Beef and Broccoli

Stir fry night at our house is a regular occurrence. I like vegetables and always have loads of fresh vegetables hanging out in the refrigerator. There are those nights when I’m not sure what to make for dinner, but by combining my assorted vegetables with whatever protein I bought earlier in the week, we are able to enjoy a fast, filling, and delicious weeknight meal.

This Beef and Broccoli is easily adapted to use chicken, shrimp, or even tofu if beef isn’t your favorite meat try it with one of the other proteins that I have suggested, or even drain and mix in a can of beans like black beans or chick peas.

I love the washed and chopped bags of broccoli so I always use those for this recipe, but if you have frozen broccoli it will work well too. I don’t like mushy broccoli in stir fry so I cook my vegetables so that they remain a little crisp, but if you prefer a less firm texture then add a few extra minutes of cooking time to the vegetables.

The vegetables that I use vary based on what I have in the refrigerator, but I always include broccoli, carrots, and onions in my Beef and Broccoli. If you prefer to add in others, like mushrooms or canned baby corn, or to omit some of my suggestions I’m sure that your final product will still taste delicious. I kept this low carb by adding in a lot of cabbage to my vegetable mixture. If you prefer, serve this Beef and Broccoli over a bed of white rice or add cooked noodles to the mixture once the stir fry sauce thickens.

The steak that I used in these photos was sirloin that I sliced against the grain into very thin strips. If you buy chunks of steak that are a little large I suggest slicing them into very thin pieces. The steak only needs to cook for 2 to 3 minutes to keep it from drying out and becoming tough. Choose a steak that is known to be tender and make sure that your pan is hot and that you don’t crowd it or your meat will steam instead of browning. I don’t buy an expensive cut since this will have a sauce and other add ins, but by slicing it thinly against the grain and cooking it for just a few minutes it is super tender.

I hope that you’ll try this recipe today and leave a comment below. Also, for daily updates follow @lifeabovethecafe on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of steak, thinly sliced
• 1 bag of washed broccoli pieces
• 2 carrots cut into small matchstick pieces
• 1 white onion sliced into pieces or diced
• 1/2 head of cabbage, sliced into thin pieces
• green onions diced for adding to the top
• 1 – 2 Tbsp. of oil for stir frying
• salt and pepper to taste

Sauce

• 2 tsps. of minced garlic
• 1 & 1/2 Tbsp. of sugar
• 1/2 Tbsp. of sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp. of oyster sauce
• 3 Tbsp. of soy sauce
• 1 large chicken bouillon cube
• 2 cups of water
• 2 – 3 Tbsp. of cornstarch

Directions:

Wash and prep all of the vegetables.  Slice everything about the same size so that it finishes cooking at the same time.  Slice the meat into thin pieces against the grain.

Mix the sauce ingredients up in a large measuring cup and set aside.  Add 3 Tbsp. of cornstarch if you prefer a thicker sauce (I usually only use 2 Tbsp.).

In a large nonstick skillet or wok over high heat, heat 1/2 Tbsp. of vegetable oil an cook the steak for 2 – 3 minutes.   I like the outside a little brown so I don’t crowd the pan and cook my steak in batches if my pan is too small.  Lightly season the meat with salt and pepper but remember that the sauce has soy which is salty.  If the meat starts to burn, lower the heat.  Also, if it starts to stick add a little more oil.  Once the meat is browned remove it to a bowl on the side.

Lower the heat to medium high and add 1 Tbsp. of oil to the pan and cook the carrots, onion, and cabbage for 2 – 3 minutes.  Add the broccoli pieces and cook the mixture for 2 – 3 more minutes.  Lightly season the vegetables with salt and pepper if desired but remember that the sauce will be salty from the soy.

Once the vegetables have reached the desired consistency, add the meat back to the vegetables and stir the sauce ingredients up to ensure that the cornstarch hasn’t settled back together and then pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables.  Stir everything while the sauce comes up to a boil.  Allow the sauce to continue to thicken for 3 – 5 minutes and then turn off the heat.  Top with diced green onions if desired.

I made this a low carb meal with the addition of the cabbage, but if you prefer, serve this over white rice, or boil Ramen noodles or even spaghetti noodles and add it to the Beef and Broccoli mixture.  Store leftover in the refrigerator and for best results warm them over medium heat in a skillet on the stove.

Note – this recipe is perfect for all types of protein and vegetables.  Adjust to your favorites.

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Additional Photos: