Parents often say their kids won’t eat anything. Fights. Hunger strikes. Terrorist negotiations. Oh yes, dinner can be a nightmare for many adults trying to just get through to bedtime with their beloved offspring.

Allow me to present a solution, dear desperate readers: Stir fry. Yes, stir fry them into a frenzy of eating and not complaining.

One of the many hits in my house with kiddo is stir-fry. Yes, I bust out my wok, and he is totally like, “Mom, let’s DO THIS!” He even houses the hot and sour soup I occasionally make to go with stir fry dins. Yay!

Here is a steak and mixed veggie stir fry I make when my husband travels. My husband would love it, too, but he tries to avoid red meat, so I whip it up when he’s on the road. 

I served this with white rice, but of course you could do brown rice. And I think it would be really nice with ramen noodles, too. You can mix and match whatever veg your heart desires. My mix has bell peppers, broccoli, carrots and onions. I top it all with scallions as part of a grand finale sitch. I strongly recommend having all ingredients chopped, prepped and nearby because stir fries keep it moving FAST. That’s why these are ideal for frazzled parents trying to feed the kids. You feel me?

The five spice Chinese seasoning is easily found in any grocery store in your spice aisle. McCormick makes one. Feel free to make this in a deep wide pan if you do not have a wok in your kitch.

Beef Veggie Stir Fry

Recipe by Susan LeiserCourse: MainCuisine: AsianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

25

minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak, trimmed of fat and cut into strips

• 1 small red bell pepper, sliced into strips

• 1 small green bell pepper, sliced into strips

• 1 carrot, peeled and slicked into matchsticks

• 1 small onion, sliced

• 12-14 broccoli florets

• 1 cup sliced mushrooms

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 cups beef broth, warmed

• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch

• 2 Tbsp. Chinese 5-spice seasoning

• 3 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce

• Fresh ground pepper

• 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

• For serving: Chopped scallions, soy sauce to taste, sirachi if desired. Serve over cooked rice.

Directions

• In a wok or large rimmed frying pan over medium-high heat, add vegetable oil. Once hot, add steak. Stir frequently so that all the meat browns. Cook for about 4-5 minutes. Using tongs, remove cooked steak to a dish.
• Add all of the vegetables to the wok. Stir frequently so that all of the vegetables fry quickly. Add garlic. Cook for a minute. Add the meat back to the wok. Season with Chinese 5-spice seasoning, soy sauce, and black pepper. Stir again.
• Whisk the cornstarch with a couple of tablespoons of warmed broth. Slowly add the cornstarch mixture and the remaining broth to wok.
• Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Cover with lid for a few minutes to cook through.
• Top with chopped scallions and more soy sauce, to taste. For spiciness, drizzle with sirachi. Serve with 3 cups prepared rice, such as basmati.