Today I’m excited to be sharing another sneak peek into my newest cookbook...Power Bowls!! I still have “pinch me” moments when I flip through the pages, so grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to publish two cookbooks now (see my other one here)!
Power Bowls holds a collection of my favourite breakfasts, meals, snacks, and desserts…in a bowl! Each recipe is well balanced with each of the macronutrients, whole foods ingredients, and a whole lot of flavour. I shared my PB & J Overnight Oats power bowl a couple months ago and today I wanted to share a bigger meal-sized savoury bowl that makes the perfect weeknight dinner or lunch leftovers.
In my opinion, there are definitely days when there’s nothing more satisfying than a great stir-fry. Tender-crisp bright vegetables tossed with prawns, chicken, beef, or tofu in a sweet and salty Asian inspired sauce heaped over a bed of rice or noodles. Comforting, filling, and oh-so-tasty.
This power bowl recipe is reminiscent of a traditional beef and broccoli dish but with some extra flair from vitamin-rich orange. The orange brings in natural sweetness and a delicious citrus flavour that blends perfectly with the beef, broccoli, bell peppers, and sauce.
The organic grass-fed (and local) lean beef sirloin serves as an amazing source of protein, iron, vitamin B12, and vitamin B6 and pairs perfectly with the tender-crisp broccoli and bell pepper. Broccoli is really a super veggie. It’s loaded with vitamin C and has been linked to reduced incidences of cancer and heart disease.
The soba noodles in this dish are a great swap for plain rice as a source of complex carbohydrates for long-lasting energy. Soba noodles, made from buckwheat flour, are naturally gluten-free, fibre-rich, and contain good plant protein.
And for the sauce… oooh yes, the sweet, salty, and tangy sauce in this dish is naturally sweetened with coconut palm sugar and orange juice, making it a much healthier version of other sweet Asian sauces. It perfectly coats the beef, vegetables, and noodles, and really has such an amazing flavour. I’m certain this bowl will become one of your family faves!
Have you picked up your copy of Power Bowls yet? You can find it here on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Chapters & Indigo, or at your local bookstore (just call first to see if they have it in stock!).
What is your favourite Asian inspired stir-fry dish? Do you try to healthify it in any way? I’d love to read about it in the comments below!
- Zesty Orange Sauce:
- 3 tablespoons cold water
- 1 tablespoon tapioca starch
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- ¼ cup gluten-free soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
- 2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar
- Bowls:
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces beef sirloin, cut into strips
- 1½ cups broccoli florets
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
- ½ navel orange, cut into chunks
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 90g dry soba (buckwheat) noodles
- ½ tsp orange zest
- ½ tsp roasted sesame seeds
- Prepare the sauce by whisking together the tapioca starch with the water in a bowl until the tapioca is completely dissolved.
- Add in the rest of the sauce ingredients and whisk together until the coconut sugar is completely dissolved. Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and add in the beef strips and crushed garlic.
- Sauté for 1-2 minutes to slightly brown the beef.
- At the same time, bring a medium sized pot of water to a boil.
- Pour in the sauce and reduce the heat to medium. The sauce will quickly begin to thicken and bubble.
- Add in the broccoli and bell pepper and fry with the sauce to coat the vegetables and the meat well.
- Cover the wok or pan with a lid and let the vegetables continue to cook with the beef and sauce.
- Once the water in the pot has a reached a boil, add in the soba noodles and cook according to package instructions.
- Reduce the pan with the beef and vegetables to low and add in the chopped orange. Give it another stir to coat the orange with the sauce, and reduce the heat to low.
- Once the noodles are done cooking (they take about 3-4 minutes to cook), transfer to a strainer, drain, and rinse with cold water (this will prevent the noodles from overcooking and sticking together).
- Divide the noodles between two large bowls, and then top the noodles in each bowl with ½ of the beef and vegetable mixture.
- Garnish with a sprinkling of orange zest and roasted sesame seeds over each bowl.
Have a lovely Sunday!
