healthy dinner Archives - Charlotte Shares

Happy New Year! This is my first post of 2020 and I’m so excited to share it with y’all. I have so many delicious recipes and foodie projects planned this year and I feel it in my bones that this year is going to be amazing!

A few weeks ago I asked my awesome followers on Instagram what kind of recipes that they were looking for now that the holidays are over. 99% of the responses were “quick, easy, and healthy.” Surprise, surprise. Ha! I am definitely known for my cheesy, indulgent, Tex-Mex recipes but I also have quite a few healthy ones. I love to balance comfort food with healthy! My philosophy on healthy recipes is that they must still have big, bold flavors. Taste should never be sacrificed for a healthy meal because it doesn’t have to!

The first recipe that came to mind was this one. My Korean Beef & Veggie Bowls are so flavorful and so delicious that you’ll be putting it on your regular dinner rotation. Now, don’t @ me because of the sugar! Ha! “Healthy” is a relative term because everyone is on a different eating plan these days. Sugar to some is a huge “no no” but for me, if it’s full of veggies and has healthy, lean protein, then I’m sold! You could definitely experiment with sugar alternatives and use even leaner meats like ground turkey or chicken.

“Easy” was another big request and this one definitely checks that box. I had my veggies chopped and dinner served in 30 minutes! My kids loved it! You could also double the recipe and use it for meal prep for the week. I love how versatile this is!

This is a sponsored post for Lee’s Marketplace. Items on sale the week of January 14-20: ground beef, bell pepper, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice

Korean Beef & Veggie Bowls

Servings: 4-5
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Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil (or other light oil)
2 cups zucchini, sliced
1 cup carrot, sliced into matchsticks
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 bunch green onions, sliced and divided
1 lb lean ground beef
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 ½ tablespoons sesame oil
2-3 tablespoons Gochujang sauce
¾ teaspoon ground ginger
¾ teaspoon garlic powder
1 ¼ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups cooked white or brown rice
Sriracha sauce (optional)

Directions

Heat a large non-stick skillet to medium-high. Add olive oil then add zucchini, carrot, bell pepper, and about ¾ of the green onions. Sauté until vegetables start to soften, about 5 minutes.

Push vegetables to the side of the pan and add ground beef. Cook and crumble then stir into the vegetables. Drain grease if needed (use lean meat so you don’t have to).

To the pan, add brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, Gochujang, ginger, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine, reduce heat to medium, and let cook for 5-10 more minutes.

Serve on top of rice and garnish with remaining green onions and sriracha sauce.

Note: Gochujang can be found in the Asian section of most grocery stores. Don’t leave it out! It’s worth the buy and adds amazing flavor.

Does anyone else have an abundance of zucchini right now? Here in Utah, it’s the beginning of harvest for my garden and I’m so happy about it! We have two large garden boxes that are full of zucchini, green beans, poblano peppers, banana peppers, acorn squash, herbs, and of course tomatoes. Let’s not forget about my raspberry bushes next to the boxes because they are going crazy this year. I love it!

My kids aren’t usually fans of zucchini unless it’s deep fried or baked in bread but I wanted them to like it in a healthier way. I came up with this version of shrimp stir fry and we all devoured it! Making the “zoodles” with a spiralizer is so much fun and a great way to get the kids in the kitchen helping. The sauce for this is so easy-just 4 ingredients! The veggies are versatile too because you can, for example, leave out the onions, add mushrooms, use a different pepper, etc. If you’re not a shrimp fan, you could even swap it for chicken breast.

Today, I made this dish for one of my cooking segments on ABC4’s Good Things Utah and it was a hit. The segment went so well and the crew gobbled it up right out of the pan when the show was over. Wish I had gotten a picture of that! Ha! You can watch me make it here.

Zucchini Noodle Shrimp Stir Fry

Servings: 6
Difficulty: moderate
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Ingredients

½ cup chicken broth
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon sesame oil
½ red bell pepper, thinly sliced
¾ cup shredded carrots
1 bunch green onions, sliced and divided
8 oz bag sugar snap peas
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
2 medium-sized zucchini, spiralized

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk broth, hoisin, soy, and cornstarch until combined. Set aside.

In a large skillet or wok over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Once heated, add shrimp. Season shrimp with salt and pepper while in the pan.

Cook for about 1 minute per side, until pink on both sides. Transfer to a plate.

Add remaining olive oil and sesame oil to pan then add bell pepper and carrots. Cook for 3 minutes or until slightly tender. Add green onions (set a few aside first for garnish), peas, garlic and ginger. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
Add sauce and increase heat to medium-high.

Cook, stirring frequently for 2-3 minutes to allow sauce to thicken a little. Add zucchini noodles and stir to combine with the sauce and vegetables. Cook for 3 minutes or until noodles begin to soften.

Add shrimp back to pan and stir. Transfer to a serving plate to stop cooking process and serve immediately. Garnish with green onions.

*Note: Mushrooms would be a great addition. Cubed chicken breast can replace the shrimp if desired.