Beef and oyster sauce stir fry #MeatMatters

I got an email last week that Miss JibberJabber's athletics session had been changed from a Friday night to Thursday. The problem with this is that Friday night fitted in with Master JibberJabber's Cubs meeting and meals could be arranged around it accordingly. Now I have another evening where a tasty and nutritious dinner needs to be rustled up in double quick time.

One solution for this is a stir fry. I love being able to go through the fridge and throwing in bits and pieces what we already have in. Stir frying allows the vegetables to be cooked quickly thus retaining so much of their goodness. You can also get a great mix of inviting colours into a dish. By combining it with beef you have a great source of iron which helps to reduce tiredness and fatigue and it is naturally rich in protein.

If you are worried about the taste of the oyster sauce being fishy then don't be. It is a classic Chinese and Oriental condiment used extensively for its rich and intense flavour. This makes it great for speedy marinating of meat.

You can serve this with rice or noodles. If you choose rice like we did then make sure you get the rice cooking while doing the stir frying so it is all ready at the same time. Noodles, whether you pick fresh or dried, will take a shorter time to cook.

Serves 4

Equipment: Small bowl, wok or large frying pan, large saucepan for cooking rice/noodles

Ingredients

14oz (400g) Thin cut beef steak

1 tbsp (15ml) Light soy sauce

2 tbsp (30ml) Dry sherry

2 tsp (10ml) Cornflour

2 Large onions, sliced

2 Carrots, cut into batons

6 Large tomatoes, cut into quarters

1oz (28g) Green beans, topped and tailed and cut into smaller pieces

2 tbsp (30ml) Oil (I use sunflower)

2 tbsp (30ml) Water

3 tbsp (45ml) Oyster sauce

Method

1. Cut the beef into strips and put into the bowl and mix with the soy sauce, sherry and cornflour.

2. Put the beef to one side while you prepare the vegetables.

3. Heat the oil in the wok or frying pan. When it is hot add the beef leaving the liquid in the bowl. Stir fry for a couple of minutes until browned.

4. Remove the beef, put on a plate and set aside.

5. Add the onions, carrots and beans to the wok and stir fry for a minute.

6. Pour the water in and cook for another 3 minutes. The add in the marinate liquid and cook for another 2 minutes.

7. Put the tomatoes in the wok with the oyster sauce and cook until the tomatoes are just heated through but not mushy.

8. Return the beef to the wok and heat through quickly before serving with rice or noodles.

This post is an entry for the #MeatMatters Challenge, sponsored by Simply Beef and Lamb. Learn more about the benefits of cooking and eating beef and lamb along with recipe ideas and inspiration here!