Goal

A single plate that delivers about 100 grams of protein, tastes great, and uses simple supermarket ingredients.

What you will make

Grilled top sirloin, fluffy quinoa, and a sheet pan of roasted broccoli, peppers, and zucchini with lemon and parsley.

Ingredients for 1 powerhouse serving

Protein target about 100 to 105 g per serving
Time 40 to 45 minutes, mostly hands off

Steak

• Top sirloin or striploin steak, about 16 oz raw to yield about 12 oz cooked
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika

Quinoa

• ⅖ cup dry quinoa, about 70 to 75 g, rinsed
• 1 cup water or light stock
• Pinch of salt

Roasted vegetables

• Broccoli florets 1 heaping cup, about 150 g
• Red bell pepper 1 small, sliced
• Zucchini ½ medium, sliced
• Red onion ¼ small, sliced
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• Lemon wedges and a small handful of chopped parsley for finishing

Step by step

1. Heat the oven and prep veg
   Set oven to 425°F, 220°C. Toss broccoli, pepper, zucchini, and onion with 2 teaspoons olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Spread on a sheet pan.
2. Start quinoa
   Bring 1 cup water with a pinch of salt to a boil. Stir in rinsed quinoa, reduce to low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes. Turn off heat and rest covered 5 minutes, then fluff. This yields about 1¼ cups cooked.
3. Roast vegetables
   Roast 18 to 22 minutes until edges char and centers stay tender. Squeeze lemon over and sprinkle parsley.
4. Season and grill the steak
   Pat steak dry. Rub with 1 teaspoon olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.
   Grill on high heat 4 to 6 minutes per side for medium rare, or until the thickest part reads 130 to 135°F, 54 to 57°C. Rest 5 to 10 minutes on a board before slicing against the grain.
5. Plate
   Spoon 1¼ cups quinoa onto the plate, add a generous heap of roasted vegetables, and top with about 12 oz cooked steak slices. Finish with extra lemon and parsley.

Protein math, plain and transparent

• Cooked top sirloin about 26 g protein per 100 g. Twelve ounces cooked is about 340 g, which is roughly 88 to 92 g protein.
• Quinoa 1¼ cups cooked about 10 g protein.
• Vegetables on this plate about 3 to 5 g protein total.
  Total about 101 to 107 g protein for the plate.

All counts use cooked weight for the steak, which is why the raw steak listed is larger. Trimming and grill loss vary, so there is a small range.

Approximate macros per serving

• Protein about 100 to 105 g
• Carbs about 60 to 70 g
• Fat about 45 to 50 g
• Calories about 1,000 to 1,150

Numbers vary with cut, trimming, oil, and exact veg mix.

Make it lighter or bigger

• About 80 g protein use about 9 oz cooked steak instead of 12 oz.
• About 120 g protein keep the plate the same and add 4 oz extra cooked steak slices.

Grocery list

For 1 serving

• Top sirloin or striploin steak, about 1 lb raw
• Quinoa, ¾ cup dry is more than enough for the week, or buy in bulk and measure ⅖ cup for this recipe
• Broccoli 1 small crown
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 zucchini
• 1 small red onion
• 1 lemon
• Fresh parsley small bunch
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika

For 4 servings

• Top sirloin or striploin steaks, about 4 lb total raw
• Quinoa, 1¾ to 2 cups dry
• Broccoli 4 small crowns or 2 large
• Red bell peppers 3 to 4
• Zucchini 2 medium
• Red onions 1 to 2
• 2 lemons
• Fresh parsley 1 bunch
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika

Prep and storage

• Cook quinoa and roast vegetables up to 4 days ahead and refrigerate in airtight containers.
• Grill steaks fresh for best texture, or cook to rare, chill, then reheat slices gently in a hot pan for 30 to 60 seconds per side.
• Leftovers keep 3 to 4 days refrigerated.

Notes for success

• Pull steak from the fridge 20 to 30 minutes before grilling for even cooking.
• Resting the steak keeps juices in the meat, which protects tenderness at this large portion size.
• Season vegetables boldly, roast hot, and finish with lemon to balance the richness of the steak.