Today is the first day of a full week back in the office after over a year of working from home/only being in a couple days a week. As someone who likes to plan and have a routine this will take some getting used to again. Nothing like having to change all your habits (good and bad) and wear real pants every day. Whew!
Meal planning and prepping are going to be life savers for the next few weeks while I remember what this routine is like. Thankfully I’ve got an arsenal of quick, easy recipes that utilize some of my favorite pantry ingredients to help me get dinner on the table fast and with little brain power!
This is my knock-off (better in my opinion) version of Panda Express Shanghai Beef. Mine is spicier and a little sweet. You can use any veggies that you like or have hanging out in the fridge. I usually stick to no more than two kinds though so things don’t get too crazy. This is also great with chicken or shrimp instead of beef. Really the only rule here is to have all your ingredients prepped and ready before you start cooking. Stirfry is meant to be quick cooking so you don’t want to hold things up by cutting veggies and stirring together sauce ingredients as you go.
Shanghai Beef Stirfry
Serves: 4, Prep & Cook time: 30 minutes
16 oz. sirloin steak, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 (8 oz.) package of cremini mushrooms, sliced
½ white onion, sliced into wedges
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup gochujang
3 Tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
Canola oil
Chopped peanuts or cashews
Add beef to a bowl with 1 Tablespoon soy sauce. Set aside. In another bowl, whisk together gochujang, 2 Tablespoons soy sauce, honey, sesame oil and vinegar, set aside. Dissolve cornstarch in a little bit of water, set aside.
Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
This will move fast! Add onions and garlic to preheated pan, stir constantly for 1 minute. Add mushrooms and asparagus and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove vegetables from pan.
Add a little more oil to the pan and add steak. Sear for about 3 minutes per side until almost done. Add vegetables back to the pan with the steak. Add sauce and stir to coat. Add cornstarch slurry and stir. Cook for another minute or until sauce has thickened.
Serve with rice and garnish with chopped nuts.
Source: Ruth’s Table, 2021.
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