(happy upbeat celeste music)
- Hi there!
If you and your family are fans of Chinese take-out,
I have the perfect dinner recipe for you.
We're making Broccoli Beef Stir Fry,
which is loaded with the flavors you love,
but with less sodium than most restaurant food.
So let's get cooking!
What I really love about this recipe
is not only is it good for you and delicious,
it's super-versatile, as you can use all different
types of protein in place of the beef.
You can swap in chicken breasts, shrimp,
lean pork or even tofu.
All of those can be heart-healthy substitutions
for this meal.
But today, we're using beef, and specifically,
I have one pound of lean sirloin steak.
And I've already cut away any visible white fat.
Now I'm gonna slice across the grain, like this,
into one-quarter inch slices.
So it's gonna look like this.
So, when it comes to lean beef choices,
look for words like "loin" or "round"
when choosing what cut of beef to purchase.
Also, "choice" and "select" grades of beef
tend to be leaner than "prime" grades.
OK, so now, I'm gonna cut these slices
into two-inch pieces, so that they'll cook up quickly.
Now I'm gonna set aside the beef as we make our marinade.
Also, I need to wash my hands
as I've been handling raw meat.
OK, so. We're gonna need to start the marinade,
with one tablespoon of corn starch.
One tablespoon of low- or less-sodium soy sauce.
Two tablespoons of sherry, white wine or red wine.
One-quarter of a teaspoon of sugar.
And one-half teaspoon of honey.
Now I'm gonna mix that together really well
until the corn starch and sugar are dissolved
into the liquid.
Now it's time to flavor the beef.
I'm gonna put this into a plastic bag using my tongs.
And then I'm gonna carefully pour the marinade
into the bag, like so.
Now, I'm gonna gently mix the beef with the marinade,
from outside of the bag to make sure that
all of the pieces are being marinated.
I'm gonna put this bag in a shallow bowl
just in case it leaks,
and pop it into the refrigerator as it marinates
for about 30 minutes.
So, while our beef is marinating,
I can start cooking the broccoli.
First, I'm gonna add five tablespoons of water
to this skillet.
Cover it, and bring it to boil.
If you have a wok, you could certainly use that instead,
because that's what's traditionally used
in stir fry recipes like this one.
So, the water is boiling. Let's add our broccoli.
I have two pounds of broccoli here.
I've chopped up the florets, and for the thick stem,
I peeled it and cut it into quarter-inch slices.
I'm now gonna add all of it to the skillet.
I'm gonna bring it to a boil again and then cover it,
reduce the heat to medium, and let the broccoli steam
for about five minutes.
So, our broccoli is done.
It's tender but it still has a little crunch to it.
I've placed it, along with its cooking liquid in this bowl,
for when its time to add it to the stir fry.
And our beef is done marinating,
so it's time to pull together this entire dish.
OK, so now, I'm using the same skillet
I cooked the broccoli in, wiped dry to avoid splatter,
and you see I've already coated it with cooking spray
and placed it over medium-high heat.
Now I'm gonna add in our beef with its marinade
and the three minced garlic cloves.
And I'm just gonna let that sit and sear
for about one minute before I start to stir.
I'm gonna start stirring,
that's why they call it "stir-fry",
and I'm gonna keep stirring frequently
until the beef is no longer pink
and just about cooked through.
So the beef is just about cooked,
and I'll add in the broccoli and saved cooking liquid.
I'm gonna keep stirring all of that together
for about a minute to let the broccoli heat back up.
And we're gonna add one last ingredient:
three-fourths of a cup of low-sodium chicken broth,
as this will help create the sauce and add flavor.
It's essential to bring the sauce back to a rolling boil,
then lower the heat to a simmer to reduce
the potential spread of bacteria.
I'll just keep stirring that
until the sauce thickens up a bit,
which shouldn't take more than a few minutes.
So our Broccoli Beef Stir Fry is finished.
And I'm gonna serve it with cooked brown rice.
I started with one and a half cups uncooked
and just followed the package directions.
You can use all different types of vegetables
instead of the broccoli if you'd like,
like snow peas or green beans, onions, peppers
or carrots, and frozen vegetables also work great
in this recipe.
Just keep in mind, they cook up even faster
than fresh vegetables.
I hope you and your family get to enjoy making and eating
this healthy version of Broccoli Beef Stir Fry for dinner
sometime sooner than later.
Enjoy.
(upbeat celeste music)