Lunch or Dinner in 10 minutes! Ginger Beef with Asian Greens

Gluten-free | Sugar-free | Fat-free | Dairy-free | Quick cooking

Makes 1 serve

Why it’s delicious

When I’m in a hurry or feeling a little lazy but still want something great to eat, I reach for this dish. It’s a straightforward combination of flavours that works well with the delightful texture from just cooked vegetables and tender beef. 

Helpful hints and tips

You can use any type of Asian green vegetable in this dish, and I suggest you do some research at your local Asian supermarket to discover the abundance of fresh green bundles that are on offer. Some of my favourite greens include gai larn, choy sum,  pea shoots and water spinach. Treat them like English spinach and wash carefully in cold water before cooking for 30-45 seconds in boiling water. 

This recipe requires Bridget's Sticky Sauce, a healthy cooking sauce I use in many of my recipes. It's simple, healthy and packs a lot of flavour without adding unnecessary calories. If you need the recipe, you can get it here.

Before you start, you’ll also need to prepare my Kombu Water. Kombu water is my healthy broth alternative and one of my favourite foundation recipes. If you need the recipe, you can find it here.

Ground wakame It’s a great idea to buy a packet of wakame (dried seaweed) from the supermarket or Asian store and grind until it's small enough to sprinkle. I used a coffee/spice grinder to grind mine, but you can also use a food processor or you can chop furiously with a sharp knife until the seaweed is in small fine pieces. 

Ingredients

• 250 g (8.8 oz) fresh Asian greens like gai larn, bok choy, or choy sum , washed
• 2 tbsp Bridget's Sticky Sauce
• 1 tbsp finely grated ginger
• 1 tsp finely chopped garlic
• 100 g (3.5 oz) rump, porterhouse or sirloin steak, cut into strips
• ½ tsp Chinese 5 spice powder
• Himalayan salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 150 ml Kombu Water
• 1 tbsp ground wakame

Method

1. Heat a medium sized pot with water and bring it to the boil. Chop the ends off your Asian greens discarding the thick outer leaves and set aside. 
2. In a wok or heavy bottomed frying pan, heat it on medium to high heat and add the sticky sauce quickly followed by the ginger and garlic and stir fry for about 30 seconds before adding the beef. 
3. Cook and stir fry the beef for a minute and then add the 5 spice powder and season with salt and pepper. Take the wok off the heat. 
4. Plunge the greens into the pot of boiling water and cook very briefly, for 30-60 seconds or until the greens are just cooked but still crunchy. Drain the greens and add them to the bottom of the plate of the bowl you intend to serve this dish from. 
5. Top the greens with the beef and place the pan back on to high heat and add the kombu water, making a little sauce in the pan. Taste this sauce for flavour, adding a little salt and pepper if necessary and then pour the sauce over the beef and greens, making sure to scrap out any ginger and garlic. 
6. Finish with a sprinkle of the ground wakame and serve.