Maybe your inspiration to cook comes from pretending to be a top-notch chef at an expensive restaurant. Or maybe you just love whipping up an incredible recipe that not only tastes outstanding but can be cooked in one skillet and on the table in less than 30 minutes. And that’s counting prepping the steak and veggies.
I’m a little bit of both. In my mind, I’m the gal who can cook anything but in reality, I simply want to cook super-easy yet delicious and nourishing food. That’s exactly what you’ll get when you make this incredible dish. You’ll also get more veggies and almost half of the calories of what you would find in a restaurant.
Let’s start with the steak. Choose naturally lean top sirloin for a juicy and moderately tender cut of beef that is very affordable. No bones and little fat, a 3-ounce portion of sirloin steak has only 150 calories, 4.9 grams of total fat and 10 percent of your daily value for iron and 30 percent of your daily value for zinc. When sliced into thin strips, sirloin steak can be nearly as tender as a filet mignon, making it an excellent value. And, let’s not forget, lean beef is a high-quality protein source that fills you up without filling you out and perfect for preserving muscle mass. To learn more about beef’s powerful nutrition package in reaching a healthy body weight and maintaining muscle mass, visit https://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/nutrition/beef-protein and https://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/newsroom/beef-wise
The veggies I chose was a mixture of yellow and zucchini squash. Of course, broccoli florets would have been the natural choice of many (and certainly feel free to use it in place of the summer squash), but when certain members of your family dislike broccoli (not me!) it seemed like a good substitute. And it was. Other good substitutes could have been thinly sliced Brussels sprouts or asparagus tips. Summer squash is a very versatile addition to meals with almost no fat. Low calorie, fiber, and rich in beta-carotene, summer squash health benefits include possibly warding off cancers, heart disease and protecting your vision with age.
Did I mention this recipe packs powerful flavors of deep beef, spicy crushed red pepper, ending with a hint of sweet ginger with every bite? It’s divine is all I can say. The only way you will know though, is to make it yourself to experience and enjoy it.
Ginger Beef and Summer Squash
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons golden brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
- 1 pound sirloin steak, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons canola or peanut oil, divided
- 3 cups yellow squash, sliced and quartered
- 3 cups zucchini squash, sliced and quartered
- 1/2 cup sliced green onions (aka scallions)
- 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger or 1 tablespoon of jarred, chopped ginger
- 1 teaspoon finely grated garlic
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
- Crushed red pepper for garnish
Instructions
- Whisk soy sauce, broth, brown sugar and 1 tablespoon cornstarch in a small bowl and set aside.
- Toss thinly sliced steak with the remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch until well-coated.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large heavy skillet or a flat-bottomed wok over medium-high heat. Add steak and cook, stirring once, until browned, about 4-5 minutes.
- Transfer cooked steak to a clean plate.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and cut-up summer squash to the skillet or wok; cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly tender, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in green onions, ginger and garlic with the squash; cook stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add in the soy sauce mixture along with the sirloin steak back to the pan of squash; cook until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute.
- Serve over cooked brown rice and garnish with crushed red pepper.
Notes
So looking forward to trying this recipe with my fresh zucchini from the garden!
Hi Margie! Wonderful!! Fresh summer squash from your garden will make it even better!