Weeknight Pepper Steak

I love Chinese food. I am not so fond of the price for take out. Even the places that used to be a deal have raised prices for the same quality or amount of food. I mean, even the chicken teriyaki place at the mall that used to be the most budget friendly and the place to go so you had more money to spend on shoes raised their prices significantly.  Bummer. 

So when the craving for Chinese hits, I open up my recipe books. Anything that says weeknight or quick is almost always a winner in my book. AFter a long day of work, dealing with typical middle school attitude, and having a three year old use me as their personal jungle gym, I am ready for a recipe that requires little to no attention or time. 

I did adapt this recipe slightly. I am not a big fan of pre-packaged foods, especially gravy. I know my way around the kitchen well enough that I can use the beef droppings, broth, add ome flour, and bring it to a boil and have my own gravy that did not come out of a packet and tastes better too. 

I hope that everyone has a wonderful weekend! It is going to be 80 degrees here - that is awesome.  

Ingredients
1 tablespoon oil 
1 pound bonesless beef sirloin or flank steak, cut into thin strips
1 small onion, cut into thin wedges
1 medium green or red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
3/4 cup beef broth 
1/4 cup soy sauce

Directions
Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add steak; cook and stir two minutes until no longer pink. Set aside.
 
In same pan, add broth and soy sauce. Deglaze the pan by scraping with spatula. Add one tablespoon flour. Bring to boil and reduce heat. You really don't need much salt, but if you like salty, add the salt and pepper here to taste. 

Add pepper and onion to the pan. Simmer 6 to 8 minutes or until the sauce has thickened, stirring occassionally. Serve over rice, if desired. 

Source: Cooking with Flavor, McCormick