Weeknight Dinner: Mongolian Beef

It's really easy for me to fall into the take-out dinner routine. I work LONG hours and on top of that I have a substantial commute so when I get home from work all I want to do is pass out in front of the TV and binge watch some of my favorite shows. The remedy to this problem? Simple, affordable, FAST & EASY meals to make that I can get excited about.

I found this recipe on one of my favorite blogs - Damned Delicious and it will be making multiple appearances on my dinner table, for sure! This can be whipped up in less than 30 minutes and tastes way better and lighter than it's cheap, chinese-food-takeout counterpart.

Bonus: It makes GREAT leftovers!

Ingredients

1 pound Flank Steak, thinly sliced across the grain
1/4 cup Cornstarch
1 cup Vegetable Oil
2 Green Onions, thinly sliced

For the Sauce

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Directions

For the sauce, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, 2 teaspoons vegetable oil and 1/2 cup water. Heat mixture in a medium saucepan until slightly thickened, about 5-10 minutes; set aside.

While your sauce is cooking. Combine flank steak and cornstarch in a large bowl. Toss to coat.

Heat 1 cup vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium-high. Add beef and fry until browned and cooked through, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to soak up excess oil.

Add beef to soy sauce mixture and over medium heat cook until sauce thickens, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in green onions. Serve immediately. Garnish with sesame seeds and finely sliced green onion, if desired!

I served this over white rice with a side of steamed broccoli - and it was a very classic, perfect combination of flavors! Aaron and I agreed that while this dish was absolutely delicious it would be fun to add some spice in there and really kick things up a bit - I'll keep you posted on any spicy developments!