Look to lo mein for post- and pre-holiday meals

You've gotten through Thanksgiving and now you're staring down the rest of the holiday season. That means loads of rich foods that hit all those comfort-food cravings.

Yes, it's wonderful to indulge at this time of year, but if you're anything like me, you hit the holiday feast wall by about Dec. 20, not a good time to be losing steam. After all, it's a marathon, not a sprint.

That's why it's good to have a culinary strategy that can help you navigate your way through all the cheese, crackers, prime rib and figgy pudding. Here's mine:

As soon as the last Thanksgiving leftover leaves the fridge, I spend the next two weeks trying to eat foods with a completely different flavor profile than typical holiday fare. Instead, I focus on brighter flavors, usually from other countries.

Tacos, sushi, spring rolls and minestrone all make an appearance on my post-turkey/pre-holiday table. This is also a good time to pull out the wok and make stir-fries, which are the perfect meal this time of year. They're quick, easy and fresh tasting, and usually have very little cleanup.

To successfully execute a stir-fry, you just need to keep a few things in mind.

• Woks are great, but a large skillet works well, too. And high heat works best.

• Mise en place is critical. It's a French culinary phrase which means "putting in place" or "everything in its place." It refers to the setup required before cooking, which includes getting all your ingredients prepped and ready to go. It sounds strange to use a French term while cooking an Asian dish but, trust me, Asian cooks do this, too. In the middle of stir-frying, you have no time to think through an ingredient substitution. Know what you have ahead of time.

While stir-fries are often simply a protein and vegetable meant to be served over rice, I like those that include noodles, too, such as beef lo mein. This recipe calls for carrots, red bell pepper and broccoli, but almost any vegetable you have on hand will work. Be sure to add the ones that take longer to cook first so everything completes cooking at the same time.

Serves 4.

Note: Freezing the flank steak for 30 minutes before slicing makes it easier to get extra thin slices, which work best in this recipe. From Meredith Deeds.

• 8 oz. lo mein noodles or spaghetti

• 1 tsp. sesame oil

• 1/4 c. low-sodium soy sauce

• 1/4 c. rice wine vinegar

• 1 tbsp. honey

• 1 lb. flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain

• 1/4 tsp. pepper

• 2 tsp. cornstarch

• 2 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. vegetable oil, divided

• 1 tbsp. minced ginger root

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 carrot, cut into matchsticks

• 1 small head broccoli, cut into small florets

• 1 red pepper, sliced into thin strips

Directions

Cook noodles in a medium pot of boiling salted water according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cool water; set aside.

Place the beef in another medium bowl and toss with salt and pepper, and then cornstarch.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large wok or large skillet over high heat. Add half of the beef and cook, tossing often, until medium-rare, about 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate. Repeat with another 1 tablespoon oil and the remaining beef.

Once the beef has cooked, heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in same work skillet over high heat. Cook ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the carrot and broccoli and cook until vegetables are softened, about 3 minutes. Add red pepper and cook for another minute. Add oyster sauce mixture and reserved noodles and cook, tossing with tongs, until everything is coated and sauce thickens slightly, 1 to 2 minutes more. Add beef and stir to combine. Serve hot.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories560Fat16 gSodium1,780 mg

Protein39 gCholesterol70 mgDietary fiber7 g

Exchanges per serving: 1 vegetable, 3 starch, 1 carb, 4 lean protein, 1 fat.