Sesame Beef a la Delish

The question, "what's for dinner?" is one that constantly stumps me. I like to try new dishes and keep things interesting for Matt (the man that hates to eat the same thing too many times too frequently, therefore making leftovers useless). However, trying new dishes all the time is what leads to me being stuck in the kitchen for hours on a weeknight and serving dinner at 10:30 pm. I'm not comfortable enough with the recipe to just throw it together (and the baker in me says, "you must follow the recipe and measure precisely!").

When I saw this recipe on Delish, I knew I had to give it a try! It sounded like it would be pretty quick and, hopefully, tasty. Indeed it was!


Sesame Beef
Source: Delish
1/2-pound boneless sirloin steak, thinly sliced into 1-inch strips
2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp honey
1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 garlic clove, minced
4 scallion greens, cut diagonally into 1-inch slices
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

In a bowl whisk together soy sauce, 1 Tbsp oil, honey, and mustard. Add steak, tossing to coat, and let marinate, refrigerated, for 1-2 hours.

In a heavy skillet or wok, heat remaining tablespoon oil over moderately high heat until hot and sauté garlic. Add steak and cornstarch, stirring, until browned 2-3 minutes. Stir in scallions, sesame seeds, and salt and pepper to taste and heat until just heated through. Serve immediately.

Fried rice

Matt loves rice. He'd eat it every single day if I made it that often. He loves fried rice so much, he eats it as an entree.

This recipe is pretty easy to prepare. Just make sure you've got all your mise en place (that is to say, all ingredients prepped and measured) before you begin! It comes together so quickly that there's no time to stop and chop!


Fried Rice
Source: How to Boil Water
1/3 cup plain vegetable oil (corn, peanut, canola), divided
1 onion diced
Salt and pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
3 whole scallions, thinly sliced on the bias, separate whites and greens
1 1/3 cups (6 oz) medley frozen corn, peas and carrots
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups cold cooked long-grain rice
3 tablespoons soy sauce

Heat a large heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet over high heat. When hot, add 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the onions to the pan, season with salt and pepper and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until onion is fragrant. Add the garlic, ginger and scallion whites and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the frozen vegetables. Cook until just defrosted but still crisp. Transfer contents of the skillet to a large bowl.

Return the pan to the heat ad add 2 more tablespoons of oil. Add the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Stir the eggs constantly and cook until almost set but still moist, then transfer egg to the bowl. Break the eggs up with a wooden spoon.

Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining oil. Add the rice to the pan and use a spoon to break up any clumps. Season with salt and pepper and stir-fry rice to coat evenly with oil. Stop stirring and then let the rice cook undisturbed until it gets slightly crispy, about 2 minutes. Stir the rice again, breaking up any new clumps. Add the scallion greens and the soy sauce. Transfer to the bowl. Stir contents of the bowl well. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary.