Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Beef Broccoli

Here's what our weekly dinner menu looks like

Monday: Chicken Mushroom Soup with Shell Pasta
Wednesday: Breaded Chicken Fillet with Buttered Vegetables
Thursday: Chicken and Spinach in Curry Sauce
Friday: Sweet and Sour Chicken
Saturday and Sunday: (Yes, I do get a break from cooking and smelling like onions.)

And repeat all chicken menu for another week. and the week after that. and two weeks later.

You get the picture.

We eat so much chicken in our house that I won't be surprised if we start growing feathers soon. I love chicken. I do but I am sort of getting sick of eating it. Pork is out of the question since the hubby doesn't like it. 

I find the beef expensive in the Netherlands so for me, it feels sort of a luxury or a treat when it's on the table. I decided to grab a pack of lean beef at the supermarket because we seriously need a break from Mr. Kip. Really. For 3.70 euros (xPhp60), you can get 322g of a nice cut of lean beef (Magere Runderlappen) here.

And what better way to do with that beautiful beef than to make

BEEF BROCCOLI

Tender slices of beef + crisp broccoli + yummy thick glaze packed with flavor

It is so CRAZY DELICIOUS you will be licking your plate clean.

And your hubby will tell you over and over how lucky he is to have you in his life. 

Sweet!


BEEF BROCCOLI STIR FRY
recipe adapted from Simply Recipes and Rainy Day Gal
serves 2-3 

320 g beef, sliced into thin strips   (I used magere rundlerlappen-lean beef.)
2 cups, broccoli, cut into smaller pieces
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil

Marinade:
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tbsp flour
pinch of black pepper
2 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp mirin (rice wine)
1/2 tbsp water
1 tbsp oil


Stir-fry sauce:
2 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
3 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp mirin
2 1/2 tsp sambal oelek
2 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp water
1 1/2 tsp ketchup

Combine the marinade ingredients together in a bowl. Pour the marinade over the beef and using your clean hands, toss the beef in the marinade until well coated. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least an hour. 

Whisk the ingredients for the stir-fry sauce in another bowl. Set aside.

Heat about 1/2 inch of water in a pan. Add the broccoli. Cover and steam for about 2 minutes until tender but still crisp. Drain and set aside.


Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan over medium heat. Spread the beef in a single layer on the pan. Cook for 1 minute. Turn the beef slices over and cook for another minute until no longer pink. Add the garlic to the pan. Saute for 1 minute. Add broccoli back to the pan. Stir fry together for about 30 seconds. Pour the sauce to the pan. Stir and cook for another minute until the sauce thickens.

Serve with rice.


We also got back a few days ago from weeklong bus trip to  

Schwarzwald (Black Forest), Germany 
(where the famous Black Forest Cake originated from)


 and 

Colmar, France 
dubbed "The Little Venice of France" (below).

  I will be posting more photos from this trip soon!