I altered this recipe and it made a tasty Beef and Broccoli dish.  I’ve tried making my own Chinese food before and it always seemed to lack something until I found out about oyster sauce.  When I use Oyster sauce my Chinese food seems to have such a better flavor.  Around here a bottle costs around $3.50 for a 7 oz jar.  That seems a little pricey but you only need a tablespoon or 2 in a recipe.  In my opinion, splurging a few bucks on an ingredient like this, allows me to create nice tasty recipes at home that don’t make me feel like I am sacrificing or doing without.

Beef and Broccoli

4 servings

3/4 pound flank or sirloin, sliced thinly across the grain
1 16 oz bag of frozen broccoli florets
1 Tbs oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water

For the beef marinade
1 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 Tbs rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup chicken broth

Stir together the beef marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the beef slices and stir until coated. Let stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile stir together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.Place broccoli in a large bowl and heat in the microwave (follow package instructions). Heat a large frying pan or wok over medium high heat Add the oil and swirl to coat. Add the beef and immediately spread the beef out all over the surface of the wok or pan in a single layer. Let the beef fry undisturbed for 1 minute. Flip the beef slices over, add the garlic to the pan and fry for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute until no longer pink, Pour in the sauce, add the broccoli and bring to a boil. Pour in the dissolved cornstarch and cook, stirring, until the sauce boils and thickens, 30 seconds.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 246
Fat: 9.2 g
Carbs: 9.9 g
Fiber: 3.1 g
Protein: 30 g

5 WW points

I was tired of plain rice so I tried this. Its a nice change. I used fat free feta. What possessed me to buy fat free feta I’ll never know. Fat free dairy SUCKS. It always has some weird chemical aftertaste. But in this dish, you really couldn’t tell. Honest.

Broccoli Feta Rice (Original called for blue cheese but I substituted feta)

From Taste of Home Light and Tasty Magazine Feb/Mar 2008

4 servings

2 cups water
1 cup long grain rice
1 tsp grated lemon peel
½ tsp salt
½ tsp white pepper
3 cups broccoli
½ cup feta cheese (I used fat free)

In a small pan combine water, rice, lemon peel, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15-18 min until liquid is absorbed and rice tender. Place broccoli and 2 Tbs water in a dish and cover and microwave on high 2-3 min til crisp-tender. drain.  Add to rice and toss along with the feta.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 185
Fat: .6 g
Carbs: 42 g
Fiber: 2.4 g
Protein: 8.2 g

3 WW points