Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Tasty Tuesday: Crockpot Beef and Broccoli with Black Bean Garlic Sauce

I have a confession to make: the recipe I'm sharing today isn't something I've made recently. I actually made it (and took the picture) way back in September, but just never bothered to post it.

I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to write about this meal. It was delicious, simple, filling, and much healthier than ordering Chinese takeout ... There really wasn't any reason not to share it.

I think sometimes I just go through periods where I'll try a ton of new recipes and then I get so backed up with images and recipe notes to share on my blog that I tend to just pick the ones that were either really amazing (i.e. I'm really impressed that I could actually make it and/or I could eat it every single day for the rest of my life and be pretty happy) and/or the ones with decent pictures. And while today's recipe was really good (I'll definitely make it again in the future), it probably wouldn't qualify as "amazing" (at least not based on the standards listed above). The picture also isn't the best, and though I've never claimed to be a wonderful photographer (I'm not), I know I can do better.

But anyway, I'm sharing it now and that's all that matters. Right?

 photo CrockpotBeefandBroccoliwithBlackBeanGarlicSauce_zpskrax9nx4.jpg
Not the prettiest meal, but at least it tastes great!














































Crockpot Beef and Broccoli with Black Bean Garlic Sauce

Adapted from a recipe on One Perfect Bite.

Ingredient List:
  • 1 1/2 lbs beef stew meat
  • 3 tbsp black bean garlic sauce (I used the Lee Kum Kee brand, and it was delicious!)
  • 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth, divided
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp ginger
  • 1 clove garlic (or, if you're lazy like me, the equivalent of jarred, pre-minced garlic)
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 package frozen broccoli florets (They don't have to be completely thawed, but I wouldn't toss them straight into the crockpot from the freezer.)
  • 4 green onions, diced and divided
  • 6 cups cooked rice (I used jasmine rice, but any white or brown rice should be fine.)
Instructions:

1.  Spray the inside of the crockpot with cooking spray, and add the beef stew meat.

2.  In a small bowl, mix together the black bean garlic sauce, soy sauce, 1/4 cup of the chicken broth, honey, ginger, garlic, black pepper, and cornstarch. Stir the sauce until the cornstarch is completely dissolved, then pour it over the beef stew meat in the crockpot. Stir several times to coat the beef.

3.  Pour the remaining 1/4 cup chicken broth over the meat and sauce mixture, stirring again to combine. (This should help completely cover the meat in liquid to prevent it from drying out.)

4.  Cook on low for 6 hours.

5.  When 30 minutes of cook time remain, add the broccoli to the crockpot. Stir to combine the vegetables with the meat and sauce.

6.  At the end of the cook time, add half of the diced green onions to the crockpot and mix them into the sauce. Use the remaining green onions as garnish.

This meal is a great lazy Sunday dinner (especially if you're already contemplating ordering Chinese!). It requires minimal effort, and, as I said earlier, it's healthier than the stuff you'd get from most Chinese restaurants. It's definitely one of the better Asian-style dishes I've made at home as well. I still don't feel like I've perfected my Asian cooking, but this tasted pretty damn good!

2 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. It's definitely both of those things! I love crockpot meals because they're usually so ridiculously simple. They're perfect when I want something homemade but don't want to put in a ton of effort.

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