Beef and Broccoli for Babes

As my son and I watched segments of our neighbor's fallen tree being chewed up and spit out of a wood chipper, we had deep conversations about what we were observing (as deep as it gets with a 2 year old at least).  I likened the ravenous wood chipper to my son and his manners when he eats broccoli.  Not kidding.  He eats broccoli like the cookie monster eats cookies, but most often he eats it with enhanced vigor when it is cooked in some type of Asian dish.  Beef and broccoli, chicken and broccoli...  He sometimes eats broccoli florets right off of the stalk that grows in our garden, but I'm pretty sure he thinks he's getting away with something when he does that...  He likes to eat dirt, mulch, sand...  pretty much anything to test my patience.  Sometimes it works to my advantage, I guess.  As he is officially 2 years old now, I hope this trend toward eating broccoli and other nutrient-rich veggies continues.  I know hunger strikes often occur in the years we are approaching.  I hope to head them off with recipes like this one.  What follows is the recipe that he and my husband have come to love.  It is from Parents Magazine's February 2010 issue.  I can't seem to find the original recipe on their site, so I present it here with a few of my own suggestions.  It is so easy!  You can easily do this once a week to get some cruciferous veggies into your family! 

Crispy Beef With Broccoli 


Beef Marinade: 
1 1/2 tsp reduced sodium soy sauce 
1 tsp cornstarch 
Fresh ground black pepper to taste for seasoning the beef 


Stir-Fry Sauce: 
3 Tbs. oyster sauce (you'll find it in the aisle with the other Asian sauces) 
2 tsp water 
2 tsp balsamic vinegar 


Stir-Fry Ingredients: 
1 lb beef top sirloin or flank steak, thinly sliced into 1/8" thick strips 
1 1/2 lbs broccoli cut into bite size florets (about 4 cups), or you can use a bag of frozen broccoli
1 Tbs canola oil 
1 Tbs minced garlic (6 cloves), I buy the big container of garlic at Sam's club so I always have it on hand, and I lay it on thick! 


Whisk together ingredients for the marinade.  Add to the beef and let marinate for 10 minutes at room temp or refrigerate for a couple of hours. 


Whisk together the stir-fry sauce in a small bowl.  Set aside.  


In a wok or large pan, boil 1 inch of water (about 5 cups).  Add broccoli and cover for 3 minutes.  Broccoli will be bright green and slightly tender.  Strain broccoli and let it dry.  


Dry the pan/wok and place over high heat.  When hot, add oil, swirling to coat.  Add the garlic and let it fry for 30 seconds. Add steak strips.  (Now, the original recipe says to keep the strips in one layer, fry for 30 seconds, then turn them over to fry for 1-2 minutes, but I can never keep them in one layer nor do they seem to be done enough when I try to do that.  Just cook them until they are done to your liking.  STIR AND FRY, STIR AND FRY... 


Pour in stir fry sauce and stir.  Add the broccoli and toss to combine.  


ENJOY!  

I usually serve this with rice and it is a huge hit with my family.  I have added edamame, snap peas...  Anything green that I want my family to eat.  Since it's zucchini season, I may try that next.  Just throw it in and see what happens!