Do-it-at-Home Chinese Beef and Broccoli

Anyone who tries this stir fry dinner tells me it tastes just like real Chinese takeout. Most sodium counts in store-bought Chinese food are through the roof. Here is a homemade alternative that won't make you bloated. It's a common theme in my summer dishes of late to feature fruity flavors, and in this one you'll find hints of pineapple and orange. Make sure you prepare the meat with marinade around lunch time so that it'll have time to absorb the flavor by dinner.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup vegetable broth

1/2 cup orange juice

1/3 cup pineapple juice

3 tablespoons teriyaki sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

1/2 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes

1 pound beef sirloin, chopped

1 package Uncle Ben's White Rice

2 tbs vegetable oil

1 pound broccoli florets

3 scallions, sliced

3 cloves garlic, chopped

What to do:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the veggie broth, orange and pineapple juice, teriyaki sauce, sugar, cornstarch, sesame seeds and red-pepper flakes. Stir and add beef. Refrigerate in zip-lock bag. Allow to marinate for three or four hours.

Looks ewie right now, I know.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat with 1 tbs of the vegetable oil. Lift the beef from the marinade into the skillet. Keep the marinade on the side. Cook the beef, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until browned. Remove to a plate.

3. Add the remaining tbs vegetable oil to the skillet. Add the broccoli, scallions, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons water. Cover the pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the broccoli is crisp-tender.

4. Add the marinade and rice. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes, or until the mixture boils and thickens slightly.

5. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Return the beef to the pan. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, or until the beef is heated through.

Voila!

Enjoy your meal! We ate ours outside today.

Love,

Don't forget to send me your recipes at sayssio@yahoo.com!