SZECHUAN BEEF STIR-FRY

10-ounce package fresh vegetable stir-fry blend

3 tablespoons water

2 beef shoulder center steaks (ranch steaks), cut 3/4 inch thick (about 8 ounces each)

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup prepared sesame-ginger stir-fry sauce

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

2 cups hot cooked rice or brown rice, prepared without butter or salt

1/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts

Combine vegetables and water in large non-stick skillet; cover and cook over medium-high heat 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove and drain vegetables. Set aside. Meanwhile cut beef steaks into 1/4-inch thick strips.

Heat same skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add half the beef and half the garlic; stir-fry 1-2 minutes or until outside surface of beef is no longer pink. Remove from skillet; keep warm. Repeat with remaining beef and garlic.

Return all beef and vegetables to skillet. Add stir-fry sauce and red pepper; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until heated through. Spoon over rice. Sprinkle with peanuts. Makes 4 servings.

Almost any tender beef cut can be trimmed, cut into uniform strips and used.

Total preparation and cooking time for this beef stir-fry is 15 minutes.

Nutritional information per serving: 351 calories, 11 g. fat, 64 mg. cholesterol, 1,147 mg. sodium, 29 g. carbohydrate, 3 g. fiber, 32 g. protein.

From Cattlemen’s Beef Board

This story was originally published February 4, 2009 at 12:00 AM with the headline "SZECHUAN BEEF STIR-FRY."