There is nothing I love more than cooking a healthy, flavorful meal with my husband while enjoying a glass (or two) of wine. A thought-out, well-planned meal has so much love that goes into it. I thoroughly enjoy the whole meal planning process; from flipping through recipes I have torn out of magazines, perusing the grocery store for ingredients, chopping the vegetables, setting a beautiful table, to plating the food just right. It brings me so much joy. Don't you think a meal made by someone who really loves to cook and nourish those they are serving just tastes better? I do.
Yesterday I pulled the Beef and Broccoli Bowl recipe out of my file box. I tore it out of a Cooking Light Magazine over a year ago; it is from the October 2012 Edition. Apparently, this recipe has been a long time coming! I like this recipe because it does not call for a thousand random ingredients that I don't have on hand. I modified a few things but stayed pretty true to original recipe. I was also excited to make this because I had some Annie Chun's Organic Pork and Vegetable Pot Stickers in my freezer that I had also been wanting to try.
I made Annie Chun's Organic Pork and Vegetable Potstickers as an appetizer for us. They were so, so good. I made them according to the package directions and they turned out great. They are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and the flavor is fantastic. Annie Chun's products use high-quality organic ingredients and do not contain MSG's or preservatives. Those chopsticks in my picture aren't just for show either; eating with them makes the meal more fun and it allows you to slow down and savor the flavors of the dish.
I tried my hand at a homemade sesame dipping sauce for the potstickers but unfortunately the recipe was not post-worthy! It called for lime juice, sesame oil, low-sodium soy sauce, green onion, and fresh ginger. To us, the sauce tasted more like lime than anything else; not ideal for potstickers! It did not go to waste though; we created the double-dunk method; one dunk low-sodium soy and one dunk sesame dipping sauce!
After we sipped on some wine and enjoyed the potstickers we got down to business! Actually, I had pre-chopped the veggies, thin-sliced the sirloin steak, and pre-measured my oils and sauces. I like to do these things ahead of time so I am able to relax and enjoy conversation with Cody while I cook. I will let the recipe speak for itself:
Broccoli and Beef Bowl
Slightly modified from Beef and Broccoli Bowl, Cooking Light October 2012 Edition
Ingredients:
1 cup of uncooked rice
1/4 cup lower-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 (12 oz) boneless sirloin steak, cut into thin strips
4 teaspoons canola oil
4 teaspoons sesame oil
4 cups of broccoli florets
1 cup of vertically sliced red onion
1 cup chopped carrots
1/3 cup sliced green onions
Directions:
1. Open bottle of wine. Sip, enjoy. Malbec will pair nicely with this dish.
2. Cook rice according to package directions.
3. Combine soy sauce, cornstarch, and hoisin in medium bowl. Add beef; toss to coat. Heat
large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the canola and sesame oil to pan;
swirl to coat. Remove beef, reserving marinade. Add beef to pan; cook 2 minutes or until
browned, stirring occasionally. Remove beef from pan.
4. Add remaining canola and sesame oil to pan along with broccoli, red onions, and carrots;
cook until broccoli is crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.
5. Add reserve marinade to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute. Add beef to pan; cook
one minute or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with green onions.
6. Serve over rice.
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Raw Ingredients
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We LOVED this recipe. We gave it at 5 out of 5. Hoping that is the broccoli talking and not the wine! For real, it is delicious! Have fun with this recipe, don't be scared of hoisin sauce, experiment with chopsticks, and be thankful you are able to enjoy meals with your loved ones.
