little more of the veggies on top.

Serving Suggestions

I served my portion over spiralized beet noodles and Nathan’s [with chicken] over brown rice. It would also be good over pasta, other veggie noodles, or just on its own. Additionally, you could swap out the haddock for another white, flaky fish like Atlantic Cod, Sablefish, Rainbow Trout, or even shrimp!

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Food for Thought

Have you tried Sizzlefish yet?

Foodie Friday: White Chocolate Peppermint Peanut Butter Cups {Giveaway}

Every year for the holidays, I make my “famous” peanut butter cups. It all started when my mom found a recipe 100 years ago [ok, maybe 20 years ago.. holy crap, has it been that long?!] and we decided to try them out for Thanksgiving. I mean, come on. It’s chocolate and peanut butter.. what could be bad? Over the years, I’ve continued to make them for Thanksgiving, New Years, and sometimes other occasions too.

My peanut butter cups have become more and more refined. I’ve tried adding a bit of sea salt and cinnamon to the tops, some extra chocolate and PB chips, I’ve swapped out the milk chocolate for dark, and the list goes on. When Peanut Butter & Co. contacted me about creating a recipe with their peanut butter and some candy canes, I knew exactly what I wanted to make.

White Chocolate Peppermint Peanut Butter Cups

Makes 12 cups

White Chocolate Peppermint Peanut Butter Cups | Barr & Table

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp white chocolate chips
  • 3 candy canes
  • 3-4 tbsp Peanut Butter & Co. White Chocolate Wonderful

Will also need 12 mini muffin cups.

Directions

  1. Place your candy canes into a blender or food processor and blend until they’re in very small pieces—almost dust!
  2. In a small microwave-safe bowl, add 1/4 cup white chocolate chips and microwave for 30 seconds. Give it a mix and microwave for another 10-15 seconds. Mix again and add additional 2 tbsp of white chocolate chips and about 1/3 of the crushed candy canes. Mix well until all of the chips are melted.
  3. Spoon about 1/2 tbsp of the white chocolate peppermint mix into the bottom of each of the cups. Shake to flatten and place in the freezer to setup.
  4. While the first layer is cooler, in another small microwave-safe bowl, add 2 tbsp White Chocolate Wonderful peanut butter and microwave 10-15 seconds until the peanut butter is melty.
  5. Take the cups out of the freezer and carefully spoon on layer of peanut butter on top, doing your best to not let it touch any edges! Place the cups back in the freezer.
  6. Once the peanut butter sets up, repeat with another layer of peanut butter, sprinkle with a pinch of your peppermint dust, and place back in the freezer.
  7. Melt your remaining white chocolate and add in another 1/3 of the peppermint dust.
  8. Spoon your white chocolate peppermint mix on top of the peanut butter layers and sprinkle with even more peppermint. Place back in the freezer and let the cups setup completely.

To store, keep the cups in the fridge so they don’t get too soft. When you’re ready to serve, remove the cups from the fridge and let them warm up for about 5 minutes. I promise you, these peanut butter cups won’t last long!

White Chocolate Peppermint Peanut Butter Cups | Barr & Table

Giveaway Time!

Want to win a jar of the White Chocolate Wonderful AND the Old Fashioned Crunchy? Click here to enter the giveaway today!

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Food for Thought

What would you make with the 2 jars of peanut butter?

Foodie Friday: Basil Cotija Stuffed Chicken with Honey Balsamic Glaze

Sometimes dinners just work, even when they’re a little different than what you had originally planned. I had a last-minute request last night to stuff “maybe stuff some herbs under the chicken skin” so into the fridge I went! I knew I had a nice, big bunch of fresh basil and right next to it happened to be some cotija cheese—one of Nathan’s favorites lately. Add a little garlic and we’ve got ourselves a delicious chicken. I told you, we eat a lot of chicken here!

This mixture is different from what we normally go for but it was nice to shake it up a bit. And it came out so well, I had to share it right away!

Basil Cotija Stuffed Chicken with Honey Balsamic Glaze

Serves 2
Basil Cotija Stuffed Chicken with Honey Balsamic Glaze | Barr & Table

Ingredients
For the Chicken
– 2 chicken leg quarters [can sub bone-in, skin-on chicken breast or thighs]
– 1 bunch fresh basil; chopped & divided
– 5 cloves garlic; minced
– 1-2 oz cotija cheese; crumbled & divided
– Salt, pepper, & garlic powder
– 1 tbsp EVOO

For the Honey Balsamic Glaze
– 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
– 1 tbsp honey
– 1/2 tsp dried basil
– 1/2 tsp garlic powder
– Salt & pepper

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°F and heat a large stainless steel skillet over medium heat. Combine the minced garlic with half of the fresh basil and half of the cotija cheese. Stuff this mixture under the skin of the chicken and season both sides of the chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Once the pan is hot, drizzle in the EVOO and place the chicken skin side down. Let the chicken sit for about 10 minutes, or until it lifts up easily. Flip the chicken over and place the whole pan in the oven. The chicken will cook in the oven for about 20 minutes, but be sure to adjust cooking time if you swap the leg quarters for breasts or thighs.

While the chicken is in the oven, combine the ingredients for the glaze in a small pot over high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer, allowing it to thicken up. When the chicken is fully cooked, remove from the oven and let it rest about 5 minutes. Plate it up with a drizzle of the honey balsamic glaze and a sprinkling of the leftover fresh basil and cotija. Serve with your favorite veggies [we had roasted carrots, tomatoes, and portobello caps] and enjoy!

Hope you have a great weekend, friends!  And don’t forget to head over to Laura’s blog to check out all of the other #strangebutgood creations.

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Food for Thought

What’s your favorite cheese?
What’s your favorite way to flavor chicken?

Foodie Friday: Pumpkin Protein Bites

Yep, back on the pumpkin wagon! I guess I never really fell off. But you all know how I feel about my bites and I couldn’t let pumpkin season pass without making a new bite. These are different than my other bites though.. the base is a bit out of the ordinary. Usually I use gobs of peanut butter but this time I went for a different legumebeans.

Before you click the big “X” in the corner, hear me out. When you blend up beans, they become super creamy and because northern beans are mild in flavor, they easily take on the flavor of whatever you mix them with. On top of that, beans are a great source of iron, fiber, potassium, and protein. Sounds like a pretty good base now, huh?

Pumpkin Protein Bites

Makes 55 bites

Pumpkin Protein Bites | Barr & Table

Ingredients
– 1 can northern beans; drained and rinsed
– 3/4 cup pumpkin [not pumpkin pie filling!]
– 1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil
– 1/2 cup pumpkin protein flour [I used MyOatmeal PB Lean but you can sub regular peanut flour]
– 2 tbsp vanilla protein powder [optional—can sub coconut flour or more peanut flour; I used Vega Vanilla Performance Protein]
– 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
– 1 tsp vanilla extract
– 1/2 tsp sea salt
– 5 Trader Joe’s cinnamon graham crackers; crushed [can sub another graham cracker, but will only need 2 1/2 – 3]

Directions
Place beans and canned pumpkin in a blender or food processor and blend until totally smooth. Remove the mixture from the blender and hand mix in the rest of the ingredients except the graham cracker. Refrigerate the mixture for at least 30 minutes.

After the mixture has cooled, it should be sticky, but easier to roll. In a medium bowl, crush up your graham crackers. Using a 1/2 tbsp measuring spoon, measure out and roll your bites in the graham cracker crumbs. Place the bites in an air tight container and store in the fridge or freezer.

Nutritional Information
Per 1/2 tbsp bite

20 Calories / 1g Fat / 3g Carbs / 1g Sugar / 1g Fiber / 1g Protein

Pumpkin Protein Bites | Barr & Table

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Food for Thought

Have you ever made sweets with beans?

Foodie Friday: Skoop Superfood Blueberry Bites

You all know how much I love my bites. They’re pretty much in every WIAW post and I’ve racked up quite a few recipes! A few weeks ago I was contacted by Skoop asking if I’d like to review one of their 3 powdersA Game, B Strong, or B Lovely. Seeing as I’ve had the chance to try a handful of protein powders, I decided to go the other way and asked to try A Game, their superfood powder.

Skoop A Game Sweetgreens

On their website, they list some of the benefits of this superfood powder including:

  • Probiotics for gut health
  • Fights inflammation
  • 10 servings of fruits and vegetables
  • Fiber to buffer sugar
  • Phytonutrient rich
  • Adaptogenic herbs
  • Clean all-day energy
  • Antioxidant rich
  • Immunity boosting
  • Speeds recovery

I’d never tried anything like this before and it’s hard to argue with those benefits. They offer a Sweetgreens flavor as well as Chocofresh. Skoop not only generously sent me a bag of the Sweetgreens to review, but also a couple samples of B Strong and B Lovely to sample as well [definitely have to try the Chocofresh soon!]. I was surprised to find out that the Sweetgreens A Game, while has a green hue, tastes very much like blueberry/acai. I knew it would be a great addition to some bites and when I saw Lindsay’s Blissful Blueberry Oat Cobbler Healthy Bites [she is the queen of healthy bites, after all], it was a done deal! I put a little twist on the recipe and it came out great.

Skoop Superfood Blueberry Bites

Makes 46 Bites
Adapted from Cotter Crunch

Skoop Superfood Blueberry Bites

Ingredients
– 3/4 cup granola [I used 1/2 cup Love Grown Foods Apple Walnut Delight & 1/4 cup Udi’s Blueberry Cashew Granola]
– 1/4 cup dried blueberries
– 2 scoops Healthy Skoop A Game
– 1 scoop vanilla protein powder [I used Healthy Skoop B Strong]
– 1/4 cup coconut flour
– 1 tbsp cinnamon
– 1 tsp sea salt
– 2 tbsp unsweetened apple sauce
– 2/3 cup nut butter [I used Peanut Butter & Co. The Bees Knees]

Directions
In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients. Add in the applesauce and nut butter and mix until well combined. Using a 1/2 tbsp measuring spoon, measure out and shape the bites. Store in an air tight container in the fridge or freezer.

Nutritional Stats
Per 1/2 tbsp bite

46 Calories  /  2g Fat  /  6g Carbs  /  3g Sugar  /  2g Fiber  /  2g Protein

I may say this every time, but I think these might be one of my favorite bites yet! I think because of the amount of peanut butter I used, they’re extra creamy, even right out of the freezer. And, as always, they’re a great pre-workout snack.

Skoop Superfood Blueberry Bite

To top it all off, Skoop is offering all of you 10% off your order! Just enter the code BARR10 at checkout for your discount. Enjoy!

Did you miss my other bite recipes?

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Food for Thought

Have you ever tried a superfood powder?
What’s your favorite bite flavor combo?

Foodie Friday: Crispy, Crunchy Baked Chicken Tenders

It all started with a love for this quinoa crusted chicken strips recipe. I’ve said it before but Nathan is a huge fried chicken fan so anyway that I can find a healthier way to get him his fix [sort of..] is good in his book. I made these chicken strips once before and he loved them so he was more than happy to see them on the menu again this week. Well, all is well and good assuming you don’t forget to buy the right ingredients.. like quinoa.

I could have sworn I had a ton of quinoa in the pantry! I practically tore the place apart only to find that I used up the last of it. Ahhh yes, now I remember! Crap.

Well luckily for me, we did have a few ingredients I could use to substitute and make an equally crispity, crunchity [peanut-buttery? ;)] chicken tender. I whipped up the same BBQ honey mustard sauce, adjusted the breading ingredients, and went to town!

Crispy, Crunchy Baked Chicken Tenders

Adapted from Quinoa Crusted Chicken Strips
Serves 4

Crispy Crunchy Baked Chicken Tenders  Barr & Table

Ingredients
BBQ Honey Mustard
– 1/3 cup dijon mustard
– 1/4 cup honey
– 3 tbsp your favorite bbq sauce
– 1/2 lime; juiced

Chicken Tenders
– 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast; sliced into tenders
– 1/2 cup low fat buttermilk
– 1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
– 1/2 cup steel cut oats
– 1/2 cup almond meal [can sub more panko or another flour]
– 1 tsp salt
– 1 tsp black pepper
– 1 tsp garlic powder

Directions
Preheat oven to 450°F. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and a cooling rack, sprayed with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients for the BBQ honey mustard.

In another medium bowl, combine the buttermilk and 1/4 cup BBQ honey mustard. In a large bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients. Add the chicken to the buttermilk mix, shake off excess liquid, and dredge in the panko mixture. Lay the pieces flat on the cooling rack and lightly spray the chicken.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, flip the chicken tenders, and spray the other side. Bake for another 8-10 minutes, then broil for 2-4 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle with more BBQ honey mustard and devour!

Nutritional Information
For 1/4 recipe of chicken without extra sauce

200 Calories / 6g Fat / 13g Carbs / 1g Fiber / 0g Sugar / 18g Protein

This will definitely be a recipe I’ll be creating again in the future. Love when the substitutions work out! And if you’re ever looking to shake it up in the kitchen, I couldn’t recommend Half Baked Harvest more. Tieghan’s recipes are amazing and never fail to impress!

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Food for Thought

What’s your go-to blog for recipes?
Any fun plans for the weekend?

Foodie Friday: Sesame Carrot Noodles with Beef, Broccoli, & Asparagus

Do you ever look quickly at a recipe and think it says one thing and when you go back and take another look, realize it’s actually something else? And then sometimes what you originally think turns out to be an even better idea.

Ok, let me break it down for you. When I was meal planning last week, I chose this sesame carrot noodles with grilled asparagus recipe. Any kind of Asian-style recipe is always a go in this house, so a sesame sauce on carrot noodles sounded like an awesome idea, right? I lie. It was actually soba noodles with a sesame carrot sauce. Still sounds awesome [and honestly, something that Nathan would go for over carrot noodles] but I was totally stuck on the carrot noodle idea. My version of this recipe was born.

Sesame Carrot Noodles with Beef, Broccoli, & Asparagus

Adapted from Clean Wellness
Serves 4

Sesame Carrot Noodles with Asparagus Broccoli and Beef

Ingredients

Carrot Dressing
– 1 cup carrots; chopped
– 1 tbsp fresh ginger; chopped
– 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
– 2 tbsp soy sauce [can sub tamari, liquid aminos, or coconut aminos to make gluten-free]
– 2 tbsp tahini
– 1 tbsp maple syrup
– 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
– 1/4 tsp chili flakes

Noodle Bowl
– 1 lbs asparagus
– 1 bunch broccoli
– 2-3 medium carrots; spiralized
– 2 oz. black bean noodles [can sub soba noodles]
– 1 lb london broil; sliced thinly
– 2 tbsp soy sauce
– 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
– 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
– 2 green onions; chopped
– Toasted sesame seeds [Optional for serving]

Directions
Combine all dressing ingredients in a high-powered blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and set aside.

Cook your noodles according to the directions, drain, and set aside.

While your noodles are cooking, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Toss the sliced beef with the soy sauce and sesame oil, then add to the hot pan. Quickly sear on each side, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add 1/2 tbsp EVOO to the pan and toss the carrot noodles in. Cook them until soft, about 5-7 minutes, and add the broccoli. Saute for 2-3 minutes before adding the asparagus. Cook for another 2-3 minutes and add the black bean noodles into the pan.

Toss about 2/3 of the carrot dressing into the pan and mix the noodles together with the veggies. Once everything comes together, add in the beef and most of the rest of the dressing, saving about 1 tbsp per serving to drizzle on top. When the beef is warmed through, divide between 4 bowls, sprinkle with green onion and sesame seeds, and serve!

Nutritional Information
Per 1/4 recipe

390 Calories / 15g Fat / 22g Carbs / 6g Fiber / 10g Sugar / 34g Protein

The best part of this recipe is that it is equally as delicious without the added beef and because we’re using black bean pasta, it has a whopping 17g protein before adding any extra protein on top! I’m kind of in love with the black bean pasta; it really doesn’t have any distinct flavor so it’s perfect for adding any kind of delicious sauces. And it turns out it’s husband-approved too 😉

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Food for Thought

Have you ever tried black bean pasta before?
Would you swap the beef for another protein?