beef & asparagus stir fry

a simple, quick meal

I've always been a creature of habit. I like when things line up and have structure and I like schedules. Even the most mundane things have a structure. For example, grocery shopping. Back in California I would go shopping every Monday after work, like clockwork. Now that we've moved here, I've had to alter my schedule a little. The commissary is closed on Mondays so now I do my grocery shopping on Wednesdays after the gym. Yes, I know how boring this makes me sound. 

Regardless of the day of the week, I always like to find a quick meal to make that night for dinner since grocery shopping can be a big painintheass. That proves to be a little more difficult out here. Living on a tiny island in the middle of nowhere leads to a lack of options and availability when it comes to grocery shopping. When I'm looking to make a quick meal after shopping, I'm limited by what fresh meat they have in stock. Out here, there is no fresh poultry. Only frozen, which takes to long to defrost for that night's dinner. For fresh meat, we're limited to beef or pork. Even then, if you go on a busy day, your options are limited to what is left and looks decent. 

A few weeks ago I was shopping and planned on making something with ground beef as my quick dinner. Of course, they were out of ground beef and the only decent cut of meat left was some thin sliced beef for carne asada. I already had some veggies in my cart and decided I'd figure out something to make with it all once I got home. 

Here's the recipe I came up with for dinner that night. I used random veggies I had bought along with whatever I had at home. I cook by eyeballing my measurements so all of these ingredients are an approximation of what I used. You can adjust each one to your own tastes.

for the stir fry:

3/4 lb of beef, thinly sliced

1 bundle of asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces

1/2 red bell pepper, cut into thin slices

1/2 yellow onion, cut into thin slices

8 oz mushrooms, sliced

for the sauce:

1.5 tbsp hoison sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 inch fresh ginger, finely grated (I use a microplane)

1 tsp chili garlic sauce (found in the Asian foods aisle)

1.5 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

1 tbsp rice vinegar

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp honey

1 tbsp water

1. In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients for the sauce, set aside for later

2. Heat a little canola oil in a wok or pan over high heat. Add the meat and stir fry a few minutes until browned and just barely cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside

3. Add all the veggies to the same pan and stir fry a few minutes until crisp tender

4. Add the beef back to the pan with the veggies, stir to combine. Add the sauce and stir fry for about a minute until everything is coated and the sauce is heated. Serve it over rice, or just eat it as is. Enjoy!

eat with chopsticks to feel fancy