Stir-Fried Beef with Snap Peas

The great thing about Chicago is the unlimited array of delicious cuisine. Everywhere you turn, more food! While it's great to be able to hop in a cab and grab some grub, sometimes a long day at the office or the desire for a cozy night in leads you to the kitchen rather than the door. No need to settle for boring for a meal at home, bring the excitement to you! This easy, quick and oh-so-yum stir fry is just the ticket to spice up your weeknight meal.

Stir-Fried Beef with Snap Peas - Serves 2

Have it:

6 oz. flank steak, cut into 2-inch-wide strips with the grain, then cut across the grain into 1/8-inch-thick slices. (stick into the freezer for 15 min. before to make cutting easier)

1 tbl. soy sauce (low-sodium is good here)

2 teas. sugar

1/4 c. low-sodium chicken broth

2 tbl. oyster sauce (can find this near the asian cuisine ingredients at the grocery store)

1 tbl. dry sherry

1/2 teas. cornstarch

1 garlic clove, minced

1 1/2 teas. grated or minced fresh ginger

1 tbl. vegetable oil

6 oz. sugar snap peas (about 2 c.), ends trimmed, strings removed

1/2 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and sliced into 1/4-inch-wide strips

1 tbl. water

*This recipe is best served with white rice. I used an instant rice that took less than 10 minutes to cook and it was great! Make sure to time accordingly or use a rice cooker if preferred.

Do it:

1. Toss the beef with the soy sauce and 1/2 teas. of the sugar in a medium bowl and let marinate for at least 10 minutes, or up to 1 hour. In a separate bowl, whisk the remaining 1 1/2 teas. sugar, broth, oyster sauce, sherry, and cornstarch together. In another bowl, combine the garlic, ginger, and 1/2 teas. of the oil.

2. Drain the beef, discarding the marinade. Heat 1 teas. more oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add the beef in a single layer, breaking up any clumps. Cook without stirring for 1 minute, then stir and continue to cook until the meat is browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the beef to a clean bowl.

3. Add the remaining 1 1/2 teas. oil to the skillet and heat over high heat until just smoking. Add the snap peas and bell pepper and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 1 minute longer.

4. Uncover and clear the center of the skillet. Add the garlic mixture to the clearing and cook, mashing the mixture into the pan, until fragrant, 15-30 seconds. Stir the garlic mixture into the vegetables.

5. Return the beef along with the accumulated juice, to the skillet and stir to combine. Whisk the broth mixture to recombine and add it to the skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 30 seconds, and serve.

I've made a few different stir-fried dishes and they always make the house smell amazing! Good ventilation is key though as the smoking is part of the cooking and if you live in a small place, smoke alarms may go off :) Another variation to this meal is to cook using a wok if you have one. Ours is in storage but when I've used the wok in the past, it's increased cooking surface is great for the later steps when moving the food away from the center.

Source: America's Test Kitchen & Cook's Illustrated Cooking for Two 2009, one of my favorite cookbooks as all the meals are cut down for two people!