Grass Fed Beef Paleo Recipe: Hungarian Beef and Cabbage Skillet

Hungarian beef and cabbage, ready to enjoy.

This one-pan paleo recipe is perfect for a weeknight dinner -- total cook time was about 25 minutes!

The cabbage, paprika, and celery seed is a classic Hungarian combination and melds with the tomato paste to create a delightfully savory and rich flavor.

Cabbage is a nutrient-packed vegetable, an abundant source of Vitamin C, vitamin K, and folate. Vitamin C is an important vitamin and co-factor for absorbing iron, so eating cabbage with beef helps to boost the uptake of iron into our bloodstream and tissues!

Pair this meal with any of your favorite starches. Our favorite way to eat this is with spaetzle, sour cream, and sauerkraut. Enjoy!

Hungarian Beef and Cabbage Skillet

INGREDIENTS

• 3 Tbsp fat (oil, butter, tallow, lard, or bacon fat)

• 1 onion, sliced in half-moons

• 1 lb Saint John’s organic, grass-fed ground beef

• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tsp paprika

• ¼ tsp celery seed

• 3 Tbsp tomato paste

• ½ medium cabbage, thinly sliced

• ¼ cup water or broth

• Salt and pepper

METHOD

Melt fat in a large skillet or Dutch oven on medium heat.

When fat is melted, add onions and cook 5-7 minutes or until translucent.

Onions sauteeing in butter.

Add ground beef to skillet and break into large chunks. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until beef is half pink and half brown. Season with a hefty pinch of salt.

Beef added to onions.

Add garlic, paprika, celery seed, and tomato paste. Cook for 2-3 minutes until garlic is cooked.

Beef, spices, and tomato paste in skillet.

Add cabbage and water. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until cabbage is wilted, about 5 minutes.

Uncover and increase heat to medium-high. Scrape bottom of the pan and stir frequently to prevent burning. This step caramelizes the cabbage and onion.

Dinner is ready!

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve promptly and enjoy!

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

What to serve with this skillet:

• Rice

• Spaetzle

• Roasted potatoes

• Mashed potatoes

Delicious Garnishes:

• Sour cream

• Sauerkraut

• Pickled jalapenos

Did you give this recipe a try? Tag us on Instagram to let us know what you think!

Grass Fed Beef Environmental Impact

Saint John’s cows grazing on lush, green grass.

We’ve heard much in the media over the years of the environmental harm caused by the beef industry, and that the trend of humanity toward vegetarianism - or even veganism - is inevitable. While we share a common concern for environmental sustainability with our vegetarian and vegan friends, we would like to offer a different (and we hope very interesting) view on how cultivating grass fed beef may be a valuable part of the effort to care for the environment and all the ecosystems of the earth. 

Without further ado, here are a few ways grass fed beef’s environmental impact contributes to multi-generational sustainability and regeneration.

Organic and Grass-Fed Environmental Practices

At a baseline, the USDA organic certification requires that no commercial petrochemicals, fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides are used on our pastures, and that everything the animals eat are GMO-free. Our cows are grass-fed and pasture-raised. When cows are confined to a feedlot, unsanitary conditions for the cows and high concentrations of animal waste runoff pollutes groundwater and surface streams and rivers. Beyond the organic concentrates from the animals themselves, there is almost always a large amount of antibiotic and drug content in the runoff since the beef are highly medicated to attempt to ward off disease in those atrocious conditions. Conventional agricultural practices also cause a loss of habitat for important wildlife ecology. Our organic and grass-fed practices protect wildlife, water purity, air quality, and soil health for future generations.

How We Take Environmental Stewardship A Step Further

Saint John’s cows grazing and lazing.

Because we are a small, grass-fed, and organic family farm, we know our animals and land in great detail. We care for our animals and land with attention and love, and we are able to react to the individual needs of our animals. Our regenerative practices are proactive: we tend and build soil, foster diversity and nutrient density, and encourage quality of life for our land and animals. We want the best nutrition for our cows, so we grow a widely diverse mix of grasses, legumes, and herbs that provide complementing nutritional strengths.

With a small scale local, organic farm, there is much more transparency. There are factory farms that are certified organic, but it’s still factory farming. Conventional agriculture practices do not create the best quality of life for animals or the environment, nor do these practices create as high quality of a product. Beyond organic and grass-fed, it’s also necessary to consider the aspect of local farms. Food grown local to you contains custom specific nutrients and micro-nutrients that fit specific needs of the animals and people in their local environment.

“We care for animals with dignity and respect, and steward the soil for the health of the planet, the animals, and ourselves.”

— Aaron F. Dill, Share the Gift

Grass Fed Beef, Greenhouse Gases, and Carbon Sequestration

Everything we eat has an impact on the environment. Although cattle produce methane and use carbon, they also provide significant nutrition per unit mass. All foods have a carbon and greenhouse gas emission -- whether you examine an omnivorous, vegetarian, or vegan diet. According to Dr. Jude Capper, “Although all foods vary in greenhouse gas emissions, it’s also important to look at the bigger picture – we need to account for the nutritional value of foods as well as the greenhouse gas emission. For example, lettuce may have a lower carbon footprint per pound than beef, but beef provides far more nutrients per unit of mass. Furthermore, we need to look at the bigger environmental picture – biodiversity, water use, land use and many other factors need to be considered, not just greenhouse gases.”

Contrary to popular belief, grass fed beef may be a net carbon sink. The keys to putting carbon back into the ground is to prevent overgrazing and over-tilling. When plants are not tilled, their root structures can grow several feet deep, sometimes up to 12 feet below the surface. These roots are essential to break up compacted soil, build topsoil, and sequester carbon. When pastures are overgrazed, the plants can be killed and the soil is negatively affected. When enough grazing has occurred and  the ground has been fertilized by the cow’s manure, the plants are stimulated to grow and this is where regeneration happens.

A study from Michigan State compared the effect of conventional feedlot agriculture and adaptive multi-paddock grazing (a strategy using fencing to move cows from section to section to prevent overgrazing) on the carbon lifecycle over a period of 4 years. The study concluded that while the feedlot system produced fewer greenhouse gases, multi-paddock grazing produced a net carbon sink. The cows put carbon back into the soil! This means that well managed farms, working in harmony with nature, can be a net positive to our environment. This is the small, organic, grass-fed difference.

Our organic, grass-fed beef farm works in tandem with nature to regenerate soil, maintain wildlife ecology, protect water and air quality, and put carbon back into the earth.

References

• Share the Gift, Aaron F. Dill

• Nourishing Traditions, Sally Fallon Morell

• https://sustainabledish.com/its-not-the-cow-its-the-how-new-study-shows-grass-fed-beef-can-be-a-carbon-sink/

•  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308521X17310338

• https://www.bestfoodfacts.org/are-cows-bad-for-the-environment/

• https://sustainabledish.com/podcasts/sustainable-dish-episode-60-adaptive-multi-paddock-grazing-with-paige-stanley-jason-rowntree/

Farm News Update Feb 2021

Hello all,

January has been a mix of busy days, and winter rest. Working with the seasons, we often have some quieter days in the winter. The sun rises later and sets sooner, and the daily workload is such that we are able to come in and sit by the fire and read for an evening. 

The largest development, and it’s 40 feet long and 10 feet tall, is a new walk-in freezer unit we moved to the farm so we can store all our beef here onsite. Now, instead of storing most of our inventory in downtown Boise, we can have easy access to it for customers coming to the farm and to bundle for deliveries.

We are glad to note that we have slots reserved with our processor, Northwest Premium Meats, for all our beef this year. It was a little questionable around the first of the year, whether they would have any space for us. All the local  butchers have been run off their feet with a massive increase in demand for their services in the wake of the upheavals brought on by 2020. However, things seem to be steady for now, and we are planning our first harvest in June.

It looks like spring is beginning to stir. There’s increased warmth in the sunshine and on my daily rounds I have been seeing more birds coming back. I noticed the Collared Doves came back a couple weeks ago to scout nesting locations, this week we saw skeins of Canadian Geese flying north, and on Friday I saw two geese paired off, as well as flocks of Starlings singing fit to beat the band. 

Several of our heifers are looking closer and closer to calving, stay tuned on the IG/FB pages for photos of baby calves!

My mother, Susan, is excited because her garden seeds arrived this week, she’s planning the layout for this years garden and ready to get her hands in the soil. She is also reading Gabe Brown’s “Dirt to Soil” and finding encouragement and new ideas for inter seeding and cover crops to strengthen our already vibrant pastures, we’ll see when I get sent to borrow the local extension office’s no-till drill seeder to start experimenting.

We feed hay once a week, and our cats, and my border collie Ragnar, have discovered the haystack is a target rich environment to catch a mouse or three for a quick snack!

All the best, and feel free to look us up for some tasty nutritious beef!

Aaron

Beef Pot Roast Instant Pot Recipe: Red Wine and Herb Infused for Valentine’s Day

Red wine and herb infused beef pot roast.

This beef pot roast recipe is perfect for Valentine’s Day, a dinner party, or any time you want to have an elegant dinner without spending hours in the kitchen.

The red wine, vinegar, and herbs infuse the roast with an earthy and complex flavor. The result was a sophisticated, savory, and deeply satisfying dish. I served with creamy mashed potatoes, warm dinner rolls, and a bright green salad.

While the roast was cooking in the Instant Pot, the smells that filled our house were truly delightful. The combination of red wine, thyme, and rosemary was very enjoyable.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Red Wine and Herb Infused Pot Roast

Inspired by this recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 3 Tbsp butter, avocado oil, lard, or tallow

• 2-5 lb Saint John’s organic grass fed beef pot roast

• Salt and pepper

• 1 cup beef broth (or chicken)

• 1 cup red wine (I used a cabernet)

• 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

• 4-5 sprigs thyme

• 4-5 sprigs rosemary

• 1 red onion, chopped into 1.5 - 2 inch chunks

• 1 parsnip, peeled and chopped into 1.5 - 2 inch chunks

• 4-5 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1.5 - 2 inch chunks

• ½ lb cremini mushrooms, chopped in half

• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced

EQUIPMENT

• Knife

• Cutting board

• Tongs

• Vegetable Peeler

• Instant Pot

• Slotted Spoon

METHOD

Pat roast dry and season all sides well with salt and pepper.

Roast seasoned with salt.

On Instant Pot Saute mode, melt fat in Instant Pot. (I didn’t do this because my roast was too big to saute in the Instant Pot. I used a skillet then transferred it to the Instant Pot.)

Sear roast on all sides, about 2 minutes per side. Set roast aside.

Roast searing in skillet. This Saint John’s roast is huge!

Add broth, wine, vinegar, thyme, and rosemary to pan, scraping up bits from the bottom of the pan. If using the Instant Pot Saute function, turn off. If using a skillet, remove from heat.

Deglazing pan with wine mixture.

Place roast in Instant Pot and cover with wine mixture.

Place lid on Instant Pot, set valve to “Sealing” and select “Meat/Stew” setting for 70 minutes. Enjoy the aroma filling your house as you prepare for a lovely Valentine’s Day dinner at home.

While roast is cooking, peel and chop the vegetables.

Vegetables chopped and prepped.

Allow Instant Pot to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes, then quick release.

Add vegetables to Instant Pot, place lid on, set valve to “Sealing” and select “Manual” high pressure for 10 minutes. Allow Instant Pot to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes, then quick release.

Vegetables added to Instant Pot, on top of roast.

Remove vegetables with slotted spoon. Place roast on cutting board to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Spoon wine mixture over roast to serve. Enjoy!

Pot roast, vegetables, and mashed potatoes.

Did you give this recipe a try? Tag us on Instagram to let us know what you think!

Grass Fed Beef Benefits: Health

In recent years, we’ve all learned how what we eat affects our health and well-being. The quality of our food, especially protein sources, determines what is available for our body to heal, recover, and grow. Here are some of the benefits of choosing organic, grass fed beef, as it relates to health.

Saint John’s Organic Farm cows grazing on summertime grass.

Grass fed beef is more nutrient dense than grain fed beef. Grass fed beef is 10 times higher in vitamin A, 3 times higher in vitamin E, and substantially higher in calcium, magnesium, potassium, and B vitamins in comparison to grain fed beef. Grass fed beef is lower in cholesterol, and it’s rich in stearic acid, which lowers cholesterol.

Grass fed beef is an abundant source of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), an important group of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. CLA has strong anticancer properties, encourages the buildup of muscle, and prevents weight gain. When cows are fed their natural diet and given quality, individualized care, they are able to provide us with an abundance of life-supporting nutrition.

There is a notable difference in the toxic load between conventional and organic beef. Organic beef has no risk of GMOS, synthetic fertilizers, hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, herbicides, or the notoriously harmful glyphosate. “Animal products pose a multiplied scenario – animals fed and fattened on corn, soybean, and alfalfa feed are basically accumulating and concentrating glyphosate, as well as other toxins including animal antibiotics.” - Dr. Zach Bush, MD

Maintaining health affects every aspect of our lives. When we are adequately nourished, we feel invigorated and have energy to pursue our life’s purpose and connect deeply in relationships. When we are ill, we feel and perform poorly, and health issues can have a significant impact on mood and emotional health. Ultimately, there is a financial cost associated with health, for better or worse. Healthy people have reduced medical bills, fewer lost days at work; they are happier people who are fruitful. Children with adequate nutrition have higher test scores and fewer behavioral problems. Because food is preventative ‘medicine’, there is an economic advantage to investing in your health. The phrase “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” comes to mind.

Pikaberry enjoying the sunshine.

Health starts at the cellular level, ultimately through nutrition. Our beef is packed with essential nutrients to power you and your family to live and love your life. If you want to boost your health, strength, and vitality, give our organic grass fed beef a try!

Grass Fed Beef Instant Pot Recipe: Creamy Taco Soup

Bowl of Creamy Taco Soup

This creamy soup is Tex-Mex at its finest. My Texan mom is an Instant Pot whiz, and she created this soup that I’m eager to share. Growing up in Texas, zingy and creamy dishes like this served with cornbread and butter were a staple.

As I was cooking this recipe, the smells that filled my house transported me back to late 90s north Texas, full of happy memories, simpler times, and delicious food. She was a busy, working mom, and she made a lot of effort to cook a nutritious meal for us every night.

Now that I’m a toddler mom, I use the Instant Pot several times a week to make my life easier. This soup is prepared entirely in the Instant Pot, so there is very little cleanup after cooking. All in all, active cooking time was about 25 minutes.

This recipe is flavorful without being spicy, making it a kid-friendly dish. If you like it spicier, adding a seeded and chopped jalapeno with the other pepper would be a delicious addition.

I hope you find comfort and flavor in this dish! Thanks, Mom!

Creamy Taco Soup

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup dry or 1 15 oz can pinto beans

• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, optional

• 3 Tbsp butter

• 1 onion, chopped

• 1 pepper, chopped (I used bell pepper, poblano or anaheim would work nicely as well.)

• 1 lb Saint John’s organic, grass-fed ground beef

• 2.5 Tbsp chili powder

• 1 tsp cumin

• 2 c chicken or beef broth

• 15 oz tomato sauce

• 10 oz diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained

• ½ block cream cheese

Optional garnishes:

• Sour cream

• Cheddar cheese, grated

• Roasted hatch green chiles

METHOD

Instant Pot Pinto Beans

If your pinto beans are dry, here’s how you cook them in the instant pot. If your beans are canned or already cooked, skip ahead to “Creamy Taco Soup”.

The night before or about 8 hours before cooking, soak the beans in the instant pot with water about 2 inches above the beans. Add 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar, stir into beans, and let sit 8-12 hours.

Soaking the beans before cooking helps pre-digest them and neutralize lectins and other anti-nutrients. This also reduces cooking time and promotes a more even cook on each bean, preventing splitting and bursting.

Pinto beans soaking in water and apple cider vinegar.

When the soaking time is up, drain the beans in a colander and rinse well. Add back to instant pot and cover with water about 2 inches above the beans. Place lid on instant pot. Set valve to sealing. Select manual pressure, high setting, and cook for 25 minutes. If you didn’t soak beans, cook for 35 minutes. 

When cook time is up, allow instant pot to depressurize for 10 minutes and then quick release. Drain and rinse beans and set aside.

Drained and rinsed pinto beans.

Creamy Taco Soup

Set the instant pot to the “Saute” setting and add butter. When butter is melted, add chopped onions and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir occasionally as the saute function is very hot.

Chopped onions, sauteeing in butter.

Add ground beef and season with 2 pinches of salt. Break up ground beef with a wooden spoon as it cooks, stirring frequently. When ground beef is 75% cooked, add pepper.

Green pepper and Saint John’s ground beef sauteeing in Instant Pot.

When ground beef is finished cooking, add chili powder and cumin and turn off Saute function.

Chili powder and other spices added to Instant Pot.

Add broth, tomato sauce, and drained diced tomatoes with green chiles. Stir to combine.

Place lid on instant pot. Set valve to sealing. Select manual pressure, high setting, and cook for 10 minutes.

When cook time is up, allow Instant Pot to depressurize for 10 minutes and then quick release.

Add beans and cream cheese and cover, stirring every minute or so until cream cheese is melted into soup. When cream cheese is melted, add salt to taste. The amount of salt you need will vary as sodium content in canned items and broths can vary quite a bit. Start with ¼ tsp, taste, and add more if needed. I ended up adding about ½ tsp.

Set to “Keep Warm” setting to keep the soup warm until you’re ready to serve!

We served it with sour cream and roasted hatch green chiles. Rice or tortilla chips would make a nice pairing with this delightful soup.

Creamy Taco Soup topped with roasted green chiles.

We all had seconds and my husband had thirds! This soup is a perfect quick dinner for wintertime that is packed with Tex-Mex flavor. Enjoy!

Tag us on Instagram to let us know what you think!

2020 at Saint John's Organic Farm: A Year in Review

What a year we have had! As a nation and a world, this has been a roller coaster. Averting WW3 in February, a global pandemic and fear sweeping to the forefront in March as well as an earthquake here in southern Idaho, lockdowns in much of the world through the spring and again in places this fall, a murderhornet freakout, massive riots in major cities across the country during the summer, followed by enormous wild land fires, and then a contested election: it has been an eventful year to say the least.

But we have also seen enormous positives. As the global system of shipping commodities every which way staggered and shook this spring, people turned back to a local resilience, searching for nutritionally dense and healthy food, a connection to the earth, friendship, and a return to old ways of inter-dependence within a local community.

Saint John’s Organic Farm

We have been largely insulated here on the farm, our work continues day by day. Cows need new pasture every day, so I’m out walking around in the sunshine moving fences to give them access to fresh grass and in the summer running irrigation to replenish pastures as they are grazed.

Since we harvest much of our beef in the autumn every year, we were positioned well this spring to meet the quick increase in demand. I was running every week to our cold storage in Boise to refill our freezers and make deliveries.

We hosted farm tours here in the open air and sunshine twice a month through the summer, showing people our cows, fields, and growing practices, tasting wild plants and the beef we raise, and enjoying conversations with people from a wide range of backgrounds and all walks of life, united in the pursuit of a healthy life and delicious food. We are thankful for the renewal and continuation of old friendships, and the beginning of new ones.

Saint John’s Organic Farm

---

On a personal note, this has been a good year for me! I got my book Share the Gift finished and published, had a number of adventures hiking mountains and camping (including summiting two more Idaho 12ers with a buddy this summer), spent a number of gorgeous days out on Black Canyon Reservoir with a canoe or sailing our little Sailfish, and in November I proposed to the girl I’ve been dating for the last year and she said yes!

January 1st I kicked off 2021 with bagpipes at midnight, and then running a Murph workout at the Emmett City Park later in the day.

Aaron Dill, New Years Murph Workout 2021

As we enter a New Year, I am reminded of the ‘Litany of Fear’ in Frank Herbert’s “Dune”:

"I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain."

(is anyone else excited for the new film to be released? I loved the book, and the movie trailer looks like they might capture it really well)

And so by the grace of God we go forward. Here’s to a rich 2021, full of the joy of family and friends and delicious food!

 All the best,

Aaron

All About Grass Fed Beef Bone Broth

Good broth resurrects the dead. - South American Proverb

Bone broth has had a resurgence into the mainstream in the last few years, and for good reason. It's an ancient food, known for fortifying our immune system, restoring the gut lining, replenishing our joints and tissues, and being rich in amino acids and minerals not easily found in our Western diet.

Namely, bone broth is rich in glycine (an amino acid), collagen, glucosamine (essential for joint health), calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulphur, and trace minerals. By utilizing the whole animal, we can add a spectrum of nutrients to our diets that are no longer commonly found.

For further reading on the benefits and history of bone broth, as well as some cooking tips for creating your own, check out the article, "Broth is Beautiful" from the Weston A. Price Foundation or listen to this entertaining presentation, "Bone Broth and Health: A Look at the Science", from Dr. Kaayla Daniel at the Ancestral Health Society.

How to Use Bone Broth

Broth is just the beginning! Use bone broth instead of boullion or packaged broth when called for in your favorite recipes. Create chili, soups, stews, sauces, or drink from a cup with a dash of salt for a warming tonic as the weather cools down.

Sourcing Bones

Using high quality organic, grass-fed and grass-finished beef bones is essential to creating broth. From a nutritional perspective, the animal cannot give what it doesn't have. Livestock fed an inappropriate diet will not have bones with adequate nutrition to extract for bone broth.

This is especially true if animals were exposed to glyphosate, the active ingredient in common herbicide (RoundUp) used in modern agriculture. There is evidence that livestock exposed to glyphosate (through food or water runoff) will not have an adequate amount of glycine, an essential amino acid abundant in bone broth, and the livestock will have glyphosate instead of glycine.

This is worrisome because our connective tissues and joints will accept glyphosate in the stead of glycine, as they are chemically very similar molecules. This can be very disruptive for our health, as we know human proteins contaminated with glyphosate cease to functional normally. Glyphosate is prohibited for use for USDA certified organic farms, so choosing organic keeps glyphosate out of your bone broth.

We have high quality beef bones in stock right now! Our bones are certified organic, grass-fed, grass-finished, and grown locally near Emmett, ID. Call or email to order! 

Beef Stock

from Nourishing Traditions, p. 122

INGREDIENTS

• about 4 pounds beef marrow and knuckle bones

• 1 calves foot, cut into pieces (optional)

• 3 pounds meaty rib or neck bones

• 4 or more quarts cold filtered water

• 1/2 cup vinegar

• 3 onions, coarsely chopped

• 3 carrots, coarsely chopped

• 3 celery sticks, coarsely chopped

• several sprigs of fresh thyme, tied together

• 1 teaspoon dried green peppercorns, crushed

• 1 bunch parsely

>> Continue reading Beef Stock recipe

Bone broth is packed with nutrition, versatile, and economical. I hope you found this useful. Tag us on Instagram @stjohnsorganicfarm when you make your own bone broth!

Paleo Grass Fed Beef Hash Recipe: Tastes like Steak and Eggs Diner-Style

Hearty, diner-style hash using beef stew meat. Layers of garlic, pepper, and satisfying savory flavor. This recipe can easily be made gluten-free. Enjoy! 

Hearty Beef Stew Meat Hash

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb St. John’s organic, grass-fed beef stew meat, cut into 1/2-1 inch chunks

• 1/2 cup olive or avocado oil

• 1/2 cup soy sauce (or gluten-free alternative tamari or coconut aminos)

• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (add more if you like spicy food, we use 1/2 tsp, omit if you don’t like spicy)

• 4-6 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tsp Italian seasoning blend

• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

• if using soy sauce alternative, add 1 tsp salt (if you use soy sauce, do not add this as it will be too salty)

• 3-5 potatoes

• 2 tbsp olive or avocado oil

• 1 onion, sliced thinly into half moons

• 1-2 bell peppers, sliced into strips

• salt and pepper to taste

Optional garnishes:

• fried egg

• sour cream

• minced cilantro

• sliced green onions

• sliced cherry tomatoes

METHOD

The Day Before

Marinate beef for a few hours before cooking. I usually marinate it overnight.

1. Chop beef into 1/2 - 1 inch chunks.

2. Whisk together oil, soy sauce or alternative, red pepper flakes, garlic, italian seasoning blend, black pepper, and optional salt.

3. Add meat to marinade and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

The Day Of

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Coat potatoes in oil, salt, and pepper. Place on baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes.

2. While potatoes are roasting, cook beef. Preheat a skillet over medium heat. Add meat to the pan. Be careful not to crowd the pan in order to ensure even cooking. Cook 1-2 minutes each side. I recommend using tongs. Work in batches, transferring the cooked meat to plate when done.

3. Using the same pan with delicious marinade remaining from the beef, turn the skillet to medium heat and cook onions 6-8 minutes, until well browned and limp.

4. Add peppers and continue to cook 3-5 minutes, until soft.

5. Turn down heat to low-medium, add in roasted potatoes, stir to combine, and cook for about 2 minutes. Potatoes will soak up remaining marinade left in the pan, imparting extra flavor. Add cooked beef to pan, along with any accumulated juices in bowl. Stir to combine and heat through, about 1 minute.

6. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve promptly with optional garnishes. Our favorites are fried egg, cilantro, and green onions.

A delicious alternative preparation is to use the beef as taco meat instead of in a hash. Marinate and cook according to above directions and put meat in tacos, on top of beans and rice, or in a taco salad and serve with salsa. 

I hope you enjoy this versatile, savory hash recipe. We enjoy the diner-esque vibe of this dish and add it to our meal plan regularly. Tag us on Instagram to let us know what you think!

Healthy Habits: Support Your Health in Every Season

2020 has been a stressful year for many, but be encouraged because there are steps we can take to thrive -- mentally, physically, and spiritually.

Jonathan laying on a pile of weeds, pushed by Thomas!

Play

Modern lifestyles and occupations have diminished a lot of opportunities to move our bodies and play. A good place to start is to go outside and copy what your kids or grandkids are doing. If they jump, skip, or run, follow suit!

Seize and be in the moment. Play helps us to be present in mind, body, and spirit. Exercise doesn’t have to be a drudge. Make it play and you’ll want to do it because it’s fun.

Farm “work” in the winter -- AKA Aaron and Jonathan playing in the snow.

Even in cold or snowy weather, take advantage of the beautiful snow and embrace the season we are in. An old Swedish proverb says “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes.”

Cold exposure is known to have health-promoting effects, such as improved circulation and thermo-regulation as well as lowering inflammation and assisting the immune system. A short walk in the cold each day is enough exposure to gain some of the benefits.

Touch

Physical contact increases oxytocin and dopamine in our brains. Oxytocin strengthens our relationship bonds while dopamine helps us feel pleasure and satisfaction. Spending time with loved ones and pets does a lot of good to our mental and physical well-being. Hugs are essential for us and our loved ones!

Sleep

We all know we need more rest, and it can be hard to come by unless we make time for it. Our body needs to reset, and most Americans are not getting enough sleep. Aim for 7-9 hours, more if you’re feeling unwell.

Lack of sleep increases risk for obesity and insulin resistance, leads to workplace errors, motor vehicle accidents, and is known to affect mood disorders like depression and anxiety. Prioritizing sleep makes you more productive for all of your waking hours!

Supercharge your sleep by improving your sleep environment:

• Make your bedroom as dark as possible

• Cover light sources (I’ve had good luck with black electrical tape)

• Use blackout curtains

• Keep your bedroom at a cool but comfortable temperature

• Avoid screens for at least an hour before bed and make your bedroom a screen-free haven. Blue-light from our devices (and all artificial lights) impede melatonin production by affecting our pineal gland.

Sunrise on the farm.

Sunshine

In the wintertime, most people don’t get outside enough because of the cold weather. Getting adequate sunshine, especially the morning sunrise is truly key to optimal health.

Morning sunlight sets our circadian rhythm, which regulates many of our body’s processes. Sunlight energizes our mitochondria, the tiny engines inside our cells. Our mitochondria take energy from our food and turn it into usable energy for all of our cells to expend. Mitochondria sustain every aspect of our bodies, and supporting our mitochondria supports our whole being.

Spending time outside in the fresh air and sunshine is such a mood-boosting and energizing activity. Any time I’m feeling in a funk, a brisk walk outdoors helps me recenter.

Quiet Reflection and Meditation

While the holiday season can be full of appointments and to-dos, it’s important to make time to reflect and connect. Prayer, meditation, and journaling are all practices that bring mental stillness and clarity.

Daily stresses can often feel overwhelming. Prayer and meditation help us gain a long-term view that puts our momentary worries into proper perspective. If you are feeling stressed in the upcoming weeks, take a minute for yourself. Take a breath. Pray. Hug your loved ones. Reconnect.

When it comes to our health, we have the power to choose health promoting habits so that we can thrive. May your year in 2021 be full of health and vitality!