MONGOLIAN BEEF

Mongolian Beef

Retirement is hard work and that means I appreciate quick and easy meals that are also healthy. An old Cooking Light magazine offered this garlic-and-ginger-laced stir fry that begs for wide rice noodles to catch all of the wonderful sauce.

2 tbs low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp dry sherry
2 tsp hoisin sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp chili paste with garlic
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp peanut oil
1 tbs minced, peeled fresh ginger
1 tbs minced fresh garlic
1 lb sirloin steak, thinly sliced across the grain (I prefer using flank steak)
16 medium green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces

Combine the first 8 ingredients, stirring until smooth. Heat peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced ginger, minced garlic, and beef; saute for 2-4 minutes or until beef is browned.  Add green onion pieces and saute for 30 seconds. Add the soy sauce mixture and cook 1 minute or until thickened, stirring constantly.

Yields 4 servings, 1 cup each.
N.I.:  237 cal; 10.5 g fat; 26 g protein; 9.1 g carb; 1.7 g fiber; 60 mg chol; 517 mg sodium
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TASTE NOTES
This slightly spicy dish had a more complex sauce than the speed of preparation would suggest. I've come to appreciate what a small amount of minced ginger can do to rev up the flavor profile of a stir fry sauce and coupled with the chili paste and hoisin sauce, this sauce was much more than your typical soy-based standard. Tracking down wide rice noodles can be a chore; if you can't find them, use vermicelli or Jasmine rice. Be sure to keep the beef on the rare side so it doesn't become chewy.