Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry

Everyone at my house enjoys Asian flavors, and TS is on an all-out beef bender, so I thought this would make a great dinner for us tonight. Although the recipe seems very bland, it was perfect for the non-adventurous palates at the table. Think of this recipe as a starting point: feel free to add ginger, different vegetables, more red pepper flakes, orange zest or some hot chile oil to customize this to your tastes. For my group, it was perfect as is.

Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry
Serves 3 - 4

1 1/2 T. cornstarch
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 pound sirloin tips, sliced against the grain very thinly
2 T. canola or peanut oil
10 ounces broccoli florets, steamed for 2 min. in microwave
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. dark sesame oil
3 T. low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup water
pinch of red pepper flakes

In a large bowl, combine cornstarch, salt and pepper. Add sliced beef and toss to coat.

Meanwhile, steam the broccoli in the microwave (Zip n Steam bags work great for this).

Heat 2 T. canola oil in large nonstick skillet or wok until very hot, but not smoking. Add beef (in batches if necessary) and stir fry until cooked through, about 2 min. Transfer to a clean bowl.

Add steamed broccoli and garlic to skillet. Drizzle with sesame oil and stir-fry over moderately high heat until broccoli is tender and garlic is pale golden, about 1 - 2 min. Add soy sauce and water to skillet and bring to a boil. Return meat to skillet and cook, stirring, until sauce thickens, about 1 min. Scatter pinch of red pepper flakes over all and serve.