Easy Skirt Steak Stir Fry

The Chinese horoscope says Year of the Snake will be a roller coaster year, but for me 2013 started off with a NICE BIG BANG!  Everything is flowing smoothly and seamlessly.  Three little new words will be my new focus for Year of the Snake: Simplify, Eliminate and Delegate (SED.)  These can apply to everything you do in life starting with cooking!

When cooking during weeknights, stick to simple one-dish dinners like this Beef Stir Fry so you can enjoy with family or friends or even on your own!  This simple beef stir fry can be made in less than half an hour.  Flap Steak or Skirt Steak are reasonably priced and good cuts for stir frying, there’s a little marbling to keep it succulent. ‘Marinade’ your thinly sliced steak with squirt, squeeze, shake of TSPC.  No sauce, otherwise you’ll want rice or a starchy carb to mop it up. This simple beef stir fry can be made in less than half an hour. You can substitute with a variety of other meats like chicken, pork, lamb, shrimp or tofu and swap the veggies but use this same technique, you can’t go wrong and you’ll be able to build ‘hundreds’ of yummy weeknight dinners.

Watch out for a Chinese New Year Feast post, I’ll be having a second Feast this Sunday so I can celebrate with my sister and more friends.  Happy Year of the Snake everyone, hope your year will bring you luck, good health and wealth.

Ingredients:
1 lb.  Skirt Steak marinaded in TSPC
2 cloves garlic
thumb size ginger, shredded
1 medium size ripe tomato cut into wedges
2 scallions, sliced diagonally
handful of cilantro, roughly chopped

Tea Seed Oil for frying
Marinade:
TSPC: T=tamari, S=sherry, P=pepper, C=cornstarch
1/4 tsp. of Sambal Olek

Practice the following stir fry technique and you’ll succeed everytime:

1.  Heat your cast iron wok till you see first wisp of smoke.
(Do NOT use teflon nonstick for stir frying, it can’t handle high heat and you’ll damage the material).
Add 3 swirls of oil, quickly add garlic and ginger so they don’t burn and turn bitter. Add beef and spread out in one layer so they all get some heat.
2.  Flip the steak as soon as you see color turning!  This doesn’t take long, otherwise you’ll overcook and becomes chewy.
3.  Add wedges of tomatoes and swish around with beef till a bit wilted.   Last, top with scallions and cilantro right before plating.  Viola!
My dad was born in year of the snake!  If you’re a snake, see if you share his characteristics! 

Some celebrity Snakes: Audrey Hepburn, Jacqueline Kennedy, Oprah Winfrey; John F. Kennedy, Chris Rock, Marlon Brando

Snake traits: Acute, aware, charming, cunning, elegant, mysterious, passionate, proud, serene, and vain.

Best match: Ox, rooster.  Avoid:  tiger, pig
Forecast:
career: self improvement to make great achievements at work
wealth: financial fortune will come second half year
relationship: married folks prevent extra marital affairs, singles will meet loving ones.
health: control your emotions in case of unexpected hurt

Ancient Chinese wisdom says a Snake in the house is a good omen because it means that your family will not starve.  People born in the Year of the Snake are keen and cunning, quite intelligent and wise.  They are great mediators and good at doing business.  Therefore, you should have good luck if you were born in the  Year of the Snake.

This is a year of  water Snake, and all things will be possible.  Saving money and being thrifty should be your top priorities.  Delusion and deception are common in the year of water Snake.  Stay alert!  To gain the greatest benefits from this year, you must control spending and use your talents wisely.  If you are planning to get married or to begin a business partnership, be sure to thoroughly investigate the other person’s finances and background before you legalize the alliance.
Here’s more.