Healthy Asian-Inspired Recipe: Teriyaki Beef Stir-Fry
As I mentioned in a prior post, I tried Emily Ley’s Simplicity Challenge in December as a way to prepare myself and my home for the New Year. There were so many great tasks I was prompted to do during those December days. One of my favorites was to write out “10 Go To Meals” for my family. I thought this was a genius suggestion. So, I sat down with my family and we brainstormed our favorite meals. I decided that to make this top 10 list, the meals would have to be both something we enjoy eating and one that’s simple to prepare. This list has been so helpful on those busy weekends when my menu-planning feels uninspired.
I wrote up the list and, as I did with each completed task, posted a photograph on my Instagram account (@planonthesunrise) to document my progress. With this one, I received requests to post some of the recipes. I promised I would post them to my blog, and this is my first one to share.
Dietary restrictions are the mother of invention.
I first learned to make this dish while I was in law school. Back then, we had no dietary restrictions. I started my Sunday afternoon cooking routine back then (since I reserved my weekday evenings for studying) and would watch the Sunday afternoon cooking show lineup on PBS while I prepared the week’s meals. There was this chef who I cannot even find using a Google search who made all sorts of recipes. He provided the basic ingredients for a homemade (and very Americanized) teriyaki sauce. Little did I know how much this recipe would help us when we learned about our dietary restrictions. What gives this recipe a distinctive Asian flavor are a few ingredients- toasted sesame oil and mirin- a sweet and sour rice cooking wine.
This is our favorite Mirin brand (#Ad):
The first time I had to tweak the recipe was in the early 2000s, when my husband was diagnosed with Celiac disease. Asian restaurants became a no-no for us thanks to all the wheat in the soy sauce. Fortunately, we were able to find gluten-free soy sauce, and this recipe was one of our first Asian-flavored meals. Years later, with my needing to eat a more paleo-friendly diet, I have used other substitutes such as coconut aminos, coconut sugar, and paleo ketchup, but the recipe still has its original delicious flavor. It also makes a perfect winter dish as it has warming spices such as ginger and garlic, red peppers (which are high in vitamin C), and mushrooms (which have immune-boosting properties). Basically, this dish will help ward off and fight a cold, which is just what we need when the weather turns cooler.
Our favorite brand of coconut aminos is Coconut Secret (cheesy name, good product). (#Ad):
You can make this stir-fry as paleo-friendly as you like. It is great over rice and noodles (we use Jovial brand rice noodles), but also works with cauliflower rice and zucchini noodles. Of course, you can make this with chicken, pork, tofu- whatever protein you like. If you want to make this dish ahead of time, just do all of your chopping in advance and save the ingredients in storage containers (keep the onions and red peppers separated from the garlic and mushrooms, and definitely store the sliced meat on its own). You can also put all the sauce ingredients in a container and heat it while your stir-fry ingredients are cooking. Make extra sauce and use it to brush on grilled burgers or over chicken wings that are “fried” in the oven. It is so versatile!
Another great tip is to use tri-tip as your cut of beef. We learned about tri-tip from our grocery store butcher, who said it was the best cut of meat you can find for stir fry recipes. It has just enough marbling to keep the meat soft, and as long as you cut it against the grain, it will always be tender. We have found that even when we let our meat overcook a bit, tri-tip always remains a tender cut, and the flavor goes well with any of the stir fry sauces we pair it with.
Table of Contents
Healthy Asian-Inspired Recipe: Teriyaki Beef Stir-Fry
Notes
If you use coconut aminos, you may wish to season the vegetables and meat with salt as coconut aminos are not as salty as soy sauce. If you are using soy sauce, however, you might want to hold off on adding salt to the dish.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Coconut Aminos (Or Soy Sauce)
- ¼ cup Mirin
- ½ cup Paleo Ketchup
- 1 tsp Ground Ginger
- 1 Tbsp Coconut Sugar (or Brown Sugar)
- 2 Lbs. Tri-Tip Beef, sliced into ½ x 2” strips, which are 1/8” in thickness
- 8 oz. White or Brown Mushrooms, sliced
- 2 Large Red Bell Peppers, sliced into strips
- 1 Large Onion, sliced into strips
- 3 Large Cloves Garlic, minced
- 1-2 Tbsp Avocado Oil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil
- Toasted Sesame Seeds (optional)
Instructions
- For the Sauce
- In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients from the coconut aminos through the coconut sugar. Heat on medium, stirring until the sauce thickens slightly. It should look a little thinner than molasses.
- For the Stir Fry
- In a large non-stick wok or frying pan over medium-high heat, add 1 tsp of the avocado oil. When the oil begins to ripple, add the red peppers and the onions. Stir fry until the vegetables are softened but still crisp. Add the garlic and stir fry for another minute. Season with a little salt and pepper, and remove to a plate and set aside.
- Repeat the stir-fry process for the mushrooms, making sure that the mushrooms are soft and caramelized. Season with a little salt and pepper, and remove to a plate and set aside.
- Add the meat in batches, making sure that they brown but do not overcook (this will take a couple of minutes on each side.
- Once the meat is browned, add back all of the vegetables and the teriyaki sauce. Heat through until the mixture is bubbling. Garnish with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds.
- Serve over cauliflower rice, rice, or noodles.
I love converting recipes like this. Are there others you think would make a good paleo or gluten-free makeover? Leave a comment below!
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