Orange Beef Stir Fry *heather

This super tasty stir fry is one I adapted from one of Martha's recipes. Honestly, her recipe didn't make enough sauce, so I had to tweak things a little to make it work for my taste buds. It's pretty quick to make. The most time-consuming part is chopping the veggies and slicing the meat. It was a hit with the adults in our family... The littles however, notsomuch. He didn't want to touch it without a fight.

(untouched)

INGREDIENTS
1 c. brown rice
1 c. freshly squeezed orange juice (from one large orange)
2T rice vinegar
4T soy sauce
2T light-brown sugar

1 lb top or bottom round steak, cut into strips, 2 inches long and 1/4 inch thick
1T cornstarch
salt and pepper, to taste
1 bunch (1 lb) broccoli florets, broken onto small pieces (reserve stalks for another use
3 ribs celery, sliced on an angle
3 cloves garlic, diced

2T vegetable oil
1 red bell pepper(ribs and seeds removed), cut into strips, 2 inches long and 1/4 inches wide

Prepare rice according to package directions.

- Juice your orange. I like to use a little net "shower cap" for my orange. I can squeeze out all the juice and keep the pulp inside. Then jest your orange and add the zest into the juice.

**This is where I get to plug Microplane's nifty zester **
Triva: Microplane is a woodworking tool company and they've taken a little foray into the world of cooking tools. Most of the produces they make are fantastic!


In a small bowl, whisk together orange juice and zest, vinegar, soy sauce and sugar. Set aside.

-Place 1 cup water and broccoli florets in a large skillet. Cover and bring to a boil. Cook 4-5 minutes until bright green and tender, but still slightly crisp. Drain broccoli and set aside in a bowl. Discard water.

Wipe dry with a clean towel.

Then, using the same skillet, heat the vegetable oil. Dredge the beef in the corn starch and place in the skillet, along with garlic, once oil is very hot. Cook on high until brown, about 2-4 minutes.

-Add peppers (I was out of red, so orange worked fine) and celery and the prepared sauce, along with a cup or 2 of water. Cook over high heat until sauce thickens. Add broccoli to skillet and cover until broccoli is warmed through again.

-Taste your sauce. Does it need salt or pepper?

-Enjoy over rice.