Broccoli Beef Stir Fry

I don't do a lot of stir fry at home but when I do, I always think, "I should do this more." Tonight, dinner was ready, from start to finish, in 15 minutes. I like the combination of flavors in the stir fry sauce that I've come up with and I've learned from reading lots of other recipes, that cornstarch is key in getting a thicker sauce. If you need a little extra incentive to buy the chili oil and toasted sesame oil, you can also make this soba noodle salad.

You could substitute the broccoli with another green vegetable (zucchini, asparagus) and add some steamed shelled edamame at the end for some extra protein. I also think that chicken would work fine, just make sure it's done all the way through before you add the sauce and vegetables to the pan. My daughter gobbled up her steak but needed a little encouragement with the broccoli. I served it over quinoa but steamed rice would be a perfect accompaniment as well.

Broccoli Beef Stir Fry (2 or 3 servings)

2 teaspoons of cornstarch
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger (peeled)
1 garlic clove minced
1 green onion, chopped
1/2 tsp chili oil
1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
About 1 1/2 cups broccoli florets
1 lb of steak, sliced into thin strips (I used a London Broil cut, flank steak would work well)
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips (and then I cut the strips in half)

Dissolve the cornstarch into 3 Tablespoons of water. In a separate small bowl, combine the soy sauce, ginger, garlic, onion, chili oil, and sesame oil and set aside. Drizzle a little vegetable oil in a wok or heavy skillet and heat it over high heat. Add the broccoli and stir fry for 1-2 minutes or until softened. Remove from pan.

Brown the beef in two separate batches, just so the outsides are nice and browned but it's still red in the middle. When the second batch is browned, add the first batch back to the pan with the red bell pepper and stir fry until the red bell pepper is a little soft, about 1-2 minutes. Add the broccoli, the sauce, and the cornstarch to the pan. Stir fry until the sauce thickens, about 2-3 minutes.