All varieties of peppers are in season right now in my area and they are abundant. They must like the weather. Here is a good recipe that uses peppers. I served the dish with Jasmine rice.
This is an easy Asian dish to prepare. Once you assemble and prep the ingredients in advance, dinner comes together in minutes.
Ingredients
1 pound flank steak, skirt steak, hanger steak, or beef tenderloin, cut into 1/4-inch thick strips
1/4 cup soy sauce (divided)
5 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or dry sherry (divided)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup low-sodium homemade or store-bought chicken or beef broth
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cups green bell peppers, cored and cut into 1-inch squares
1 large onion, cut into 1-inch squares
2 medium cloves garlic, finely minced (about 2 teaspoons)
2 teaspoons finely minced fresh ginger
4 tablespoons vegetable, peanut, or canola oil
Kosher salt to taste
Garnish with chopped scallions if desired
Jasmine rice
Directions
Combine beef, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine in a bowl and toss to coat. Let marinate for at least 20 minutes at room temperature and up to 3 hours in the refrigerator.
Combine remaining soy sauce with cornstarch and stir with a fork to form a slurry. Add remaining Shaoxing wine, broth, sesame oil, sugar, and pepper. Set aside.
Combine peppers and onions in a bowl and set aside.
Combine garlic and ginger in a small bowl and set aside.
When ready to cook, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok or large deep skillet over high heat until just beginning to smoke. Add the beef and cook until well seared but still pink in spots, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
Add 2 more tablespoons oil to the skillet, heat and add the peppers and onions. Cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and stir into the peppers and onions. Return the beef to the skillet and pour the prepared sauce over the mixture. Cook, stirring, until the sauce is glossy and thickened about 2-3 minutes more. Garnish with scallions if desired. Serve with rice.
Beef Marinade
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons Shao Hsing rice wine
11 ∕2 teaspoons cornstarch
1∕2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 pound boneless steak, all fat removed and cut diagonally across the grain into thin slices
Stir-fry Sauce
1 tablespoon Shao Hsing rice wine
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon Sriracha (hot chili sauce)
2 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 cup lower-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Stir-fry
8 dried Shiitake Mushrooms
4 cups chopped broccoli florets (3 stalks)
Water
3 sliced green onions
1/2 cup walnut pieces, toasted and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons peanut oil
Directions
In a medium bowl combine the beef, ginger, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 2 teaspoons rice wine, cornstarch, salt, and sesame oil. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
Pour boiling water to cover over the shiitake mushrooms and let them sit for 30 minutes. Drain and slice into thin strips. Set aside.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the broccoli. Blanch for 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.
In a small bowl combine the stir-fry sauce ingredients.
Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or 12-inch skillet over high heat. Swirl in 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil and carefully add the beef, and spread it evenly in one layer in the pan. Cook undisturbed 1 minute, letting the beef begin to sear. Then stir-fry 1 minute, or until the beef is lightly browned but not cooked through. Transfer the beef to a plate.
Swirl the remaining 1 tablespoon peanut oil into the wok, add the green onions and broccoli and stir-fry 15 seconds or until just combined.
Return the beef with any juices that have accumulated to the pan. Add the mushrooms and swirl in the stir-fry sauce mixture into the pan. Cook until the beef is just cooked through and the sauce has thickened. Stir in walnuts.
Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve with rice or cauliflower rice, if desired.
Asian Chicken
Ingredients
2 pounds chicken (thighs, breasts- skin on or off according to preference)
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions (green onions)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons peeled ginger, minced
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Directions
Combine the green onions, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, juice and chili flakes in a large resealable plastic bag. Add the chicken. Seal and shake to coat the chicken with the marinade. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.
To grill:
Heat an outdoor grill to medium-high heat (about 400°F) with two zones for direct and indirect cooking. Use tongs to oil the grill grates using a small folded piece of paper towel dipped in oil. Arrange the chicken over the high-heat section of the grill and cook for 5 minutes, or until you see dark, seared grilled marks. Turn the chicken and keep over the hot section for another 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to the indirect section of the grill (this helps avoid overcooking) and cook the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F for breasts and 180°F for thighs in the thickest part of the meat, another 10 to 15 minutes.
To broil:
Place the chicken on a broiling pan with a rack sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Add 1/4 cup of water to the tray underneath to prevent the fat from catching on fire. Broil the chicken on high heat, 9 inches from the cooking source, for about 15 minutes, turning every 5 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F for breasts and 180°F for thighs in the thickest part of the meat, another 10 to 15 minutes.
Bacon Fried Rice
Ingredients
4 cups cold cooked white rice
2 teaspoons peanut oil
8 bacon slices, diced
2 celery stalks, sliced thin
1 cup frozen petite peas, thawed
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
4 green onions
Directions
Thinly slice the scallions and set aside the green portions. Bring the cooked rice to room temperature; set aside.
In a deep skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the bacon, and cook for about 4-5 minutes.
Add the white sliced scallions and celery, and sauté together for 4-5 minutes more, turning down the heat slightly if too much browning occurs.
Add the peas, and stir to combine. Then gently stir in the rice. Let the rice mixture heat thoroughly over medium heat. Make a well in the middle, and add the eggs. Stir occasionally to make sure they’re cooking, then stir them into the rice. There should be little bits of cooked egg throughout the rice. Stir in the fish sauce, soy sauce. and green onion tops. Serve immediately.
Broccoli In Oyster Sauce
Ingredients
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Pinch of sugar
Water
1 tablespoon peanut oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 head broccoli (1 1/2 pounds)
Directions
Trim the broccoli and cut into long florets. In a small bowl, whisk together oyster sauce, soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar, and 1 tablespoon water.
In a large skillet, heat peanut oil over medium-high. Add garlic and broccoli. Cook, tossing occasionally until broccoli is bright green, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water, cover, and cook until the broccoli is tender but still has some bite, about 2-3 minutes. Add oyster sauce mixture; cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Serve.
Marinade
1/4 cup oyster sauce
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon regular soy sauce
1/4 cup beef stock
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, minced
Stir Fry
1 small flank steak or half of a large flank steak
1 medium onion, quartered
2 large stalks from one bunch fresh broccoli
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch or arrowroot
3 scallions, sliced
Directions
Slice the steak into thin strips, about 1/4 inch thick.
In a large ziplock plastic bag, combine the oyster sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce, beef stock, sesame oil, ginger, red pepper flakes, and garlic.
Add the steak to the bag and mix until all pieces are coated. Let the steak marinate in the refrigerator for an hour or up to 24 hours.
While the meat is marinating, cut the florets off the broccoli stalks and peel the stalks. Slice the stalks into thin rounds. Separate the onion into single pieces.
Heat a wok or a large high-sided skillet over high heat. Add the oil to the pan.
Once the pan is very hot, remove the meat from the bag with tongs, letting the marinade drip back into the bag and add to the hot pan. Stir-fry for 2 minutes. Remove to a serving bowl. You made need to do this in two batches.
Add the broccoli and onion and stir fry 5 minutes or until tender. Add the cornstarch to the marinade in the bag. Shake and pour into the pan, Add the scallions and browned beef and stir fry for 2-3 minutes.
Pour the mixture back into the serving bowl. Serve with rice if you prefer.
