Chinese Beef and Broccoli with Tomato
I used to order this dish at China House Restaurant in Saipan, and the combination of flavors grabbed me. Admittedly this is an Americanized version of Chinese broccoli beef, but I like the extra layer of flavor the tomatoes add. Don’t add them too soon or cook them for too long; otherwise, they will turn to mush.
The key to making this dish successfully is to prep everything ahead of time. You’ll feel like you are on a cooking show with all the bowls of measured ingredients beside you, but it will help immensely because once you start stir-frying things move very quickly.
Preparation time depends on how long you want to marinate the beef, which can sit for 30 minutes or up to 3 hours. Freezing the beef for about 20 minutes prior to cutting will make it much easier to achieve very thin slices. Read more
Chinese Chicken and Broccoli
February 22, 2006 by Andrea
Filed under Asian, Poultry, Vegetables
I didn’t grow up eating Asian food. My family is pretty much born and bred Southerners…hillbillies, my parents like to say…and we ate a standard Southern American diet while I was growing up, with an occasional spaghetti, pizza, or taco night. My introduction to Chinese food was with my high school speech and drama team. We had gone to the state finals in a Chicago suburb, and our coach arranged for us to have dinner at a nice Chinese restaurant. The food was good and I had my first opportunity to try eating with chopsticks. So at 17, I got hooked on Chinese food. Then while living in Saipan, I was exposed to a broader range of Asian foods and became enamored with the variety of flavors.
This dish is a favorite that I’ve been making for years, and my kids love it, too. It’s one of those easy dishes that I can whip up on short notice because I almost always have all the ingredients on hand.
CHINESE CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI Read more
Broccoli Raisin Salad
This is a classic salad that goes great with any summer cookout. Because it uses a mayonnaise-based dressing, make sure you keep this chilled. You can also use a simple vinaigrette (recipe below) if you prefer a dairy-free salad.
[Updated: June 25, 2008]
Equipment
large plastic bowl with a lid
small mixing bowl Read more
