Oriental Beef; Menu Plan for the Week

Oriental Beef
You could substitute thinly sliced flank steak or beef, pre-cut for stir-fry, or chicken or turkey... Any bits of veg left in the fridge would be fine in this: sliced Brussels sprouts, broccoli, whatever.

12 oz ground beef (mince 350 gr)
1 small onion chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 green pepper
1 medium carrot
2 - 3 oz mushrooms
2 stalks celery optional
1 small can water chestnuts
1/2 cup beef stock
1 tbs tomato paste
3 slices peeled ginger, about 1" diameter (2.5cm) 1/16th" thick
1 tbs olive oil
1 tsp sesame or walnut oil
1 tbs cornstarch (or thickener of choice) dissolved in 2 tbs soy sauce

Mince garlic, chop onion and pepper. Clean and slice mushrooms. Slice celery at an angle into 1/8 inch slices. Cut carrot into matchsticks. Drain and slice water chestnuts. Peel and chop ginger. In large non-stick skillet heat oils over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, pepper and carrots and stir-fry 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, garlic and ginger and stir-fry 3 minutes more. Add beef and sauté breaking it up as it browns. When beef is brown add chestnuts, tomato paste and stock. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer 5 minutes. Give the cornstarch mixture a stir to recombine. Turn the heat up under the skillet and add the cornstarch mixture, stirring constantly until thickened. Serve over brown rice.

Brown Rice
I use 'Uncle Ben's' which is all I can get and it is quick cooking. It looks like brown Basmati and cooks in 15 minutes. You could substitute regular or Basmati.

1/2 cup brown rice
1 cup water or beef stock (or half each) or whatever your rice calls for
1/2 tsp dried oregano

Cook rice according to package instructions adding the herbs with the stock or water. Fluff and serve.

For the week of February 22, we're having Egg rop Soup, Asian Salmon with Orzo, Stuffed Mushrooms, Braised Pork Loin with Laurel, Pasta with Bacon and Leeks and Oriental Beef.

Become a Thyme for Cooking Subscriber and get the menu, complete recipes with meal preparation instruction, and shopping list delivered to your inbox each Thursday. (Reverse seasons available for Australia, and others in the Southern Hemisphere)

Bon Weekend!

Comments

[Lannaea]

LOL, your Asian beef looks better than what I can get at most any "Chinese" restaurant in Nashville. How much Chinese food is in France, or at least where you live?

[núria]

Hola Katie! No snow storms today in your way? Good!!!
I love this consistent dish... there's everything in there!!! I have never done chinesse at home, but I'm sure my family would love this one♥

[poetryman69]

"Triggering the Grand Irrationality?"

Cowering in an obscure corner of the food pyramid

somewhere between the tofu and the unflavored yogurt

contemplating the juxtaposition of intangibles for all you are worth.....

[Mike]

Looks tasty! This is one of those dishes that chestnuts were made for

[katie]

Lannae, there are a few Chinese restaurants; more Viet Namese; but, to be honest, we haven't tried them. The only reason being when we go out for lunch (which is when we would normally eat at a Chinese place) I'd rather have a crepe...
Ate at some wonderful ones in Spain, though

Nuria, none today...Monday, though. And I hope it's not late as I leave Tuesday...

Mike, you are so right...if only I could get them here! I buy them by the dozen when I'm in Andorra

[tigerfish]

This is such a good twist from black pepper beef. I like this dish. It can be nutritious esp now you have it with brown rice, even better!

[Katie]

Tigerfish, I really love brown rice - I know it's not traditional, but....