Broccoli Beef (Stir Fry)

I love cooking with my wok! Getting dinner on the table is almost never as easy or as quick. Seriously! All you need to do is some minimal prep work. Get your pan nice and hot. Toss it all in. Just minutes later, your family is looking at you like you're some sort of FOODIE super hero. (We all have a cape and phone booth on hand, right?)

This dish is a compilation of recipes I have found in various magazines, restaurants, and websites, over the years. I have been constantly tweaking it to suit my taste. I think I have finally come up with the right combination of ingredients. My family seems to agree. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 Tbs cornstarch, divided

2 Tbs water

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Lb round or sirloin steak, cut against the grain into thin strips

2 Tbs vegetable oil, divided

1/2 cup water *plus a little more

4 cups broccoli florets

1 sweet onion, cut into wedges

2 tsp sesame oil

1/3 cup soy sauce

2 tsp seasoned rice vinegar

3 Tbs brown sugar

1 tsp ginger paste

2 tsp garlic chili sauce

2 cups cooked rice (white or brown, whatever you like)

*Serves 4 nicely (I always double my recipe)

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine 2 Tbs cornstarch and 2 Tbs water; whisk until smooth. Add in your minced garlic and let sit a few minutes. Add in beef strips and toss to coat; let sit about 15 minutes. While beef is sitting, mix together your sauce: In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup water with remaining 2 Tbs corn starch; whisk  until smooth. Next, whisk in your sesame oil, soy sauce, seasoned rice vinegar, brown sugar, ginger paste, and garlic chili sauce. Set aside.

In a wok, or large non-stick skillet, heat 1 Tbs vegetable oil over medium/high heat. (You'll know it's ready when 1 drop of water hits pan, sizzles, and evaporates quickly.) Add beef and stir fry until all sides are lightly browned; remove from wok and keep warm. Add remaining 1 Tbs oil to wok, stir fry onion and broccoli for about 5 minutes.(Here is where I usually add another Tbs or two of water. It helps the broccoli steam and keeps it moist.) Return beef strips to pan. Pour sauce mixture over your beef and broccoli and stir fry another 2 to 5 minutes. Serve over rice.

LESLIE'S NOTES:  Ginger paste is usually found in the salad section of most grocery stores. It's in a tube right near the fresh herbs. If you do not want any heat in this dish, simply leave out the garlic chili sauce. If you want heat and can't find garlic chili sauce, substitute with 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes. If you don't want to deal with cutting the steak into strips, look for pre-packaged stir fry beef. Or ask your butcher to do it for you. (Haven't had one say no to me yet!)