For Valentines Day {wow… I am so behind-ha} my hubby suggested getting Chinese take-out, one of my favorite things that I don’t have to cook!
And at first, I agreed. I was fatigued and a bit overwhelmed by other things going on…
Then I got to thinking of the money we were going to spend for our whole {little} family to eat one meal.
So I pledged that I would make it, for less, and on plan!
Beef & Veggie Stir-fry
Beef: pretty much anything you can find at a decent price, sliced 1/4 inch. I think I had about 2 lbs. We had a bit of leftovers 🙂
Marinade:
1/2 cup soy sauce {check your ingredients}
1 tsp sesame oil
1 clove chopped garlic
1 tsp chopped ginger [dried powder does in a pinch, but fresh is best]
S/P
Veggies:
1 zucchini, sliced
2 carrots, sliced [these were for the kids, as they are E]
1 stalk celery
2 heads broccoli [or a bag of frozen]
2 green bell peppers, sliced
1 onion, sliced [I did partake of these, even though they are E]
other options: a head of cauliflower, green beans, shredded cabbage, spinach
Directions:
Heat olive oil and sesame oil in large pan, add meat in batches to get a good sear on the outside. Set aside in a bowl.
I added each veggie and let it cook down a bit, starting with the carrots and celery. Then I added the bell peppers and onions, then zucchini. I had a large enough pan to keep them separate, since i was not eating the carrots… but you could use 2 pans if it makes it easier 🙂 I know this sounds a bit complicated, but it really just takes a little time for each addition of veggie to get soft, unless you want them crunchy! I add the broccoli last because I prefer it less cooked… and I add soy sauce/water throughout the process to steam the veggies–thus creating an almost glaze like sauce….
I made a pan of rice for the kids, they could have eaten this whole thing by themselves without something else to fill those growing bodies!
This “recipe” is very forgiving and not really exact 🙂 Use your favorite veggies, use chicken, make it crossover with some brown rice
….HAVE FUN! with your food 🙂
We were all STUFFED…. and the kids declared it better than take-out {which they LOVE}, so it was a SUCCESS! 🙂 and the best part was, I knew what we were eating… and it cost less for way more food!