Hello everyone! I hope you are having a great Spring so far! We are finally starting to get some warmer weather here in East Tennessee and it’s been lovely!
This month I’m featuring an easy, go-to recipe for cooking at home. This is something I make often and I wanted to share it with you. So, get ready for some mind-blowing chef tips!!!
And, I’ll be sharing some insight and revelations from my life as I’ve recently reflected on turning 40… Yes, I’m 40. (Crazy, right?!)
The Main Course
People often ask me if I cook for myself. I typically respond with “yes, but it’s much more streamlined.” This is quite true. Cooking for clients is more of a production with separate motivations. Cooking at home should be simple, streamlined, and satisfying. (Not to mention healthy.)
So, for this month’s newsletter let’s check out a dish that I make often. Be sure to see the chef tips in the commentary below:
Sautéed Ginger Beef with Pan Steamed Vegetables and Coconut Jasmine Rice (Red Curry Sauce)
1 lb flank steak, cold
Mixed bag of asian vegetables
White Jasmine Rice, rinsed
1 can coconut milk
1 jar quality red curry sauce
*This is much less of a recipe and more of an ingredient guide. I recommending using the chef’s tips below and ingredient list above to make your own delicious dinner!
Chef Tips:
1) slice the flank steak thin – do so and it will cook very quickly and has great flavor; the longer you cook the browner it will get (for you well done types out there); be mindful of carry over cooking (sear then set aside on a clean plate to let rest, it will continue to cook of the stove thanks to residual heat)
2) freeze the meat for a few minutes – this will enable you to slick’s eat thin for a more uniform cut and efficient cooking (not necessary but definitely an option)
3) pan searing vegetables – do this over high heat with a neutral oil; I like to add a splash of water and a lid; this will sear, add color and flavor, but also ensure the vegetables cook through quickly without becoming mushy; vegetables should be relatively the same size and thickness to finish cooking at the same time
4) rice – every rice varietal is different; I simply read the labels and keep my fingers crossed, lol; I do like to cook this rice in a combination of coconut milk and water (and I recommend measuring liquid to rice ratio, that does matter here); again, read the labels for cooking instruction and measure, we are absorbing liquids here so measuring does matter)
Try it and let me know how it goes!
Happenings
This past April I turned 40. It’s been a unique moment in time where I’ve reflected on paste decades and tried to put things in proper perspective. In many ways, I’m in a place where I always longed to be, but, in many other ways, there’s still a long way to go and a short time to get there (thank you, Smoky and the Bandit #iykyk).
Here’s what I do know after turning 40:
1) Throw the 5 year plan in the trash – Yes, I said it. After much reflection, it’s more than safe to say that the traditional “where do you want to be in 5 years?” question does not serve me. In fact, I don’t even try to answer it anymore. I would even vouch that it’s a terrible question to ask someone (job interviewers and employers, yes, I’m talking to you). Here’s why. I prefer to speak from experience over intellect and information. There’s little about my life that has been textbook. Not my career trajectory or my personal relationships. It’s been an interesting dichotomy over the years. And for me, it’s been true that His ways are not our ways. (Can I get an amen?!) I’ve learned to surrender the plan instead of strive. It seems like a far superior approach.
2) Fit at 40? – For many, fitness is a chore. Or, it’s a very casual option. I started running in middle school and for reasons, both known and unknown, I have never stopped. As an adolescent, I often heard the adage the “my sport is your sports punishment.” I don’t have all the answers on this but I can say with full confidence that I’m wired this way. I’m built for it. (see Job 39:19-25 !!! #thoroughbreds) Recently, someone even said it looks like an addiction. Well, there are far worse things to be addicted to, yes?
My fitness regimen has evolved, ebbed, and flowed over the years but at the end of the day it’s about being an authentic self, not settling for status quo, and strategically positioning myself to have the opportunity to be active. For me, that’s ensuring any home I’ve moved into has easy access to running routes or purposely designing my work so that I can hit the gym on the daily. It’s a choice. It’s a commitment to a cause.
3) Why settle? – To my last point, let’s tackle the status quo. I’ve always been inspired to be better. Or stated more accurately, be my best self. I was chatting with a dear friend recently who also crossed the 40 threshold and was struggling with all it’s implications. He too has committed to the fitness life and is also the owner of my gym. I asked him once… “do you always feel like the exception? I mean, how many people your age and in your season of life live like you, look like you, etc?” I think we all know the answer.
3) Why settle? – To my last point, let’s tackle the status quo. I’ve always been inspired to be better. Or stated more accurately, be my best self. I was chatting with a dear friend recently who also crossed the 40 threshold and was struggling with all it’s implications. He too has committed to the fitness life and is also the owner of my gym. I asked him once… “do you always feel like the exception? I mean, how many people your age and in your season of life live like you, look like you, etc?” I think we all know the answer.
4) Hustle culture, ever heard of it? – Some call it the grind, others call it hustle. Instagram is full of online entrepreneurs guaranteeing massive results with only 4-hour work weeks. I imagine the truth is somewhere in the middle. Tbh, I think much of my hard work has been fear-based and comes from a scarcity mindset. You could call it “afraid to not.” I’m learning now that an abundance mindset is key and critical and that implementing systems, habits, and routines promotes progress. I am learning to rest and relax, enjoy the fruits of my labor while still pursuing purpose and potential.
I hope this helps you in some way. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk! Until next time!
Chef Kevin
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