“I am a great eater of beef, and I believe that does harm to my wit.” ~ William Shakespeare

When I first started cooking on my own, I thought Chinese food just had too many weird ingredients and was too time consuming to make. It definitely was not my mom's pot roast and mashed potatoes.

Luckily, the more dishes I tried, the easier that style of cooking became. What I came to appreciate it that the ingredients are simple and almost always fresh. For instance, Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry only takes three main ingredients and you probably have everything else in your pantry. How easy is that?

This recipe is quick, easy to prepare, fairly light and delicious.

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
by Terri Powers for Terri's Table

2 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
1 egg white
1 to 1-1/4 pounds boneless round steak, cut into thin strips approximately 3 inches in length (putting the steak in the freezer for about 30 minutes before cutting makes it much easier to slice thin
4 cups broccoli florets
6 green onions, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger



Put the sliced beef in a bowl, add the egg white and stir with your hands to coat. Sprinkle the meat with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Set aside.

In a small bowl, mix together the water, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and remaining 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat, add the beef and stir fry until beef is cooked to desired doneness. Remove to a bowl and keep warm.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan and add the garlic, cook, stirring constantly, until hot. Do not burn. Add broccoli and stir fry for 4 to 5 minutes. Add green onions and stir fry another minute. Add the beef back to the pan with the broccoli mixture.



Stir the soy sauce and water mixture until smooth, then add to the pan. Stir fry for another minute to heat all ingredients through.

Serve over steamed rice, fried rice or Chinese noodles. I served this over Chinese noodles that were cooked by boiling the water with 1/4 cup of soy sauce.