Day 20, Recipe 18: Sweet and Spicy Beef Stir-Fry

Yep, took the weekend off once again.Hit Tortilla Flats downtown on Saturday night for epic burritos and enjoyed a delicious pork roast Sunday night with the boyfriends family (..really need to get his moms gravy recipe- it's out of this world). We went grocery shopping yesterday & it's safe to say, I now know why people choose to shop at No Frills. They have chicken drumsticks on sale this week (expect drumstick recipes to follow later in the week) and just overall a better choice for savings!
I've purchased VH stir-fry marinades in the past and have always been disappointed. But "authentic" recipes you find are always way too much work. This one is easy to make and if you want to skip the marinading stage, feel free. I happened to have the time to toss it into the fridge to soak in for a few hours, so I did.

And yes, I've finally moved on up in the blog world- I'm adding photos of my meals for your viewing pleasure : )

Marinade


1lb              1-inch steak strips  (I bought pre-cut strips specifically for stir-fry- yay, timesaver!)
2 cloves       garlic, minced
1/4 C           low sodium soya sauce
1/2 C           Catalina salad dressing
2 T              oyster sauce
2 T              red chili pepper flakes (*recipe called for 1/2 cup, but adjust to your desired heat level!)
1 T              olive oil




In a small bowl, mix all ingredients except steak and stir well. Pour over top of meat, cover and let marinade for 3 hours.

Stir-FryThe great thing about stir fry is that just about any combination of veggies will work- use what you have & still achieve desirable results!

1 pkg            Thai rice noodles, prepared as per package instructions
1 medium       red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 small           onion, cut into chunks
1 small           baby bok choy stem & leaves, sliced
6                   button mushrooms, sliced
1 C                bean sprouts
1/2 C             matchstick carrots
1 C                canned baby corn, chopped into pieces
1                   green onion, sliced (for garnish)

Heat a skillet over medium high heat and add marinated beef mixture. Cook for approximately 8-10 minutes covered.
Meanwhile, heat a wok over high heat. Add 1/4 cup of water and all vegetables except for bean sprouts & green onion. Stir and cover to steam for about 2 minutes.
Add soaked rice noodles to vegetables and pour beef sauce overtop. Cover and cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Stir in bean sprouts, remove from heat. Serve with a sprinkle over green onions. Yum-o! You can use more noodles and less veggies, or vice versa. This dish is so easy and versatile, I'm happy it worked out better then the oven baked mini spring rolls I attempted to whip up as an accompaniment. Recipe not to follow- steer clear haha!