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Showing posts with label Spicy Orange Beef with Vegetables. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spicy Orange Beef with Vegetables. Show all posts

Monday, December 27, 2010

Mourning my broken oven

I like baking.  That's why I have this baking/pie blog.  So it was a sad day a month ago when my oven refused to get hot.  My husband tried to fix it but it seems to have a bigger problem than he originally diagnosed, and now I have to wait for him to find time to dig into the oven and figure out how to get me back to baking.  It never really felt like Christmas when I couldn't bake any pies or the cookies we usually have.  I'm still in withdrawal.

My favorite kind of cooking next to baking is wok cooking.  So, since I can't bake I got the wok out and enjoyed making this dish for my family.


This recipe comes from a Weight Watchers cook book called "Take-Out Tonight!"  My family really likes it, try it and see what you think:

Spicy Orange Beef with Vegetables

3/4 pound beef top round, cut into thin strips
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons grated orange rind
1/2 cup beef broth
1/4 cup orange juice (fresh is best)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce or 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 teaspoons canola oil
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1/4 pound fresh green beans, halved crosswise
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
1 carrot, cut into matchstick thin strips

  • Combine the beef, 1 tablespoon of the cornstarch, and the orange rind in a medium bowl; toss well to coat and set aside.  Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, the broth, the orange juice, soy sauce, sugar, and chili-garlic sauce or crushed red pepper in a small bowl; set aside.
  • Heat a wok or deep skillet over medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles. Swirl in two teaspoons of the canola oil, then add the beef.  Stir-fry until cooked through, 2-3 minutes; transfer to a plate.  Swirl the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil, then add the ginger.  Stir-fry until fragrant, about 10 seconds.  Add the green beans, red pepper and carrot.  Stir-fry until crisp-tender, 2-3 minutes.  Add the broth mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils and thickens, about 1 minute.  Add the beef and cook until hot, about 1 minute.
  • Serve over hot cooked rice.  Serves 4.