My husband and I are currently doing a 3-day juice fast, thus I needed a quick meal for the kids last night. We threw together a few ingredients and it turned out delicious! My son was very enthusiastic when he told me how much he liked it. It smelled wonderful and was difficult to cook and not take a bite. My husband came in the kitchen while I was cooking and asked if I could juice it for him :).
We used frozen broccoli with this dish. Frozen vegetables are great to keep on hand for nights you need to put together something quick. While canned vegetables tend to lose a lot of nutrients during the preservation process (notable exceptions include tomatoes and pumpkin), frozen vegetables may be even more healthful than some of the fresh produce sold in supermarkets, says Gene Lester, Ph.D., a plant physiologist at the USDA Agricultural Research Center in Weslaco, Texas. Why? Fruits and vegetables chosen for freezing tend to be processed at their peak ripeness, a time when—as a general rule—they are most nutrient-packed.
While the first step of freezing vegetables—blanching them in hot water or steam to kill bacteria and arrest the action of food-degrading enzymes—causes some water-soluble nutrients like vitamin C and the B vitamins to break down or leach out, the subsequent flash-freeze locks the vegetables in a relatively nutrient-rich state.
On the other hand, fruits and vegetables destined to be shipped to the fresh-produce aisles around the country typically are picked before they are ripe, which gives them less time to develop a full spectrum of vitamins and minerals. Outward signs of ripening may still occur, but these vegetables will never have the same nutritive value as if they had been allowed to fully ripen on the vine. In addition, during the long haul from farm to fork, fresh fruits and vegetables are exposed to lots of heat and light, which degrade some nutrients, especially delicate vitamins like C and the B vitamin thiamin. (Source)
This meal is a great alternative to Hamburger Helper and can be prepared in almost the same amount of time. If you are curious, here are the ingredients in the Hamburger Helper Beef Pasta box. Items highlighted in red are likely GMO.
Enriched pasta (wheat flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid)
Corn Starch
Maltodextrin
Salt
Enriched Flour (wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid)
Dried Onion
Monosodium Glutamate
Color (caramel color, yellow 5 lake, yellow 5)
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (corn, wheat, soy)
Potassium Chloride
Yeast Extract
Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil
Natural Flavor
Spice
Monoglycerides
Sugar
Beef Stock
Corn Syrup
Disodium Inosinate
Disodium Guanylate
Beef Fat
Sulfiting Agents
Garlic
Soy Sauce (soybeans, wheat, salt)
Silicon Dioxide
If you have used Hamburger Helper in the past, I hope this recipe is helpful to you!
Ground Beef and Broccoli
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Whole Food. Real Food. Good Food.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 2 pounds organic grass-fed ground beef
- 1 onion, chopped
- 12 oz frozen organic broccoli (cooked)
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Himalayan Pink Salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Melt ghee in pan over medium heat.
- Cook onions for about 5 minutes, until tender.
- Crumble beef in pan, add garlic powder, salt & pepper, cook until brown.
- Add cooked broccoli.
- Enjoy!
Ground Beef and Broccoli
2 tbsp ghee
2 pounds organic grass-fed ground beef
1 onion, chopped
12 oz frozen organic broccoli (cooked)
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Himalayan Pink Salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1. Melt ghee in pan over medium heat.
2. Cook onions for about 5 minutes, until tender.
3. Crumble beef in pan, add garlic powder, salt & pepper, cook until brown.
4. Add cooked broccoli.
5. Enjoy!
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