Ginger Beef & Chicken with Mandarin Oranges

Haaaaapy Hump Day, friends!! I’ve had a Spark and I’m working on a Starbucks Peppermint Mocha right now, so I’m a little wound up…wooohoooo!!! That’s how you get through the mid-week slump, my friends. Caffeinate yourself beyond all reason and recognition. Ok, so I don’t really recommend drinking both drinks back-to-back, the Spark is usually all I drink, but I wanted a breakfast sandwich and it just felt weird to go to Starbucks and not get coffee. So I did it. And now I  probably look bug-eyed like Roo. At least that’s how they feel…all wide-eyed and crazy. Good thing I have my own office at work to hide in.

I guess I should focus now and tell you about this here dish, shouldn’t I?? It’s just so bright and colorful it was almost hard to eat. Almost, I said. I loooove mandarin oranges. My mom used to buy cans of them for me “just because” she knew I loved them so. Isn’t she nice??

That’s what you really want to hear about, amIright? Well alrighty then…who am I to deny you what you came here for??

The original recipe was a crockpot recipe and used only beef, no chicken. And mushrooms, not broccoli. But, I had some chicken thawed out that needed to be used, J and I both hate mushrooms, and I didn’t have time for the crockpot. Thus, this modified version of the original came to be. And it.was.good.

J scoffed at the can of water chestnuts, thinking he didn’t like them. But I’ve learned that he sometimes thinks he doesn’t like things, until I make them. Then he can’t remember why he didn’t like them.

Except for cauliflower. I didn’t win that battle. Sad.

Anywho…back to the stir fry. It was actually super simple to make, and the simmering meat and broccoli in the sauce helped it to absorb flavor and get nice and tender. Because no one wants to bite into a tough piece of beef. Yuck. I didn’t put mandarin oranges in J’s, as he claims to not like those, either. And since I love them so, I didn’t have any problem scarfing them all down myself. Some in this dish, and some with a fork right out of it’s jar. Yep, I said it. And it too, was good!

Add this to your menu this week and you will also say, It.Was.Good!!

Ginger Beef & Chicken with Mandarin Oranges

Adapted from The Midnight Baker

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs boneless sirloin steak (or flank or skirt steak)
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 Tbsp olive oil (or sesame oil)
• 1 can (8 oz) sliced water chestnuts, drained
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 1/3 cup soy sauce (I used low sodium)
• 1 Tbsp mirin
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger -OR- 1 tsp ground ginger
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 can (11 oz) mandarin orange sections (reserve juice)
• 2 cups of cooked brown rice

1. Trim beef of visible fat and cut into 1/4 inch strips or bite-sized chunks. Do the same with the chicken breasts.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of  the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Once it is very hot, at the beef slices, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Brown on all sides. Cook in batches if necessary and remove to a plate once browned. Add the chicken to the pan and repeat. Remove to the plate when done.
3. Reduce the heat to medium-high and add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the broccoli, water chestnuts and onion. Saute until onion begins to get soft. Add the soy sauce and the mirin, scraping up all the browned bits at the bottom of the pan.
4. Drain 1/2 cup of juice from the mandarin oranges can, setting the orange segments aside for later use.
5. In a medium-bowl, combine the beef stock, orange juice, cornstarch and ginger. Whisk until well combined.
6. Return the beef and chicken to the skillet with the veggies and pour the beef stock mixture over the top.
7. Reduced the heat to a medium simmer and cook for 20 minutes or so, until the meat is cooked through and tender, and the sauce has thickened.
8. Remove from heat and mix in the reserved mandarin orange sections just before serving.
9. Serve over rice.