Vegetable & beef stir fry over brown rice

4 Servings

Cook brown rice according to instructions on package; 1 cup dry rice yields about 3-4 cups cooked rice.

Prepare cut vegetables.

Prepare beef by cutting beef lengthwise (with the grain) into several long strips about 2 inches wide. Holding your knife on an angle to the board, cut the strips crosswise against the grain into broad ribbons 1/8-inch thick.

Prepare sauces. In a small bowl, combine chicken stock, water and cornstarch to form a slurry. Set aside. In another small bowl, combine soy sauce and rice vinegar. Set aside.

Heat wok or large heavy skillet over medium-high heat until a bead of water evaporates on contact. Add 2 teaspoons of the peanut oil; swirl to glaze the pan. Reduce heat to moderate, adding ginger and garlic. Cook briefly. Add broccoli and onion. Cook approximately 3 minutes, tossing to avoid sticking to pan (add small amounts of water if veggies stick to pan). Add pepper and cabbage. Cook until cabbage is wilted. Add about two-thirds of soy sauce mixture to pan. Bring to simmer, stirring. Quickly stir the cornstarch slurry into pan. Stir for about 15-20 seconds.

Remove pan from heat and place vegetables in large serving bowl. Return pan to heat and add remaining 1 teaspoon peanut oil to pan. When hot, add flank steak, tossing to avoid sticking. When cooked to desired done-ness, add remaining soy-sauce mixture. Toss, and allow to come to simmer. Remove pan from heat. Add beef to vegetables. Serve over generous serving of rice.

Hints

• This meal illustrates another carbohydrate-rich meal. The vegetables and rice play the major role while the beef flank steak is used as a condiment.
• The veggies in this recipe are just suggestions. Use whatever you have in the refrigerator or whatever is seasonally fresh in your local market. Think color and texture!
• Blanching veggies before stir-frying cuts the amount of oil needed in half!
• Experiment with different rice like brown or red rice, short or long-grain, basmati or Texmati. It's a tasty way to incorporate more whole grains into your diet. (Red rice can be found in Asian markets.)
• Sauce option: Replace 6 TB of rice vinegar with an equal amount of black vinegar. Combine this with 3 TB light soy sauce (black vinegar can be found in most Asian markets), 1 TB bourbon and 2 TB water.

Stir fry plus 1.5 C Brown Rice:

Recipes for a Heart-Healthy Kitchen