Ginger-Lemon Beef & Broccoli

Name: Ginger-Lemon Beef & Broccoli
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 cup (250 mL) Milk; 2 tbsp (30 mL) cornstarch; 2 tsp (10 mL) grated lemon zest; 1/3 cup (80 mL) reduced-sodium soy sauce; 1 tbsp (15 mL) liquid honey; 1/4 tsp (1 mL) hot pepper flakes or to taste; 1 tbsp (15 mL) butter; 1 lb (450 g) boneless beef grilling steak cut into thin strips; 1 onion cut in half and sliced; 6 cups (1.5 L) broccoli (1 lb/450 g) cut in pieces; 2 tbsp (30 mL) grated fresh gingerroot (or 1 tsp/5 mL ground); 2 tbsp (30 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice

This recipe is taken from the 2011 Milk Calendar. Your family will love this because it’s better than take out – you’ll love it because it is quick to make and packed full of nutritious ingredients. Serve it over rice or noodles to soak up the delicious sauce.

Prep: 15 min - 20 min
Cooking: 10 min

Yields 4 servings

Out of ideas for dinner tonight? Look no further! This video shows you how to make a savoury beef and broccoli stir-fry in less than 10 minutes. Adding milk gives an original twist and a touch of creaminess to this Asian-inspired meal.

Ingredients

1 cup (250 mL) Milk
2 tbsp (30 mL) cornstarch
2 tsp (10 mL) grated lemon zest
1/3 cup (80 mL) reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp (15 mL) liquid honey
1/4 tsp (1 mL) hot pepper flakes or to taste
1 tbsp (15 mL) butter
1 lb (450 g) boneless beef grilling steak cut into thin strips
1 onion cut in half and sliced
6 cups (1.5 L) broccoli (1 lb/450 g) cut in pieces
2 tbsp (30 mL) grated fresh gingerroot (or 1 tsp/5 mL ground)
2 tbsp (30 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice

READY FOR REWARDS?

Preparation

In a bowl, whisk a little of the milk into cornstarch to make a smooth paste. Whisk in remaining milk, lemon zest, soy sauce, honey and hot pepper flakes; set aside.

Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add half of the butter and swirl to coat. Add beef and stir-fry for 3 min or until browned; transfer to a bowl. Add remaining butter to pan then onion and stir-fry for 1 min. Add broccoli and ginger and stir-fry for 3 min or until onion is tender. Return beef and accumulated juices to pan.

Whisk milk mixture and pour into pan. Cook, stirring and scraping up brown bits, for about 2 min or until thickened. Stir in lemon juice.

Tips

Grate the lemon zest and the ginger on the fine-side of a box cheese grater. Grating the ginger gets the most from the flavour in the short cooking time of a stir fry. Cut the prep time by buying pre-cut beef stir-fry strips and pre-cut broccoli.

For the Adventurous: Use black bean-garlic sauce instead of soy sauce and bok choy or broccolini instead of broccoli.

Healthy Eating Tip: Power-up with protein! This dish features both milk and lean beef; two high quality protein sources. Research links higher protein diets with improved health especially as we age. Many Canadians could do with more protein in their diets so max out the benefits by enjoying this with a large cold glass of milk.