Beef & Broccoli

It is no secret that my husband and I love some good 'take out' Chinese food and this beef & broccoli definitely hits the spot! I found a recipe for beef & broccoli on the Pioneer Woman's television show a few months ago and had to give it a shot. We have since made this dish several times with only a few small changes to the original recipe. This beef & broccoli will definitely be making an appearance at our dinner table again soon!

This recipe will make about 4 servings of beef & broccoli:

• 1/2 cup LOW-SODIUM SOY SAUCE
• 1/4 cup CORN STARCH
• 2 Tbs BROWN SUGAR
• 1 Tbs GINGER, minced
• 2 cloves GARLIC, mined
• 1 lb. FLANK STEAK, sliced very thin
• 2 Tbs PEANUT or OLIVE OIL
• 1 lb. BROCCOLI FLORETS, chopped
• 1/4 cup BEEF BROTH
• 2 Tbs OYSTER SAUCE
• Optional: RICE or CHOW MEIN

Mix the soy sauce, cornstarch, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic in bowl. (...or in the case of the picture below, a measuring cup!)

Pour half of the sauce mixture into a separate bowl and toss the steak in it. Set both bowls aside.

Heat a tablespoon of oil in skillet (preferably cast iron) over high heat and cook the chopped broccoli until just tender. Then remove the broccoli from the skillet and set it aside.

Heat the skillet with another tablespoon of oil for a minute or so to allow it to get very hot again. Lay the slices of steak along the bottom of the hot pan in a single layer (as much as possible depending on the size of your pan). Let the slices of steak cook for a minute or two without moving them to allow the meat to brown.

Flip the slices of steak and cook for another 30 seconds before removing the steak from the heat.

Pour the second half of the sauce (that didn't have the steak in it), the beef broth, and the oyster sauce into the skillet and cook over high heat until the sauce begins to thickens. Add the beef and broccoli back into the skillet and toss with the sauce. Season with salt and pepper as needed.

Serve over rice or chow mein!

Yum!

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Beef & Broccoli

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup LOW-SODIUM SOY SAUCE
• 1/4 cup CORN STARCH
• 2 Tbs BROWN SUGAR
• 1 Tbs GINGER, minced
• 2 cloves GARLIC, mined
• 1 lb. FLANK STEAK, sliced very thin
• 2 Tbs PEANUT or OLIVE OIL
• 1 lb. BROCCOLI FLORETS, chopped
• 1/4 cup BEEF BROTH
• 2 Tbs OYSTER SAUCE
• Optional: RICE or CHOW MEIN

Directions:

1. Mix the soy sauce, cornstarch, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic in bowl. 
2. Pour half of the sauce mixture into a separate bowl and toss the steak in it. Set both bowls aside. 
3. Heat a tablespoon of oil in skillet (preferably cast iron) over high heat and cook the chopped broccoli until just tender. Then remove the broccoli from the skillet and set it aside. 
4. Heat the skillet with another tablespoon of oil for a minute or so to allow it to get very hot again. Lay the slices of steak along the bottom of the hot pan in a single layer (as much as possible depending on the size of your pan). Let the slices of steak cook for a minute or two without moving them to allow the meat to brown. 
5. Flip the slices of steak and cook for another 30 seconds before removing the steak from the heat. 
6. Pour the second half of the sauce (that didn't have the steak in it), the beef broth, and the oyster sauce into the skillet and cook over high heat until the sauce thickens. 
7. Add the beef and broccoli back into the skillet and toss with the sauce. Season with salt and pepper as needed. 
8. Serve over rice or chow mein!

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I got this recipe from the Pioneer Woman: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/beef-with-broccoli.html

Fried Rice

Whether it is the main part of my meal or on the side, I always order chicken fried rice when I get Chinese food. How could I not? It is so delicious! My husband and I have been trying to find a good chicken fried rice recipe for about a year now and we have finally found a good one! By combining a ideas from a few different recipes we have manages to create a recipe that tastes just like take out!

To make 3 to 4 servings of chicken fried rice you will need:

• 1 cup RICE, uncooked
• Optional: 12-16 oz. of CHICKEN BREAST or THIGHS, cubed (If you are vegetarian you could leave the chicken out altogether!)
• 2 Tbs CORNSTARCH
• 1/4 cup + 2 tsp SOY SAUCE
• 2 cups PEAS & CARROTS, frozen
• 1 medium ONION
• 1 EGG
• 1 Tbs SESAME OIL
• 1 tsp OYSTER SAUCE

The first thing to do is cook the rice. It is important to do this ahead of time so the rice is cold when you get ready to prepare the dish. Boil the rice in a large pot of water for 10 minutes. When the rice is tender, use a strainer to drain the water out of the rice and then refrigerate it for a few hours or until the rice is cold (you could do this the night before if that is more convenient). 

When you are ready to make the fried rice, mix the cubed chicken with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, 2 teaspoons of soy sauce, and a splash of water. Let this mixture sit and marinate for 10 minutes.

While the chicken is marinating, chop the onion and measure out the peas and carrots. (I like to have plenty of veggies in my fried rice!) Set aside.

Once the chicken is done marinating, cook the chicken in a large skillet. Then, transfer the chicken to a bowl or plate and set aside.

Add a tablespoon of sesame oil into the now empty skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil gets hot, add the cold rice, the onion, the carrots, and the peas. Cook the mixture for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the rice from burning.

After the 10 minutes,  push the rice and vegetables to one side of the skillet. Then scramble the egg in the open side of the pan. When the egg is cooked, mix it into the rice.

Add the chicken back into the skillet and stir it into the rice mixture.

Lastly, stir in 1/4 cup of soy sauce and 1 tsp of oyster sauce. Then eat up! 

Doesn't it look good?!

Yum!

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Chicken Fried Rice

Ingredients:

• 1 cup RICE, uncooked
• 12-16 oz. of CHICKEN BREAST, cubed
• 2 Tbs CORNSTARCH
• 1/4 cup + 2 tsp SOY SAUCE
• 2 cups PEAS & CARROTS, frozen
• 1 medium ONION
• 1 EGG
• 1 Tbs SESAME OIL
• 1 tsp OYSTER SAUCE

Directions:

1. The first thing to do is cook the rice. It is important to do this ahead of time so the rice is cold when you get ready to prepare the dish. Boil the rice in a large pot of water for 10 minutes. When the rice is tender, use a strainer to drain the water out of the rice and then refrigerate it for a few hours or until the rice is cold (you could do this the night before if that is more convenient). 
2. When you are ready to make the fried rice, mix the cubed chicken with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, 2 teaspoons of soy sauce, and a splash of water. Let this mixture sit and marinate for 10 minutes. 
3. While the chicken is marinating, chop the onion and measure out the peas and carrots. Set aside.
4. Once the chicken is done marinating, cook the chicken in a large skillet. Then, transfer the chicken to a bowl or plate and set aside.
5. Add a tablespoon of sesame oil into the now empty skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil gets hot, add the cold rice, the onion, the carrots, and the peas. Cook the mixture for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the rice from burning. 
6. After the 10 minutes,  push the rice and vegetables to one side of the skillet. Then scramble the egg in the open side of the pan. When the egg is cooked, mix it into the rice. 
7. Add the chicken back into the skillet and stir it into the rice mixture.
8. Lastly, stir in 1/4 cup of soy sauce and 1 tsp of oyster sauce. Then eat up! 

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I combined a few different recipes to make this one. The recipes that I took ideas from are the following:          http://rachelschultz.com/2012/07/14/better-than-takeout-chicken-fried-rice/

·         http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgFwFoqglKc

Orange Chicken Stir-Fry

Here is a recipe for orange chicken! Now, if you are thinking Panda Express Copycat recipe then don't get too exited because this does not taste anything like that! It is good though!

To make the sauce you will need:

• 1/2 cup ORANGE JUICE
• 2 Tbs SOY SAUCE
• 2 Tbs RICE VINEGAR
• 1 Tbs OYSTER SAUCE
• 1 Tbs ORANGE ZEST
• 2 large cloves GARLIC
• Optional: HONEY, to taste

For the stir-fry you will need:

• 1 lb. CHICKEN, cubed
• 3 Tbs CORN STARCH
• SALT
• PEPPER
• 4 cups VEGETABLES (whatever you like, broccoli, carrots, green peppers, mushrooms, snap peas, been sprouts, etc.)
• OLIVE OIL
• 1/2 cup YELLOW ONION, chopped
• RICE

Start off by blending all of the ingredients in the sauce together in a food processor for about 10 seconds. Add honey as you see necessary to make the sauce taste yummy. Once you are satisfied with the sauce, pour it into a skillet and heat it on medium-high for 5 minutes. Then transfer the sauce to a bowl and set aside. Wipe the skillet clean.

If you are using fresh vegetables such as broccoli or carrots, steam them for a few minutes to get the vegetable almost cooked. Also, start heating up a pot of boiling water to cook the rice. 

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and then coat it in the corn starch. Heat about 1 Tbs of olive oil in the skillet on medium-high. Then, cook the chicken and onion in the skillet until the chicken has cooked through. Once the water is boiling add the rice to start cooking. 

Add the vegetables into the skillet and stir-fry them together. Add the the sauce to the stir-fry a few tablespoons at a time to allow the sauce to cook down a little bit as it is added. Once all of the sauce is added and everything is cooked through, serve the stir-fry over rice and eat up!

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Orange Chicken

Ingredients:

Sauce:

• 1/2 cup ORANGE JUICE
• 2 Tbs SOY SAUCE
• 2 Tbs RICE VINEGAR
• 1 Tbs OYSTER SAUCE
• 1 Tbs ORANGE ZEST
• 2 large cloves GARLIC
• Optional: HONEY, to taste

Stir-fry:

• 1 lb. CHICKEN, cubed
• 3 Tbs CORN STARCH
• SALT
• PEPPER
• 4 cups VEGETABLES (whatever you like, broccoli, carrots, green peppers, mushrooms, snap peas, been sprouts, etc.)
• OLIVE OIL
• 1/2 cup YELLOW ONION, chopped
• RICE

Directions:

1. Start heating up a pot of boiling water to cook the rice. Once the water is boiling add the rice to start cooking. 
2. Blend all of the sauce ingredients together in a food processor for about 10 seconds. Add honey as needed. 
3. Once you are satisfied with the sauce, pour it into a skillet and heat it on medium-high for 5 minutes. Then transfer the sauce to a bowl and set aside. Wipe the skillet clean.
4. If you are using fresh vegetables such as broccoli or carrots, steam them for a few minutes to get the vegetable almost cooked. 
5. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and then coat it in the corn starch. 
6. Heat about 1 Tbs of olive oil in the skillet on medium-high. Then, cook the chicken and onion in the skillet until the chicken has cooked through. 
7. Add the rest of the vegetables into the skillet and stir-fry them together. 
8. Add the the sauce to the stir-fry a few tablespoons at a time to allow the sauce to cook down a little bit as it is added. 
9. Once all of the sauce is added and everything is cooked through, serve the stir-fry over rice and eat up!

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The website where I found this recipe is: http://www.pbs.org/parents/kitchenexplorers/2012/08/30/orange-chicken-vegetable-stir-fry/