When you’re recovering from a cardiac event, your appetite can change and BOY did mine. The appetite changes rattled me at first, but I allowed them and gave in to some of them at first. A few more carbs, a bit more fruit. I couldn’t figure it out until I realized my metabolism has really fired up. Ahhh. . .then it made sense and I was able to adapt so that I fueled my body in a way that was true to my mission: rebuild, nourish, and fortify.
After my heart’s “electrical storm”, I want to say I leaned HARD into real food, but I only ate real food before. But now it was with a different focus, a different mission. I tend to eat beef and eggs like it’s a full-time job anyway, but after this experience I increased my calories so that I had the extra needed fuel on board to heal.
Here is the thing, other family members eat more foods variety than I do and I was still meal prepping for them. That’s a lot of work when recovering. I do love creating in the kitchen though. But how do I create the dense nutrition I wanted and still have the meals with a bit more color for the rest of the fam?
That’s how my Pepperless Pepper Steak was born. It is just a flexible way to create old favorites with a lot of versatility.
I’ve probably really confused you now, but stay with me. Have you ever been to a taco bar where all of the taco ingredients are laid out and you can add to your taco whatever you like in the amounts you prefer? Do the same thing with pepper steak.
Grill up the pepper steak and the peppers, onions, zucchini and pineapple but don’t plate them together.
The Recipe: Pepperless Pepper Steak (Carnivore + Omnivore Twist)
Serves 2. Takes 20 minutes.
Ingredients:
- 1.5 lb grass-fed flank steak or sirloin, thinly sliced (we prefer sirloin for this recipe)
- 1–2 tbsp tallow, ghee, or butter
- 1-2 tsp Red Boat Fish Sauce
- Spice blend of onion powder, garlic powder and paprika
- 1 large Vidalia onion (sweet onions grill up nicely too), sliced
- 2 peppers in whatever color you prefer, sliced We prefer red and orange.
- 2 zucchini sliced lengthwise into quarters spears
- 1/4 pineapple cut into narrow spears
Instructions:
- Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add fat of choice. (You can do this on a grill, too. We don’t currently have one)
- Sprinkle spices over meat.
- In a separate pan, sauté onions until golden and softened. Remove and set aside. Sauté pepper strips until slightly charred and tender.
- Add sliced steak to the grill pan. Sear on one side, then flip. Cook to desired doneness.
- Add Red Boat Fish Sauce toward the end of cooking and coat the steak slices in the drippings toward the end (for extra umami).
- Remove steak strips. Add zucchini spears and/or pineapple spears and grill them until tender and slightly charred. Keep them separated in the pan.
- To serve, set out the ingredients of the veggies and meat so that each person can build their plate as they prefer. I like it simple and sizzling, with maybe a bit of grilled onion. Hubs likes his with some of everything.
NOTE:
To keep blood sugar stable and inflammation low, avoid sugary sauces and overcooking oils. This is why we use the Red Boat Fish Sauce and spices instead of using bottled sauces.
Also, don’t forget to walk for a few minutes after your meal just to help with digestion and blood sugar disposal.
Why Beef is Queen in Recovery
➤ Beef is rich in creatine, carnitine, and B12. All essential for mitochondrial repair.
➤ It’s high in heme iron and zinc, two key minerals your body burns through under stress or trauma.
➤ The saturated fat helps stabilize hormones and rebuild cellular membranes
Whether you are rebuilding after a health scare like me, or just trying to stay ahead of one, let’s start with what is on your plate. Think Nutrient Dense. I’m eating a lot of ancestral beef (beef mixed with organ meat) and eggs. NOTE: healthy, nutrient dense food does not have to be boring or bland. You can have flavorful meals that are satisfying AND knock it out of the park nutrition-wise.
