Beef with Broccoli
is a stir-fry dish common in Chinese restaurants in the States.
It's simple and flavorful - seared strips of beef and tender-crisp broccoli florets are
stir-fried in a glossy dark sauce and served over rice. To make a vegan
version, I replaced the beef with slices of portobello mushroom caps, which
have a juicy, "meaty" chew when seared in a nice hot pan. The sauce
is a crazy-simple concoction of soy sauce and balsamic vinegar (standing in for
harder-to-find Chinese Black Vinegar) thickened with a traditional cornstarch slurry. A bit of garlic and ginger bring the dish together with their pungent, spicy kick.
The dish takes all
of 15 minutes, giving you just enough time to cook up a small pot of white rice
or quinoa to serve alongside it. Faster than ordering take-out, just as tasty,
and WAY better for you. Weeknight dinner win, yes?
Chinese Beef-less
Broccoli Stir-fry
Serves 2-3
2 large portobello
mushroom caps
1/2 pound broccoli,
cut into bite-size florets
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons
high-heat cooking oil
2 cloves garlic,
minced
1 teaspoon finely grated
fresh ginger (I use a microplane)
For the Sauce:
1 teaspoon
cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons
low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons balsamic
vinegar
1/8 teaspoon black
pepper
To prepare the
mushrooms, pop off the stems and scoop out the gills with a spoon. Slice each
mushroom cap in half, then slice each half into 1/2-inch wide strips (see photo
above for reference). Set aside for the moment. To make the sauce, add
cornstarch and water to a small bowl, stirring to dissolve cornstarch before
adding soy sauce, vinegar, and pepper. Stir to combine, then set aside.
Bring a large pan
with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat. Once hot, add the broccoli and
water, cover immediately, and steam for 3 minutes (broccoli will be bright
green but crisp). Transfer broccoli to a colander and return empty pan to heat.
Add oil to pan and
swirl to coat. When oil is shimmering, add sliced mushrooms in an even layer
(trying not to overlap) and cook undisturbed for 2-3 minutes, until mushrooms
have nicely seared. Flip slices, then cook for an additional 3-5 minutes,
tossing occassionally, until mushrooms are deeply golden on all sides and
tender. Just before the mushrooms are done, add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant (30-60 seconds). Return the broccoli to the pan, followed by
the sauce. Sauce will thicken almost immediately, so quickly toss to coat the
mushrooms and broccoli and promptly remove from heat. Serve with rice or quinoa.
Hubby loved the shrooms. I would have liked more sauce.
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DeleteThanks for the feedback! I'm definitely a light-on-the-sauce gal, so feel free to double the sauce recipe to suit your tastes. :) I'm glad your husband enjoyed it!
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