Chew on This | Chinese Beef and Vegetables

Are you sooo craving a good Chinese meal but don't want the expense of take-out?   If you choose cooking-in versus taking-out, you are in control of the nutrition, flavor, and expense of your dinner.  And control is a good thing.  This recipe is flavorful, fast and easy to prepare.   You can use your families favorite vegetables if you like or the ones I used.   Broccoli, cauliflower, and mini corn work also.

This is what you will need:
Flank or round steak, green peppers, onion, garlic, ginger, mushrooms, bean sprouts,
cabbage, soy sauce, oil, tomato,  pea pods, sesame oil, sea salt, pepper, corn starch,
1 beef bouillon cube, and green onions.  Optional:  Julienned carrots.

Pour the sesame oil and canola oil into a large skillet.  Over medium high heat, add the minced garlic, ginger and sliced round or flank steak.  Sauté 5 minutes.

Turn meat and brown on all sides.

Add the soy sauce and a few drops of sweetener.  Stir to blend.  Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

Slice the green peppers in 1/2" strips.  Thinly slice the cabbage, mushrooms, and tomato.  Cut 2 green onions on the diagonal and drain the the bean sprouts.

Add all the vegetables to the beef except the mushrooms and pea pods.  Drop in 1 beef bouillon cube and a cup of water.  Stir to combine and simmer 5 more minutes-covered.

Combine the corn starch with 1/4 cup of water and stir until smooth.    

Add to the beef and vegetables and blend.  Place the mushrooms and pea pods on top and simmer until mixture just begins to thicken.  Remove from heat.  All done!

Ah, so good and so fast.  Serve with fluffy white or brown rice and enjoy your nutritious, flavorful and inexpensive meal.

Mimi

Here is the recipe:

Chinese Beef and Vegetables

2 pounds flank or round steak, sliced across grain in 1/2" slices  

1 T sesame seed oil

1 T  canola oil

3 cloves of garlic, finely minced

1/2 t ginger or more to taste

1 t salt

pepper to taste

1/4 cup soy sauce

3 drops of low calorie sweetener or a dash of powdered sweetener

1 tomato, diced

1/2 onion. thinly sliced

4 ounces mushrooms (or more), sliced

2 green peppers, seeded and sliced in 1/2" slices

1 cup cabbage, very thinly sliced

1 can bean sprouts, drained

a few pea pods

1 carrot,  julienne cut

2 green onions, sliced on the diagonal,    Optional: 2 reserved for garnish on top

Optional:  1 small julienne carrot 

1 beef bouillon cube

1 T corn starch

cooked white (or brown) rice

Slice beef (across the grain) in 1/2" wide strips.   In a large skillet, pour in the oil and over

medium high heat, sauté the beef in the finely minced garlic, ginger, salt and pepper.  Simmer for about 5 minutes.  Add the soy sauce and the sweetener, lower heat and simmer covered for 5 minutes.

Remove seeds and ribs from the peppers and slice in 1/2" slices.  Dice the tomato, thinly slice the onion, cabbage and the mushroom.   Slice 2 green onions on the diagonal.  Optional:  julienne cut 1 small carrot.  

Add the can of drained bean sprouts, sliced green peppers, tomato, onions, cabbage, and 2

green onions to the beef.  Stir to combine.  Add 1 beef bouillon cube and 1 cup of water to the skillet, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

Make a smooth paste of the corn starch in 1/4 cup of water.  Stir into the beef, add the pea pods and the mushrooms to the top and simmer until thickened.   Optional:  Sprinkle top of finished dish with 2 green onions which have been sliced on the diagonal.

Adjust seasonings and serve with hot white or brown rice.