In a Hurry? Stir-Fry!
Friday, September 14, 2012 at 4:00AM 
Investing in a wok is a great way to make delicious meals fast. You don't need special training to use a wok and create scrumptious Asian cuisine. And you don’t need a range with a gas burner either; just make sure to buy a flat-bottomed wok.
Woks aren't limited to Asian cuisine. In fact, if I’m in a hurry to leave the house in the morning, I often make scrambled eggs and veggies in a wok. It’s ready in minutes and cleanup is easy.
Today’s recipe is a stir-fry that takes minutes to make and is unique because it uses celery leaves. Often celery leaves are thrown away but they actually have a much stronger flavor than the celery stalk. The beef pairs very well with the cumin seeds and the addition of the celery leaves at the end give this dish a burst of flavor.
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Cumin Beef with Celery
1 steak (12 ounces) such as blade or flank (trim any fat or gristle), sliced very thin against the grain
5 teaspoons reduced sodium soy sauce, divided
2 teaspoons cornstarch, divided
5 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
3 celery ribs sliced diagonally ¼-inch thick, leaves chopped and reserved separately
2 small red bell peppers, cut in 1-inch cubes (about 1 cup)
4 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or medium dry sherry
- In medium bowl add sliced beef, 2 ½ teaspoons of the soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of the cornstarch; toss to coat beef.
- Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a wok or large sauté pan over medium high heat until it just starts to smoke. Add meat to wok and sear. Stir-fry the meat about 2 to 3 minutes until cooked through. Remove meat from wok and set aside.
- Add the remaining 3 teaspoons of oil and heat over medium heat. Add ginger, garlic, cumin and red pepper flakes and heat, stirring constantly, for about 10 seconds to release their flavors; watch carefully to prevent burning. Then add celery and bell peppers and stir to incorporate. Cover wok with lid and cook for about 5 to 6 minutes until crisp-tender.
- Return meat to the wok and any juices that have accumulated. Stir-fry to heat through.
- In small bowl mix the remaining soy sauce, cornstarch and rice wine until cornstarch is dissolved, then pour mixture into wok and bring to a slight boil; cook for about 1 minute or until the sauce thickens slightly. Turn off the heat and add the chopped celery leaves so they just barely wilt, but don't cook.
Makes 2 servings
Recipe by Zoe McLaughlin
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Reader Comments (1)
Oh, my goodness. I saw a photo of this dish in Special Fork's "week in review" e-mail and my mouth began watering. It looks delicious!