Confession: I’m kinda obsessed with Pioneer Woman.

I realize she doesn’t necessarily cook the healthiest of meals (she uses butter almost as much as Paula Deen), but damn, those dishes look goooooood. While I was exploring the recipes on her blog, I came across a pretty simple and yummy-looking Beef and Broccoli recipe.

Considering the fact that Nick and I order Chinese take-out all the time, I figured this would be an excellent meal to try – and if it turned out awful, we could always order in. J

I used marinated skirt steak for Nick’s and marinated tempeh for my dish – luckily, both of our versions turned out phenomenally. I thought I had way more broccoli on hand than I actually did, so I compensated by adding some mushrooms and asparagus. Now, the original recipe calls for Oyster Sauce – but I can’t eat that so I made my own version that is vegetarian and shellfish-free.

Tempeh with Broccoli/Beef with Broccoli

• 1/2 lb skirt steak, thinly sliced into 1/8-in (3-mm)-thick strips
• 1 lb broccoli, cut into bite-size florets
• handful of sliced mushrooms
• 6 asparagus spear sliced into 3-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon high-heat cooking oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic

Marinade:

• 1 1/2 teaspoons gluten-free soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon cooking oil
• Freshly ground black pepper to season the beef

Stir-fry Sauce:

• 3 tablespoons “oyster sauce” (recipe follows)
• 2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
• 2 teaspoons Chinese black vinegar (or balsamic vinegar)

“Oyster Sauce”

• 3 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch (just mix)

1.  In a bowl, combine the ingredients for the Beef Marinade. Add the beef and let marinade for 10 minutes at room temperature.
2.  In a small bowl, mix together the ingredients for “oyster sauce” in one bowl and the stir-fry sauce in another bowl.
3.  In a wok or large sauté pan, add 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water and bring to a boil. Add the asparagus for 3 minutes. Then add broccoli and cover to steam for 3 minutes. The broccoli should be bright green, crisp tender and you should be able to pierce the stem with a fork. Drain.
4. Discard the water in the pan and dry the pan well. Set the pan over high heat and when hot, add the high-heat cooking oil and swirl to coat. Add the garlic and fry for 15 to 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the mushrooms and tempeh/steak strips, keeping them in one layer and fry 30 seconds. Flip the strips and fry the other side.
5. Pour in the Stir-fry Sauce and stir to combine. Simmer until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 30 seconds. Add the cooked broccoli back into the pan and toss to coat well.
6. Serve over a bed of brown rice.