BEEF STIR FRY

Serves 4-6

YOU WILL NEED: • medium sized saucepan with a tight fitting lid • wok or large frying pan • wooden spoon • large serving spoon

1 cup white rice (=3 cups cooked)
1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon sunflower or grape seed oil
400g rump steak, fat removed, sliced thinly across the grain*
1 carrot, thinly sliced
200g broccoli, cut into small florets
150g green or snake beans, cut into 3 cm pieces, or snow peas
1 or 2 baby bok choi or pak choi, washed well and sliced
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions

Place 1 1/2 cups water into the saucepan and bring to the boil. Stir in the rice and keep stirring until the water returns to the boil. Cover the saucepan with the lid, reduce the heat to the lowest you can, and allow rice to cook gently for 10 minutes. Don't lift the lid until you are ready to serve or steam that helps cook the rice will escape. Remove the saucepan from the heat and leave it to stand with the lid on for another 10 minutes. When you are ready to serve, remove the lid from the rice saucepan and fluff up the rice with a fork. Then spoon rice onto serving plates.

Heat 1/2 the oil in a large frying pan or wok over a high heat. Add the beef strips and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes or until just cooked. Remove from the wok and put onto a plate.

Add the remaining oil to the pan and reduce heat to medium-high. Add the carrot, broccoli, and beans. Stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the Chinese greens and water. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1-2 minutes or until the vegetables are tender but crisp.

Put cooked beef into the frying pan with the hoisin sauce and soy sauce. Toss until well combined and heated through. Turn off heat. When you are ready to serve, remove the lid from the rice saucepan and fluff up the rice with a fork. Spoon rice onto serving plates, and top with stir-fried beef and vegetables.

* Beef is much easier to slice thinly if it is partly frozen. Boneless chicken thighs can be substituted for beef.