Broccoli Beef

I have recently noticed that I tend to cook the same sort of food for dinners. I make a lot of Italian, Mexican, and North American comfort food. I tend to stay away from food I'm not familiar with and because of that I feel like my family and I are missing out on a LOT of good food. I am trying to keep my eyes open for recipes that feature foods I don't usually prepare, and tonight I took a baby step towards cooking Chinese food. I know that this is not authentic Chinese food, more like an Americanized version, but remember baby steps. I got the basic outline of this recipe from a cooking demonstration put on by my Mothers of Preschoolers group.

Broccoli Beef

1 pound tri tip
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 pound broccoli florets, washed and dried
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, cleaned

For the sauce:
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
3/4 cup water

Cut the tri tip into bite size chunks. Season the beef with 1/2 teaspoon of low sodium soy sauce, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch. Get a saute pan and put 1 tablespoon of Sesame oil inside. Put the pan over medium heat and once the pan is hot cook the meat for 3-4 minutes for medium rare steak. (I like my steak medium rare; if you want yours more or less cooked adjust the cooking time accordingly) Remove the steak from the pan and let it rest nearby.

Mix together the sauce ingredients with a whisk and set aside. Slice your mushrooms then add the mushrooms and broccoli to the pan. Stir fry the vegetables for 4 minutes then add the sauce to the pan. Turn down the heat and cook until the sauce has thickened and become transparent. Add the steak to the pan and cook until just heated through. Serve with brown rice (or white if that is what your family likes).

Serves 4-6 people

I got a thumbs up from my family for this dinner, though it did take quite awhile for my four year old to eat her broccoli. I just keep telling myself baby steps.

Till tomorrow...