It's too cold, let's order Chinese!

It snowed again in Raleigh. Four inches, maybe? Which in Raleigh terms is EIGHT FEET of ICY MADNESS. At least. You can tell it's a lot by the use of capitalization. Dramatic effect is everything.

When it's cold outside, I have compulsions I have to deal with. I have to watch several bad movies one right after another. I have to wear pajamas, the uglier, the better. And I need to cook. Baking is ideal, but I'm sugared out from the holidays. So you know what is delicious AND nutritious?

Beef & Broccoli Fake Takeout.

Here's what you need:
Soy Sauce, a few tablespoons, add as needed (I like Kikkoman, which has been tested to be gluten free AND you can get MSG-free. MSG gives me headaches.)
1/2 lb Thinly sliced beef (I get it pre-cut)
Broccoli, a whole head of it, chopped up
ginger (fresh - grate up about a 1/2 teaspoon; powdered - about 1 tsp, add to taste)
Onions, 1 big yellow one
Olive or sesame oil, a few tablespoons to taste
Oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon (Panda Brand for GF!!)
Garlic (I buy the minced in oil kind, because it's great for lazy cooks and then your hands won't smell!)

Toss onions in water, soy sauce, and oil (one tablespoon each) and 1 tsp of that minced garlic in a hot saucepan until the onions are translucent, medium heat. Add beef and let brown. Remove and set aside.

Blanch broccoli for one minute (blanching is dropping the food in already-boiling water) then drain (this gives it the bright green crunchy finish)

Then stir fry throw all the other ingredients in a large pan and add the broccoli and beef. Add liquid of your choice (oyster, soy, oil, water) if it's sticking.

Some notes: If you don't like a runny sauce, you can add a bit of cornstarch to thicken the broth after before you throw in the beef and broccoli. It reminds me of snot, so I don't do it. But you can. If you like your sauce a bit saltier, add more soy sauce rather than oil/oyster sauce. Or if you like a sweeter finish, add a dash of brown sugar. Also, I didn't include instructions for rice, because I'm bored by rice right now. But I love it over rice vermicelli, which you can buy at Asian grocery stores.

Remember that there are multiple ways of tenderizing beef - yes, you can buy meat tenderizer. But if you're mad, you should probably invest in a mallet and smack your dinner around a bit. (This will break down muscle fibers in the beef and make it tender, and you will have a delicious way to relieve stress!)

Also, you can skip the beef and use the sauce on any vegetables. It's so tasty; it tricks kids into liking vegetables.