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It’s been quiet around the blog. After last week’s post, Five Reasons to Not Keep Chickens, I took a short and unexpected blogging break. Not writing for six whole days was never my intention, but that’s what happened. I missed our conversations here. The time we sit on the couch via the computer with a fresh pot of coffee and talk and share recipes. I must admit, the short little break was nice, but I’ve missed our time.
My “break” was spent scrolling Pinterest, reading a fabulous book, cooking in the kitchen, spending time with family, and way too much time on Facebook. Can we talk about Facebook?
Facebook can be a very dangerous place. Yes, there are the weird friend requests, the unusually targeted ads, and the millions of selfies, but open up Facebook, when hunger strikes, and serious danger lurks. Have you ever noticed the amount of food photos posted to Facebook? Hundreds!
Snack? Snap.
Lunch? Status update.
Dinner? Photo collage time.
I love the inspiration I get, particularly because I’m friends with so many amazing food bloggers, but man, it’s dangerous. A post about a grass-fed burger topped with melted cheese can stay pictured in my mind for a week, dreaming endlessly about that beauty, calling my name to the kitchen. And please, friends, stop posting chocolate pictures. This girl has major chocolate issues.
A couple of weeks ago, while scrolling through my feed, a picture popped up from my sweet friend, Kristine. Chicken marinating perfectly in a bowl and colorful rows of veggies ready to be cooked. The urge for stir-fry hit hard. I searched my freezer, “must have stir-fry.”
Not a single package of chicken or beef could be found. Since I’m trying my hardest to stick to my real food budget, running up the health food store just wasn’t an option.
While I wait for my beef and chicken orders from the farm, I’ve been making lots of venison, the only meat left in our freezer. Last Fall, Dustin and a friend brought home two beautiful deer, Dustin’s first ever. We’ve been nourishing ourselves with the meat for months, and even though I’m always puzzled with how to use various cuts, I’m gaining confidence and enjoying a bit of creative liberty.
This dish is the result of that creative liberty and inspiration from Kristine (and Facebook). A classic, healthy stir-fry made with fresh veggies and sirloin, either venison or beef. The veggie choices are unlimited, making this a truly frugal and nourishing meal, that can be made in just minutes.
Easy Beef and Vegetable Stir-Fry
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 lbs beef sirloin or flat iron steak, sliced
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup organic soy sauce
- 1 TB ginger finely chopped
- 1 TB fresh garlic finely chopped
- 1 TB honey
- 1-2 TB butter or ghee
- veggies and herbs chopped, such as: carrots, onion, peppers, broccoli, cabbage, bok choy, mushrooms, etc.
- cooked rice I like jasmine rice
Instructions
- In a medium size bowl, add olive oil, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and honey.
- Slice the venison or beef. Add to the bowl. Coat the meat with the marinade. Allow to sit in the fridge for an hour.
- Cook the rice while the meat marinades.
- In a large, deep skillet or wok (like this) add 1-2 TB butter or ghee, add the hard veggies such as broccoli, carrots, and onions first, 5 minutes. Add in the remaining ingredients. Cook until slightly tender.
- Push the veggies to the side of the skillet, add the meat (throwing out the remaining marinade). Let the meat brown, then mix the meat and veggies together.
- Serve warm over rice.
Nutrition
How do you think chicken will fair in this recipe?
Great, you’ll want to use chopped chicken breasts, and cook until no longer pink.
Thank you! This is still one of my favorite recipes, I’m making it again tomorrow. I made your Taco Lettuce Cups tonight for dinner-another favorite. I love that we can use much less meat and there is less building to do because the veggies are included in the meat filling!
Hey Bethany, I’m so glad you’re enjoying the stir-fry and taco cups. So true about the meat, I love being able to serve meat with the hearty vegetables, too. Enjoy!
So good! The marinade softened the grass fed meat so perfectly! I did not have soy sauce but I used about half the amount and used Ume Plum Vinegar by Eden. I used much less meat but it worked out great, lots of veggies and big flavor. We also like to season the rice underneath with coconut aminos. This will become a regular in our household.
Perfect substitutions, Bethany! I have yet to try Ume Plum Vinegar from Eden, it’s going on my list to pickup next week at the store. Yum, coconut aminos are so delicious in rice. I’m so glad everyone loved the stir-fry. I love reading about your cooking adventures and the awesome ways you adapt the recipes here on Live Simply. Thank you for the inspiration!