Cookbook of the Month Recipe – Hoisin Beef with Vegetables

Yesterday was one of those days. I would normally blame it on pregnancy (pregnancy is a good excuse for many things!) but I ate so bad, that even pregnancy wasn’t a good excuse. A tortilla with cheese for breakfast, followed by a Snickers bar for a morning snack, chicken fingers from Chick-fil-A for lunch and then a snack of chocolate chip cookies. Yeah, not nutritious whatsoever. And I was feeling it by the time I got home from work. All I wanted was something tasty and healthy for dinner. Good thing healthy was on the menu!!

I had actually been meaning to make this all week, but other things kept popping up (as they seem to do a lot lately!) Robin Miller claims this is her go-to meal because it is so adaptable, and adaptable it is!! From her original recipe, I subbed broccoli for the asparagus and a yellow pepper for a red one, since I had yellow ones in the garden. She also included carrots and water chestnuts, but I didn’t have any carrots on hand, and my husband isn’t a water chestnut fan, so those were left out. And she suggests quick cooking rice, but I’m not a fan of quick cooking rice, so I took the time to make up some jasmine rice. It worked perfectly, because everything else was done just as the timer went off for the rice.

This was my first time using hoisin sauce, and I’m looking forward to using it in many recipes to come. This dish wasn’t overwhelming with flavor, like I first expected to be with the hoisin, ginger and garlic, but it was still delicious and flavorful. And I can see why Robin Miller uses this as her go-to recipe – it really is adaptable to whatever you have on hand!

Hoisin Beef With Vegetables
adapted from Quick Fix Meals

Serves 4

3/4 cup beef broth
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 to 4 cloves garlic – to taste – minced
1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
1 1/4 pounds boneless lean sirloin steak, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 medium yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced into bite sized pieces
2 cups fresh broccoli

In a small bowl, whisk together the broth, hoisin, and cornstarch. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger and stir fry for 1 minute. Add teh steak and stir-fry until browned on all sides, about 4-5 minutes. Add the vegetables and cook for another 3 minutes.

Add the broth mixture to the skillet, bring to a simmer, and simmer until the sauce thickens and the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.

Serve over rice.

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