Sesame Beef and Asparagus

1/2 lb. asparagus, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
water, for boiling

3 Tbsp. sesame oil, separated
1 1/2 lbs. steak, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. ginger, minced
3 Tbsp. oyster sauce
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. Chinese 5 Spice powder
3 Tbsp. rice vinegar
black pepper, lots
4 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 c. water
1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained
sesame seeds
hot cooked rice

Sauce

First blanch the asparagus in boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Drain. Immediately run very cold water over the asparagus for a minute or two. This retains the color of the asparagus. Set aside.

Heat a wok or skillet to high heat. Pour in 2 Tbsp. of the sesame oil. Cook the beef until most of the pink is gone. Remove the beef from the wok/skillet. Set aside.

In the same wok/skillet, add the ingredients for the sauce: garlic, ginger, oyster sauce, soy sauce, 5 Spice, rice vinegar, pepper, brown sugar, and the remaining 1 Tbsp. of sesame oil. Bring to a boil for 1 minute. Reduce heat.

Mix together the cornstarch and water to make a slurry. Pour into the sauce. Stir constantly for a minute or two while the sauce thickens.

Add the beef, asparagus, and water chestnuts to the sauce. Stir to coat it all. Let it simmer for several minutes so the beef, asparagus and chestnuts can get heated through.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve over hot cooked rice. Delicious.

Here's a link to the recipe I used: http://www.nlrockrecipes.com/2013/10/super-quick-sesame-beef-and-asparagus.html

Steak Salad with Ginger Dressing

Quick and easy salad to make.  This recipe makes one salad.

lettuce greens, whatever kind you like (I just used spinach)
1 small steak, thinly sliced
olive oil
dash or two of onion powder, black pepper, kosher salt
drop or two of Worcestershire sauce

Dressing
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. sugar
3/4 Tbsp. lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 Tbsp. ginger, minced 


Lay out the greens on a large plate. Set aside.

Cook your steak slices in a small amount of olive oil over medium heat. Add the seasonings and Worcestershire sauce. Cook until it's as done as you want; shouldn't take too long, maybe 5 minutes.

To make the dressing: Add all the ingredients to a small bowl. Spread 3/4 of the dressing over the greens. When your steak is cooked, lay the slices over the greens. Pour the rest of the dressing over the whole salad. Enjoy.

I will definitely make this again.

Here's a link to the Pioneer Woman's recipe that I altered: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/03/ginger-steak-salad/