Beef "Cubano" Style with Pigeon Peas and Rice

Beef and Pigeon Peas “Cubano” Syle

Makes 5 servings
Calories (per serving) 260
Macros: 30 C | 7 F* | 30 P | 6 Fiber
* note: I used grassfed beef, which is lower in fat

INGREDIENTS:

552 grams top sirloin, cubed (1.25 pounds)
8 ml Olive Oil divided in 2
115 g Zucchini, chopped (about 1 medium zucchini)
125 g Tomatoes chopped (10-15 cherry tomatoes)
60 g chopped Green Bell Pepper (half a bell pepper) chopped
100 g dry pigeon peas cooked in a pressure cooker, OR half a can of pigeon peas, drained
100 grams cooked White Rice (Any Brand)
125 grams onion, chopped (half a medium onion)
100 grams steamed sweet potato

FOR THE MARINADE
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp oregano
1tso cumin
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red chili flakes (more if you like it hot)
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cinnamon sticks
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup water

DIRECTIONS:

Mix up all the ingredients for the marinade plus 4 ml olive oil, dump in a gallon size ziplock bag (or sealable container) add the chopped beef and combine thoroughly, making sure marinade covers all the pieces of beef. Let this hang out in your fridge for 30 minutes.
Heat the remaining 4 ml of olive oil in a large sauté pan and add the onions, bell pepper, and zucchini. Season with salt and pepper and sauté for about 5 minutes, add the tomatoes and combine.
Dump the beef with all its marinade contents into the pan and cook for another five minutes. You just want the beef cooked through. It is a lean cut and easy to over cook. But you also do not want raw beef.
Add the cooked rice, steamed sweet potato and pigeon peas. Stir to combine and take off the heat. Weight the final product in its entirety and divide by 5. Note that number on a post it on the container, or divide evenly into 5 smaller containers. Heat in the microwave to eat.

Again this recipe takes a little pre-prep but ermahgerd it’s tasty! The lowly pigeon pea, is a staple in African, Caribbean and Indian ciusines. This little pulse is brimming with stores of potassium and magnesium, two micronutrients essential for recovery. It shares familial taxonomy with our other pulse-y friend, the chick pea. Get thyself a can or throw a handful into your instant pot. Whatever you need to do!