Monday's Menu 10-3-11

Oy, sorry I'm late getting this post ready. Okay, here we go. Beef with broccoli is a favorite here in our house. Takes a littel prep time, but it's worth the effort. I par boil the broccoli just slightly so it's not quite as crunchy at the end, but if you like crunchy, then you can skip that step.

Traditional stir fry calls for more ingredients that we have on our shopping list, so I've put (optional) next to anything that can be left out if you either don't have it or don't want to make another stop to get it. Garlic cloves are fairly cheap, and they'll add a little depth to the stir fry if you have the time to get them. You can also add a coin sized slice of peeled fresh ginger (also cheap) for additional flavor. Oyster sauce is a little more expensive, but the flavor is rich and I use it all the time, even just to drizzle across asparagus. You can find it in the Asian section of your market, or if you're lucky enough to have an Asian market nearby, you can find it there at a much lower cost.

Beef Stir Fry

1 tablespoon vinegar (rice vinegar if available)

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon cornstarch

3/4 pound lean beef, thinly sliced, cross grain

1 pound fresh broccoli, broken into florets

1 carrot, thinly sliced diagonally

2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced (optional)
2 T oil
3 cups cooked rice (brown or white)

Sauce:

2 tablespoons oyster sauce (optional)

2 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon water

Thickener:

1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water

Mix the first 5 ingredients together in a shallow dish. Add the beef and toss together. Marinate while preparing the other ingredients. Par boil the broccoli florets for about 2 minutes. Drain. Add the 2 T oil to a heated skillet or wok. Add the beef and stir fry until just done, about 3 minutes. Remove to a plate, and add the veggies. Stir fry until just tender, about 5 minutes. Add the beef back to the pan and veggies. Mix together the sauce ingredients (increasing soy sauce and water by 1 T each if not using oyster sauce). Stir together. Made a well in the center and add the cornstarch and water mixture. Continue to stir fry until sauce is thickened.

Serve immediately over rice.