Lean strips of beef and vegetables in a bottled marinade make a delicious one dish dinner in 20 minutes. Healthy, low fat, low calorie and incredibly tasty.
At the grocery store, look for pre-cut packages of thin meat strips, such as skirt steak, but any very thinly sliced beef will do. If there's time, you can marinate the meat in advance, but with this thin a cut, just a few minutes' marinade works fine. The key to this dish is to not overcook the meat, which is very easy to do. By the time you're done adding the last piece of meat, it is probably time to turn the first piece. Leave the meat a bit pink even if you like it well done. It will finish cooking off the heat. Use about ½ pound for every person, though extras save nicely for leftovers the next day. You can transform the leftovers by stirring into a fried rice or risotto, or serving cold atop a salad. They also make great steak sandwiches. Don't limit yourself to green peppers, as the red, green or yellow variety are pretty with this dish. Sliced Portobello mushrooms are a nice addition to the vegetable mix as well, but salt them first as mushrooms can be bland unseasoned. Buy bottled Teriyaki sauce in the International or bottled sauce aisle of your grocer. If you're really in a hurry, you can purchase pre-sliced peppers and onions at a salad bar.
Beef and Pepper Stirfry Recipe
Serves 2
Ingredients:
- 1 pound flank steak or other thinly sliced beef
- 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
- Salt & pepper
- 1 cup bottled Teriyaki sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium white onion sliced
- 1 medium green pepper sliced
Directions:
- Cut beef slices into bite-sized pieces. Season with red pepper flakes, salt & pepper, and put in Ziploc bag. Pour Teriyaki sauce over, adding more as necessary to cover. Refrigerate.
- Slice onion and pepper, heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté vegetables briefly until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and hold in bowl.
- Add meat and all of its marinade to the hot skillet. Using tongs, turn the pieces as soon as they lose their pink color – a matter of minutes. This is not a dish to walk away from! Cook on the remaining side, leaving a little bit of pink.
- Return the onions and peppers to the skillet, add additional salt and pepper to taste, and stir to combine flavors. Remove from heat and serve immediately.
This dinner is very nice served with rice or grilled potatoes, steamed asparagus or a salad. For a summer party, try these simple side dishes A light red wine is also a lovely accompaniment. Happy cooking.
