Quick and Tangy Beef Stir-Fry

Though I’m always eager to try new easy-to-prepare recipes for my family, I realized a couple of weeks ago that I rarely try stir-fry recipes. This doesn’t make much sense because stir-fries are generally prepared in one skillet (so preparation and cleanup are easy) and they are very versatile (you can prepare them with a number of different meats, veggies, and sauces).

After realizing this, I made a stir-fry. I kept it simple, but the flavor and the experience were enough to convince me to try additional stir-fry recipes in the future.

Ingredients

(Adapted from the Favorite Brand Name One-Dish Recipes cookbook.)

For the sauce

• ½ cup Worcestershire sauce
• ½ cup water
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

For the stir-fry

• 1 pound thinly sliced beef steak
• 2 cups sliced bell peppers, onions, or other veggies
• Prepared rice or ramen noodles (optional)

Instructions

Combine the ingredients for the sauce. Marinate the beef in ¼ cup of the sauce for 5 minutes. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add the veggies and beef. Stir fry for 5 minutes or until the meat is browned.

Add the remaining sauce; stir-fry until the sauce thickens. Serve over hot cooked rice or ramen noodles, if desired. Yield: 4 servings.

Notes

This recipe is definitely easy to prepare! I started some basmati rice cooking and then spent about 10 minutes preparing the meat and veggies and another 7 minutes cooking the stir-fry. By this time, the rice was done cooking and dinner was ready for the table!

The flavor of this stir-fry was good. My whole family, including my 3-year-old and my 23-month-old, enjoyed it. However, my husband and I agreed that we would like it to be a little spicier. Next time I will add some black pepper and perhaps some crushed red pepper. It was certainly satisfying as it was, though.

You can get creative when selecting which veggies to add. I used a little green bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, onion, and broccoli, but a variety of other veggies would also work well (mushrooms, water chestnuts, green beans, etc.).

Do you cook any stir-fries? Which are your favorites?

Shared at the following:

Handmade Hangout, Busy Monday, Modest Monday, Tuesdays with a Twist, and Weekend Potluck.