This week I have been spending a lot of time cleaning up my summer garden and taking care of new fall plantings such as kale, chard, and spring mix. I’ve also been trying to exercise more and cook less. Therefore this blog is about how to spend less time in the kitchen. The recipe we make today is a relatively fast one called beef and broccoli.

Beef and broccoli is often found in fast Chinese restaurants like Panda Express or P.F. Chang’s and is a delicious and popular dish. If made right it will have crisp tender broccoli and tender pieces of beef.

We don’t eat out much anymore and so I have tried to perfect my homemade version of this dish. This recipe is somewhat healthy since it has broccoli and onions. The beef that I use is tender flank steak in a savory brown sauce with garlic and ginger. This only takes 20-25 minutes to cook.

Ideally you will make this in a wok. A wok is a great investment if you don’t have one. Another thing to know is that you need to slice the meat thinly, against the grain. If your meat is too thick it will not be as tender. Prep your broccoli ahead of time. I blanch my broccoli so it stays crisp and tender during the cooking process. When you work with a wok, things happen fast. Try not to overcook the vegetables and meat.

If you take the time to make this quick stir fry at home it will be your new favorite easy dinner. Cook up some steamed rice or chow mein noodles to serve along to make a complete meal. You can make broccoli beef at home that tastes just as good or better as you can find at a restaurant.

Ingredients

Marinated beef

• 1 lbs. beef flank steak, sliced thinly against the grain
• 1 tsp. each finely chopped ginger and garlic
• 1 tbsp. each soy sauce, sherry cooking wine, cornstarch, and canola oil
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper powder

Sauce

• 1/3 cup water
• 1 tbsp. each soy sauce, beef seasoning, cornstarch
• 1 tsp. each sugar and sesame oil

Stir-fry

• 3 tbsp. canola oil
• 1 tsp. each chopped ginger and garlic
• 3 cups bite size broccoli florets, blanched
• 1 cup yellow onion, cut into 1/2 inch wedges

Instructions

In a medium bowl, mix together all marinade ingredients until fully combined. Then, marinate for 20-30 minutes.

Whisk all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside for later use.

Heat a large wok on a high heat. Add a 1/2 tbsp. of oil to the wok. When the oil is hot, add onions to the pan and cook until the onions are slightly charred on the edges. This will take about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the pan and transfer to a plate.

Add another 1/2 tbsp. of oil to the pan. Add blanched and well drained broccoli to the wok. Cook for around 3-5 minutes. Remove from the wok and transfer to same plate as onions.

Heat another 1 tbsp. oil to the same wok. Working in batches, cook the beef in a single layer until seared on both side, 1-2 minutes per side. Then, remove the steak and set aside.

Add another tbsp. of oil to the wok. Add the other 1 tsp. each ginger and garlic. Cook for 30 seconds, then add the sauce ingredients to the wok. Turn down the heat to low and stir very well. Once the sauce is thickened lightly, add the beef, broccoli, and onions to the work. Then stir and turn off the heat.

Toss until evenly coated. Transfer the stir-fry to a serving plate. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over the stir-fry.

Enjoy this wonderful stir-fry dish over some cooked white or brown rice!

Serves 4

Did you make this dish? I’d love to know how it turns out! Feel free to like this post and comment or use the hashtag #globaldinein on Instagram.