Well it’s almost here…2010! I am very excited to put 2009 behind me and start the New Year and the new decade. A fresh outlook and a fresh start on so many different aspects of my life – one of which is the diet. I’m sure I am not alone on wanting to focus on eating better. As usual the holidays have packed on the calories and I have not been as focused on hitting the gym. Lord knows it will be bathing suit season before ya know it…so let’s get this started.
My main focus with my diet is to cut out the fat, increase the protein and still really enjoy what I’m eating. A big goal is to stop eating lunch out every day at work and to reduce the intake of processed foods. My calorie intake still needs to remain high to allow muscle growth, but with some planning there is a way to do both.
I found this amazing recipe in the September 2009 issue of Men’s Health. Makes 4 servings and has 540 calories, 40g protein, 57g carbs and only 19g fat! The taste is amazing and it’s actually one of my boyfriend’s favorite dishes that I make.
The Soba noodles are very important in this dish. They are a Japanese noodle made from buckwheat.
Beef and Soba Salad
- 8 oz shiitake mushrooms
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 bunch asparagus
- 8 oz soba noodles
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 ½ tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 lb flank steak
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 2 bunches chopped scallions
Oven to 300 degrees
Toss shiitakes with olive oil, spread out evenly on a baking sheet and season with salt & pepper. Bake for 25 minutes. Once cool cut into strips.
Add sesame seeds to small dry skillet. Do not add olive oil. Heat them over medium high heat for a few minutes to toast. Careful, they will burn easily.
In a large pot bring salted water to boil.
While waiting for the water to boil, season the flank steak with salt and pepper. On a grill or grilling pan grill the flank steak, should take just about 4 minutes on each side. Once grilled, wrap in aluminum foil and let rest for at least 10 minutes. Then cut into strips – cut against the grain for tender pieces of meat.
If you have space on the grill/grill pan you can add the asparagus. If not, just grill after the steak. Before adding to the grill, drizzle the asparagus with olive oil and season with salt & pepper. When they are finished let them cool for a couple of minutes and then cut into 1 inch pieces.
By this point you water should be boiling. Follow the instructions on the back of the Soba noodles. Usually you only cook them for a couple of minutes. Once they are cooked, drain and then toss asparagus and mushrooms with them.
In a bowl whisk ginger, garlic, soy sauce, honey and mustard. Pour dressing over the soba noodles. Top with beef, sesame seeds and scallions.
The dish also tastes great for the next couple of days. I usually double the recipe and have plenty to eat on for a few days.
Brandon
If you're afraid of butter, just use cream. 