Shanghai Beef and Broccoli

Shang low, Shanghai you won't find a better beef and broccoli dish at a restaurant. This is not because I'm a fab cook, I just found a good recipe on finecooking.com, one of my go-to sites. Every time I make this, it turns out delicious. Leftovers are maybe even better. Each serving is only 360 calories. 360 calories of pure asian spicy goodness.

Although it's a somewhat spicy dish, we mixed some of the juice up with the brown rice, and my 11-month old scarfed it right down. Of course, he would eat the refrigerator if he could, but that's besides the point.

If you don't have dry sherry on hand, use one part vanilla to three parts sherry (i.e., the recipe calls for 3 Tbs dry sherry, so I substituted only 1 teaspoon. You can taste the vanilla a little bit, but it seems like a good substitution. Or you could google other subs as well.

If you like a little ginger, a little red meat, a little spice, and broccoli, this is your meal for tonight - plus it goes together super fast.

1 small flank steak (1-1/4 to 1-1/2 lb.)
3 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. dry sherry
1 Tbs. cornstarch
Kosher salt
3/4 lb. broccoli crowns, cut into 2-inch florets (to yield about 4 heaping cups)
1/4 cup canola or peanut oil (I use coconut oil; healthy and I love the essence of coconut in the beef)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2-inch piece ginger, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
1/4 tsp. red chile flakes
2 Tbs. oyster sauce

Bring 2 quarts water with 2 tsp. kosher salt to a boil.

Slice the steak in half lengthwise and then cut crosswise into thin slices. In a medium bowl, stir 1 Tbs. of the soy sauce with the sherry, cornstarch, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Add the steak, toss to coat, and let sit for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, blanch the broccoli in the boiling water until it softens to a tender crunch, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain in a colander and then rinse under cold water until the broccoli cools.

Set a large, heavy skillet or a large wok over high heat for 1 minute. Pour in 2 Tbs. of the oil and, when it starts to shimmer, add the beef. Cook the beef, stirring frequently, until it loses most but not all of its raw color, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a large plate. Add the remaining 2 Tbs. oil and the garlic, ginger, chile flakes, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the broccoli and 3 Tbs. water and cook, stirring to incorporate any browned bits on the bottom of the pan, until the broccoli warms through, about 1 minute. Stir in the beef, the oyster sauce, and the remaining 2 Tbs. soy sauce; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Serve immediately.

I serve this up with brown rice on the side, but you could use noodles too or salad or anything that fits your fancy.