Can't go wrong with a stir-fry

Stir-fried Beef with Celery Cabbage
Betty Crocker Great-Tasting Beef Copyright 1991

1 pound beef boneless sirloin or flank steak
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon finely chopped gingerroot
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 pound celery cabbage (also known as Napa cabbage, Chinese cabbage or sui choy)
4 green onions (with tops)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons beef or chicken broth
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
½ teaspoon salt

Trim fat from beef steak; cut steak with grain into 2-inch strips. Cut strips across grain into 1/8-inch slices. Toss beef, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, the gingerroot, 1 teaspoon oil, ½ teaspoon salt and the white pepper in a glass or plastic bowl. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Cut celery cabbage (with leaves) diagonally into ¾-inch slices. Cut onions diagonally into 1-inch pieces. Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with the broth.

Heat 12-inch skillet or wok until very hot. Add 2 tablespoons oil; rotate skillet to coat bottom. Add beef; stir-fry 2 minutes or until beef is brown. Stir in soy sauce. Remove beef from skillet.

Heat skillet until very hot. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; rotate skillet to coat bottom. Add celery cabbage, garlic and ½ teaspoon salt; stir-fry 2 minutes. Stir in cornstarch mixture; cook and stir 15 seconds or until thickened. Add beef and onions; cook and stir 1 minutes.

Makes 5 servings.

Per serving (without noodles or rice): 285 cal, 25 g pro, 5g carbs, 18g fat, 70mg chol, 690 mg sodium, 460mg potassium.
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The stir-fries in this little book are so good. The flavor was wonderful but I did find the cabbage to be a bit mushy. I haven't cooked with Napa cabbage very often but I have used it before and I don't recall it being as mushy. It didn't ruin the dish, I just found it a bite weird. Like eating soggy lettuce. I might use finely shredded green cabbage next time.

I've been making more stir-fries than usual since rediscovering the joys of ramen noodles instead of rice. Ramen noodles are a step down, health-wise, but a bit more exciting than rice around here, especially for my older son.

That fact that I can make a stir-fry start to finish after work (with the exception of marinating the meat which I do in the morning before work), is also a huge selling point for me. Although I enjoy cooking on the weekend more as the weather gets cooler, I'd still rather not have to do a lot of cooking on Sunday for the week.

Question of the Day: Noodles or rice?