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Do you ever crave take-out food? When I was in college I used to order take-out at least once a week – sandwiches, pizza, or Asian. It tasted so good and it was convenient. Unfortunately, now I live in a small town and my take out choices are almost non-existent. On top of that, I have a family of four, and take-out every week would take a lot of money out of our budget. So, when I am craving take-out, I try to re-create my favorites with fresh (and budget friendly) recipes at home. Our recipe for the month of May is Beef and Vegetable Stir Fry and it tastes better than take-out.
To make this recipe come together quickly, wash and chop the vegetables in advance when you have a little extra time. Broccoli, carrots, peppers, onion, and celery can all be washed, chopped, and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to five days until you are ready to use them. Also, the next time you make rice, double or triple the amount you need and freeze the extra in freezer bags. Then, when you need rice for another recipe all you need to do is re-heat.
If there are any leftovers, this recipe stores well in the refrigerator. I think it tastes even better re-heated for a quick lunch the next day.
Enjoy!
-Justine
Beef and Vegetable Stir Fry
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 pound lean beef or pork, sliced thinly against the grain
- 2 cups uncooked instant brown rice (or whole wheat noodles)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 7 cups chopped vegetables (like carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, bell peppers, and onions) or 24 ounces frozen stir fry vegetables, thawed
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Mix ginger, garlic powder, soy sauce, and water. Pour ¼ cup of the mix into a sealable plastic bag and save the rest. Add meat to the bag. Seal the bag and set it in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.
- Prepare brown rice according to directions on the package for 4 servings.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan. When oil is hot, add meat from plastic bag and stir until brown. This will take 1 to 3 minutes. Discard liquid from the bag.
- Remove meat from pan and cover it. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to pan.
- Add chopped hard vegetables when oil is hot. Stir and cook them for 3 minutes. Add chopped soft vegetables. Stir and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add cornstarch to the saved ginger mixture and stir until smooth.
- Return meat to the pan when vegetables are tender. Add cornstarch mixture and cook for about 2 minutes until bubbly.
- Serve over brown rice.
- Wash hands and fresh produce under running water. Trim, peel, and core vegetables using a clean knife and clean cutting board. Then chop or slice the produce.
- Add a few drops of hot sauce to the ginger mixture if you like a spicy flavor.
- The meat is easier to cut into strips if you freeze it for 20 minutes.
