Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry

1 pound Beef Boneless Sirloin or Round Steak, trimmed of fat and cut into strips
Salt and Pepper to taste
Dash White Pepper
1 pound Broccoli, cut into flowerets (about 4 cups)
1 tsp Cornstarch
1 tsp Soy Sauce
1 tsp Sesame Oil
1/4 cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1 tsp Vegetable Oil
6 cloves Garlic, pressed
1 tsp Ginger Root, finely chopped
1 (8 oz) can Sliced Bamboo Shoots, drained

Toss beef with salt and pepper, and a dash of white pepper.

Heat a little over an inch of water in a saucepan and place broccoli in the boiling water; heat to boiling. Cover and cook 2 minutes to blanch the broccoli. The broccoli should be bright green. Immediately rinse with cold water; drain and set aside.

In the meantime, in a small bowl, mix cornstarch and soy sauce, then stir in sesame oil and broth.

In a wok or skillet, heat your oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and ginger root and stir for a few seconds. Quickly add bamboo shoots, then stir in the beef and broccoli and cook until beef is done.

Last, add the cornstarch mixture; cooking and stirring for about 30 seconds or until thickened.  Serve on top of brown or white rice or noodles.

This is a really great wok. Easy to use and easy to clean up.

Sweet 'n Sour Chicken Stir-Fry

This recipe tastes so much like takeout Sweet-n-Sour Chicken, you will never order it again!

2 TB Rice Vinegar
3 cloves Garlic, minced
2 TB Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp Minced Fresh Ginger
1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
8 oz Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast, thinly sliced
1 tsp Peanut Oil
3 Green Onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 Green Bell Pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
1 cup Snow Peas
1 TB Cornstarch
1/2 cup Chicken Broth
2 TB Apricot Fruit Spread
1 can (20 oz) Pineapple Chunks
2 cup Hot Cooked Rice

Combine vinegar, garlic, soy sauce, ginger and red pepper flakes in medium bowl. Toss chicken with vinegar mixture. Marinate 20 minutes at room temperature.

Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain chicken; reserve marinade. Add chicken to wok and stir fry 3 minutes or until no longer pink. Stir in onions, green pepper and snow peas. Stir fry 3 minutes longer.

Stir cornstarch into the reserved marinade. Stir broth, fruit spread and marinade mixture into wok. Cook and stir 1 minute or until sauce boils and thickens. Add pineapple and heat through. Serve over rice.

Sesame-Ginger Beef Soup

This is a fast and flavorful Asian-inspired soup. Add purchased or homemade egg rolls and you have a complete meal. For a healthier alternative, substitute an equal portion of brown rice in place of the white rice.

2 cups Beef Broth
3/4 cup (3 oz) Snow Peas, cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
2/3 cup Red Bell Pepper, cut into matchstick-size strips
5 oz Thinly Sliced Roast Beef, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips (or use leftover prime rib or beef roast)
2/3 cup Sliced Green Onions
1 TB Minced Peeled Fresh Ginger
4 tsp Rice Vinegar
1 1/2 tsp Sesame Oil
1-1/2 cups Cooked White Rice (keep warm)

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring broth just to boil . Add snow peas and red peppers and simmer 1 minute. Add beef, green onions and ginger; remove pan from heat. Mix in vinegar and sesame oil. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Place a scoop of rice in center of deep bowls. Ladle soup over, dividing equally.   Serves 2.

Hot and Sour Cabbage Soup

Extra vegetables can easily be added to this soup. Try adding green peppers, mushrooms or even zucchini for a hearty soup. You can even add small cooked shrimp or thinly sliced cooked pork.

1 TB Oil
1 Small Onion, minced
1 Small Cabbage, about the size of a grapefruit
2 Large Carrots, chopped
1 15oz Can Tomatoes, blended smooth
6 Cups Water
1 Cup Cubed Pressed, Baked Tofu
1/4 Cup Tamari, low sodium
1/3 Cup Seasoned Rice Vinegar (see note on substituting above)
1 tsp Hot Red Chili Flakes
1/2 tsp Salt
Black Pepper, to taste

Heat a large 5 qt soup pot that has a heavy lid over medium heat. Add oil and onion, and saute until golden. Meanwhile, quarter your cabbage, remove the core, and shred the cabbage with a large chef’s knife. Add carrots, tomatoes, cabbage and water to the pot and stir well. Add the tofu, tamari, vinegar, chili flakes and salt. Bring to a boil, cover, then turn heat down to medium low. Simmer for 20 minutes or until cabbage and carrots are the desired tenderness.

Top with a generous amount of fresh black pepper and serve.

Chicken Stir-Fry with Green Beans

This recipe, adapted from an Emeril recipe, has an amazing garlic and hoisin sauce and is a great way to use fresh green beans from your home garden. We added extra veggies for a bit more variety.

1-3/4 pounds Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into 1/8-inch strips
6 TB Soy Sauce
1-1/2 tsp Asian 5-Spice Blend (this can be found in the spice aisle)
Peanut Oil
2 cups Green Beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup Snow Peas, ends cut off and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 Medium Carrots, cut into thin julienne strips
2 TB Minced Garlic
1/2 cup Chopped Cashews
4 TB Hoisin Sauce
2 tsp Sesame Oil
3 tsp Sriracha Oriental Hot Sauce (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes, crushed (or more to taste)
Chopped Green Onions for Garnish

In a glass bowl, combine the chicken strips, 3 tablespoons soy sauce and the 5-spice powder. Toss chicken to coat and let sit for 15 minutes.

In a large wok or saute pan, heat 2 - 3 tablespoons peanut oil until shimmering. Add the chicken, working in batches if needed. Cook just until brown about 2 - 3 minutes. Add the green beans, snow peas and carrots and stir-fry 3 minutes. Add the garlic, cook 1 minute longer. Add the cashews, hoisin and 2 tablespoons soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper sauce and red pepper flakes. Stir well and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat and serve over white or brown rice and a sprinkle of chopped green onions.

Spicy Shrimp and Asparagus Stir-Fry

This is a great recipe to make when asparagus is in season. For even more spice, add 1 minced chili pepper or thai chili to the wok with the garlic.

2 TB Soy Sauce
1 tsp Cooking Sherry
1 TB Grated and Peeled Fresh Ginger
1 tsp Peanut Oil
1 pound Asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally into 2-inch pieces
1 tsp Dark Sesame Oil
1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
2 cloves Garlic, chopped
1 lb Large Shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a glass bowl combine soy sauce, sherry and ginger; set aside.

In a wok or large skillet, heat peanut oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add asparagus and stir fry 4 - 5 minutes or until tender-crisp, stirring frequently. Add sesame oil, garlic and pepper flakes and stir fry another minute.

Move vegetables to sides of wok or skillet and add shrimp to center of pan. Cook until shrimp turns pink, about 3 minutes.

Pour sauce over veggetables and shrimp and heat through 1 minute. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over brown or white rice.  Serves 4.