Tricky Nicky

By Andrew Hunter

Sometimes Marilyn and I sit at the dinner table and watch in amazement as our two boys eat. Or rather while Benny eats and Nicky twists, turns and falls off his chair; pulls a Lego airplane from his pocket to crash into his otherwise untouched green beans; and pokes his brother in the ribs before proclaiming he’s “all full”. Without skipping a beat, Benny reaches over and steals Nicky’s potatoes.  How can two children come from the same place and be so different?

It’s not that Nicky doesn’t eat anything, and he is getting better. It used to be that he subsisted on only milk and rice. Now he likes, even craves, certain foods. He’s a ravenous fruit eater, especially watermelon and strawberries. He munches on roasted almonds, and sings, “long noodle, long life” over and over again while slurping udon noodles in dashi broth … someday he’ll learn that dashi is made from dried fish and kelp … but for now he enjoys the smoky flavor. His all time favorite though is Mexican green rice with chopped fresh cilantro and mint. He eats it with a spoon.

The other day, I made Benny’s favorite beef and broccoli stir-fry. Nicky got a gleam in his eye and confessed he wanted a taste. We all held our breath and waited as he chewed, paused, and threw his fisted hands above his head. This is his way of saying he likes it. To take advantage of a good thing, I’ve since made the same stir-fry for the last three nights. He’ll get sick of it soon, but at least he’ll get some protein in the meantime.

Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry
1 cup chicken broth
¼ cup naturally brewed, less sodium soy sauce, like Kikkoman
1 tablespoon Hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 tablespoon water
Vegetable oil, as needed
12 ounces beef – flank or skirt steak, tri-tip or sirloin, thinly sliced
½ cup yellow onion, thinly sliced
½ cup red bell peppers, thinly sliced
1 head broccoli, cut in florets, blanched

In a mixing bowl, combine the broth, soy sauce, Hoisin and sesame oil. Whisk together and set aside. In another bowl, combine the cornstarch and water and stir together.

Heat a wok or large sauté pan over high heat. When the wok is starting to smoke, add about 2 tablespoons of oil, allow it to heat for a few seconds, then add the meat. Cook and stir for 3 minutes, or to desired doneness. Remove the meat from the wok and set aside.

Keeping the heat as high as possible, add the onions and a drizzle of oil. Stir and shake the pan constantly. When the onions are soft and coloring, add the red bells and continue stirring constantly. Add the meat and sauce back to the wok. Bring the sauce to a boil, and add the blanched broccoli. Stir the cornstarch slurry to recombine and add to the sauce. Stir to thicken. Serve with steamed rice.

Helpful Tips:

1. Slice the meat thinly across the grain in bite-sized pieces. This will help ensure the meat is tender.
2. To blanch broccoli, drop florets into salted boiling water, for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse with water to cool. It’s a good idea to blanch carrots and all green veggies before stir-frying.
3. The wok should be very hot when stir-frying, so turn on the exhaust fan and/or open the windows. Your house will smell delicious.
4. To make a more adult version, add ginger, garlic and crushed chili flakes when the red peppers are added.

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Comments

[Rice Palette]

Yum, beef and broccoli is always a favorite of mine!! Great tip about cutting the beef into thin slices.. it also prevents the meat to be too chewy!

[Andrew Hunter]

Thanks for reading. Great tip!

[Patsy McAdam]

Andrew I loved the Nicky Benny story as well as the recipe. I'll try it for John and I as soon as I get some nice beef and I will put the red pepper flakes on mine. Did you serve it with rice or noodles?