Peppered Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry
Total time: 35 minutes; active time: 35 minutes
IN MY KITCHEN, “fast food” means stir-fry. The prep time is longer than the cooking, but even that can be minimized by purchasing precut vegetables from the produce section or salad bar at your market. It’s even faster if you pick up a package of beef tips and a frozen broccoli medley.
Almost any food can be stir-fried. The combination of meat, vegetables, seasonings, and sauces that you select is limited only by your imagination and the ingredients on hand. My most creative stir-fries are served at the end of the week, using leftover produce. The possibilities are endless–and the result is always a delicious, healthful meal. Enjoy!
– Judy Feagin
Ingredients
Instructions
Combine cornstarch, beef broth, and soy sauce, stirring with a whisk until blended; set aside. Sprinkle beef with pepper, salt, ginger, and garlic.
Place nonstick wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and preheat 2 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons oil; heat 1 minute. Next, add half of the steak strips and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from skillet and set aside. Repeat procedure with another 2 teaspoons oil and the remaining steak. Set aside.
Add 2 teaspoons oil to heated skillet. Add bell pepper, broccoli, and onion; cook, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Return beef to skillet; stir in cornstarch mixture. Bring mixture to a boil, then boil 1 minute. Stir in hoisin sauce (if using) and sprinkle with dried crushed red pepper, if desired. Serve over hot cooked pasta.
Sweet, spicy hoisin is a thick, reddish-brown sauce that is widely used in Chinese cooking. Made of soybeans, garlic, chili peppers, and various spices, it is used in many meat, poultry, and shellfish recipes. Hoisin can be found in Oriental markets and in most supermarkets. It keeps indefinitely when stored in a tightly sealed glass jar in the refrigerator.
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