Beef and Broccoli

MMM. Guys. This recipe is amazing. This version of the classic beef and broccoli does NOT have some of the typical ingredients that cause inflammation in the body such as cornstarch, sugar, and vegetable oil. This is a great recipe to use if you are in the beginning phases of "trialing" foods, because other then the beefy ingredients the other ingredients are anti-inflammatory!
Something I love about beef and broccoli is that it doesn't take long to make and can be served together, separate, with rice, without rice, etc. My kids typically like their food all separated out, so meals like this where I can easily do that not only makes them happy, but me as well because I don't have to listen to the groaning at dinner if it's combined.

2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
1.5 lbs steak strips*See notes below
2-3 crowns broccoli, cut into pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup beef broth
1/2 cup coconut aminos
2 TBSP sesame oil
1 tsp. ground ginger or 2 tsp fresh ginger grated
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
sesame seeds (optional)
green onion (optional)

1- Heat large skillet to medium-high and add oil.

2- When oil is hot, add enough steak strips to the pan, being sure not to crowd them or they will end up cooking unevenly and not brown good. You will need to work in batches, cooking 1 or so minutes per side depending on how thick you sliced your pieces. *See notes below about what kind of steak I use

3- When steak is done cooking, remove and set aside on a plate. Add a little more olive oil to the pan. Add garlic on top of the oil and cook 30 seconds or so until it becomes aromatic. I always just keep an eye when I add garlic, because you don't want it to start to brown.

4- Add beef broth, coconut aminos, sesame oil, ginger, onion powder, salt and red pepper flakes. Allow to cook down by at least half if not more. This should take around 5 minutes or less. This makes the sauce nice and thick and will help it not only develop flavor, but stick to the steak. 

5- While the sauce is thickening (make sure to stir it every now and then so it doesn't burn) add broccoli pieces to a steamer basket over boiling water, cover and cook until tender. When tender, remove from heat and either set aside to serve along the beef, or add to sauce when you add the steak (next step)

5- Add the cooked steak back to the pan along with any juices on the plate. Stir to cover with the sauce and allow to cook 1 minute to fully incorporate flavors.

6- Garnish with sliced green onion and sesame seeds if wanted.

**Randi's Side Notes**
~ For the steak, I usually will just use the pre-cut carne asada style meat that is available at Winco. Mainly because it's cheaper. If using this meat, I pound it a bit to tenderize it, cut off the big fatty pieces, and cut into 1 inch wide by 2 inch long strips. If I felt like getting better steak, I would use a flank steak. I LOVE FLANK STEAK, but it can be pretty pricey. If using a flank steak, I would just cut it into thin strips that are about 2 inches long.
~ If you have been cooking the sauce down and for some reason it isn't thickening, I would add some almond flour a teaspoon at a time and stir to combine until it reaches your desired thickness. I noticed when I cooked mine down it seemed watery for quite a while and then in a matter of seconds towards the end it thickened up quickly.