Delicious Beef Satay Stir-Fry
Are you sick of eating the same thing again and again for dinner? Want to learn more about cooking but not sure where to start? Or perhaps you’re already an avid chef in the making and, as such, always keen to add new ideas to your repertoire. I have to admit I naturally fall more into the second category. But, having committed myself to regularly providing recipes to this blog, I’m finally getting better. If ever so slowly! Still, all modesty has to be placed aside for now because I think this recipe is going to blow your socks off. Or your oven mitts, perhaps. And the best part is that I came up with it all by myself – it’s not often my dinnertime boredom ends in such success!
The only thing I’m annoyed about is that I carefully photographed the cooking process for you and then accidentally deleted the images. Unfortunately the evidence is long since digested so you’ll just have to let your imagination do the work until you next hit the kitchen.
Beef Satay Stir-Fry
Serves 6
- 600-700 grams organic grass-fed beef cubes (grass-fed with it’s excellent Omega-3 properties will keep you alive for longer)
- 2-3 tablespoons coconut oil
- 3 small red chilis
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 4 well-rounded tablespoons organic crunchy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons raw honey
- 1 rounded tablespoon molasses
- 1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce (the only non-organic part – I’d be interested to know if anyone has their own healthy recipe for this?)
- 200 mls organic coconut milk
- 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
- Handful of green beans, heads and tails removed, and chopped into thirds
- Top third of a half celery – including the leaves, chopped fine
- 8-10 large mushrooms, sliced
- Half bunch of chinese greens or english spinach (another great way to increase your Omega-3), washed and torn
- Fresh parsley, chopped roughly
- Plenty of ground pepper
- Organic sea salt to taste
Put It Together
Chop your garlic and chili (leave the seeds in if really hot is your thing), and then heat the coconut oil in a large stainless steel pan, on medium. Add the garlic and chili, saute for a minute or so, then add the herbs and stir for 30 seconds or so before tossing in the beef. Keep an eye on it and toss constantly with a wooden spoon. It will only take a few minutes to brown. Add in the peanut butter, honey, molasses, sweet chili, and coconut milk. Stir through and leave to simmer for 5 minutes. Add the carrot, celery, and green beans, followed by the mushrooms. Mix well and allow to cook for a minute or so (this is a good time to add salt and pepper) before adding the leafy greens and parsley. Allow to cook with the lid half on for 5 minutes or so and then check the veggies. This dish shouldn’t need to brew for ages, as you don’t want to kill your fresh produce.
Serve and enjoy!
Now I know I did say it serves 6, but if you’re cooking for less than that I’d still suggest whipping up the full amount. This dish is great for freezing and there’s no better feeling than heading home from a long day knowing dinner is already pre-prepared and brimming with health
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Kat:
Stay away from beef. It loaded with saturated fat and is too hard for the body to digest. Of course, this opinion is coming from a strict vegetarian. Would this dish work without the beef?
HI Mike
I have to disagree quite strongly on beef being hard to digest. Our bodies are designed to eat meat and fat, with plant-based foods playing a very small part. Hence we have essential fats and essential proteins, but there are no essential carbohydrates. You’re right, beef contains saturated fat, although I wouldn’t say it’s loaded with it. A typical cut of beef contains less than 10 grams of fat per 100 grams (not including any rind). About half of the fat in beef is monounsaturated fat, the remaining half saturated. Of the saturated fat, about one third is in the form of stearic acid, which has a neutral effect on blood cholesterol. So we’re talking about an allegedly ‘bad’ saturated fat component of 3 or 4 grams per 100 grams. And then there is the question of whether saturated fat is in fact bad. Saturated fat is vital to a number of important functions in the body, including maintaining stiffness and integrity of cell walls, supporting the heart and vital organs, and forming the basis of a healthy hormonal system. As fat does store toxins, it’s important to always choose organic meats. Grass-fed organic meats will also contain naturally higher levels of CLA (an essential fatty acid) than grain-fed cuts. Long story short – if the meat is organic and grass-fed, not only is the saturated fat not a bad thing it’s actually a very good thing. To the point where we should be eating any extra fat and rind.
As a vegetarian it’s crucial to fully research the history of a natural human diet and (if you do choose not to eat meat regardless) to fully understand how best to combine plant proteins and fats. Personally I don’t believe that a vegetarian diet is what we’re designed for, or that it can be healthy. At all. I realize this may get me some heated responses! The book The Vegetarian Myth is a great read for anyone who wants to be fully educated on all the ins and outs of this topic.
Kat:
I don’t claim to be an nutrition expert, but I do read what experts have to say. Based on at least three critical factors we actually are designed to be vegetarians — or so I’ve been told. Those factors are…
1) Our teeth have no resemblance to carnivores in the rest of the animal/mammal kingdom
2) We have lower levels of hydrochloric acid in our stomachs than carnivors
3) Our digestive track is much longer than carnivores
This last point is especially important because meat goes putrid quickly, which is why carnivores have short digestive tracks and can eliminate it from their system before it goes toxic. This is also why some people believe we have high rates of colon cancer.
That aside, there are many good reasons for not eating meat, including the horrific conditions animals are subject to in factory farms, and that our food supply is diminished by feeding animals more plant life than they produce in consumable meat.
I’m not fanatical about it, though I might sound that way. My wife eats meat and fish and I give her no grief about it.
And I applaud you for promoting healthy living (even if we have a disagreement about this one issue).
Cheers.
YUUUUUMMMMMMM!!!! I’ve been wondering about a healthy satay sauce recipe & beef is just divine 🙂
For Mike – If ur in Melbourne check out vege2go (www.vege2go.com.au) absolutely brilliant vegetarian food – which of course I add a protein to & limite the carbs…enjoy!
Hi Mike – thanks for your comments, discussion is always welcome! And certainly I don’t expect everyone to agree with me on every aspect of health. As you know I definitely do not agree that we’re designed to be vegetarian, and my reasons for that are copious. I do plan to write an article about it rather than try and detail everything here. Again, I’d point you to The Vegetarian Myth as it covers all of your points and many more.
I definitely agree that factory farming is horrific and that we shouldn’t support it. that’s another reason I only eat organic and grass-reared meat.
Thanks, Kat. We agree on what counts. Incredible health and the moral treatment of all living things.
And thanks to you, Frances. I’m not in Melbourne but appreciate you thinking of me with a recommendation. I live in the San Francisco area so there are many excellent options here, I’m happy to say.
Cheers.
Oh Kat, LOVE LOVE LOVE this! Another spot on recipe!
Thanks 🙂