Grilled steak with a citrus-lime marinade and fresh veggies combine together for a fresh and delicious summer bowl that’s also very easy on the calorie count!
This month, I’ve been taking a serious look at how I eat. As September kicked off, I took inventory of the extra unwanted pounds that have decided that my body is where they’re going to make their home.
The baby weight has refused to come off. And there was holiday weight I put on underneath the baby weight. And before the holiday weight, there was sedentary staff job weight that crept on when I first moved out of an operational branch, and just kept creeping on.
I gained between five and ten pounds an assignment over the course of three assignments. And with about 10 stubborn pounds of baby weight hanging in there, that makes 35 unwelcome unwanted pounds clinging stubbornly to my body that I would love to make disappear.
Exercise is a key component of making those pounds go away. But the most important component, bar none, is diet. Health and fitness are built primarily in the kitchen, friends. So for me, it’s become my personal mission to overhaul the way I eat.
More lean proteins. More manageable portions. Good fats. Low carbs. Very little sugar. Light filler starches as needed. Lots of greens. Not keto per se, but keto-ish.
With this overhaul, I started immediately feeling better. I had more energy and my stomach felt better, less heavy. But I noticed also that a certain grogginess that I hadn’t noticed fogging my brain had lifted. I felt clearer in the brain, in the vision, in the skin.
As an added bonus, I lost ten of those unwanted pounds this month!
I still make room for the occasional pasta and baked good in my diet, but for the most part, our daily family diet has become one of whole foods, simple recipes, and minimal processing.
If it keeps giving me things like this grilled steak fajita bowl, it can’t be anything but good!
[lt_recipe name=”Grilled Steak Fajita Bowls” summary=”Grilled steak with a citrus lime marinade and fresh veggies combine together for a fresh and delicious summer bowl that’s also very easy on the calorie count!” servings=”4″ total_time=”30M” print=”yes” image=”https://homefrontcooking.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/steak-fajitas-9612.jpg” ingredients=”For the steak:;1 8-10 oz skirt steak {or similar};1/3 cup lime juice;1/4 cup orange juice;3 tbsp olive oil;2 cloves garlic, minced;2 tsp ground cumin;2 tsp chili powder;1/2 tsp red pepper flakes;1/2 tsp salt;1/4 tsp black pepper;For the bowls:;1 cup rice;1 tbsp butter;2 tsp minced garlic;3 tbsp lime juice;2-3 cups water;grilled corn;Bibb lettuce;1 red bell pepper, sliced;1 sweet onion, sliced;3 tbsp olive oil;1 tbsp butter;avocado” ]Start with the steak marinade. Combine the lime juice, orange juice, olive oil, minced garlic, and spices together in a large bowl or container. Coat the steak in the marinade and let it sit in the fridge for about 4 hours, up to overnight.;Remove the steak from the fridge 30 minutes prior to cooking.;Rinse the rice under cold water. In a large sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the rinsed rice and shake to coat with the butter. Let the rice toast for 2-3 minutes.;Add the minced garlic and let cook for 30 seconds or so, or until the garlic is fragrant. Then add the lime juice and water, and allow the rice to come to a boil. Stir, reduce heat to low, cover, and let the rice cook for about 15 minutes, or until the water evaporates.;Let the rice stand for 5 minutes and then fluff lightly with a fork.;Heat your grill to medium-high heat. Grill the steak on each side for 3-4 minutes, or until the internal temperature is about 145F. Let the steak rest.;In a large saute pan, heat the 3 tbsp olive oil until it shimmers. Add the sliced bell pepper and sliced onion and season lightly with salt and pepper to taste. Add the butter and let it melt as the veggies cook. Let cook for 2-3 minutes or until they’re as soft as you want them.;Serve up your bowls, layered however you like. I like to start with the lettuce, add a scoop of the garlic lime rice, and then layer with steak and veggies![/lt_recipe]
Variations on this theme have made it into a weekly rotation at our house. Change up your proteins, change up your veggies, the flavor combo is pretty awesome.
And it’s pretty healthy to boot. Winning all around!
