Keeping up with weeds in the gardens and flower beds is a never-ending job. When I think I’m getting caught up in one area, I look around and realize I’ve fallen behind somewhere else. My hands and nails are stained from pulling weeds and my arms and legs are itchy with bug bites and scratches. Yet when I look back at where I’ve been and the garden looks so neat, I’m happy and feel a sense of accomplishment.

I pulled up the remaining onions and English peas. I also cleared out the lettuce beds that were full of weeds, grasshoppers and the now-bitter greens to make room for eggplant and peppers. I made a stir fry with the peas and a few of the onions – and of course – squash makes its return in this dish too.

Beef and Vegetable Stir Fry
1 lb. beef arm roast, cubed
4 cups squash, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
4 cups cauliflower, chopped
1 cup red and green bell peppers, chopped
2 cups English peas, divided
1 cup beef broth or stock
8 cups cooked rice
2 eggs

Marinade:
1⁄2 cup soy sauce
1⁄4 cup teriyaki sauce
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
6 tsp. garlic, minced
1/3 cup onion, minced

Prepare the marinade and combine with the cubed beef in a sealable bag. Place in a bowl and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Flip the bag over a few times to make sure the marinade is coating the meat.

When ready to cook dinner, drain the meat and reserve the marinade. In a small pot, bring the reserved marinade and 1 cup beef broth to a boil and continue to cook until it is reduced by half. Prepare rice and add half the fresh English peas and the eggs to the rice after removing from heat. Stir well and place the lid on top. The eggs will cook and the peas will heat by dinner time.

In a wok or large pan, cook the beef on high heat until done. Remove with a slotted spoon and cook the vegetables in the pan juices. Do not over-cook. They should still have some crunch. Return the beef, pour the marinade sauce over all and stir.

Serve the beef and vegetable mixture over rice. The recipe makes 8-10 servings. Each serving contains about 750 calories and 12 grams of fat. After dinner, the leftovers can be packaged in containers to be taken for lunches during the week.