15 green onions
1 teaspoon chili sauce
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/8 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons sherry
1 pound flank steak
2 large egg whites
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups peanut oil
1 tablespoon grated ginger root
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water

Chop green onions into 2-inch pieces.

In a small bowl combine chili sauce, chicken broth, soy sauce, sugar, and sherry; mix well and set aside.

Cut flank steak across the grain, into thin slices, about 1/2 x 2-inches. In a bowl combine egg whites, salt, and cornstarch; beat until frothy. Add the steak, and toss to coat evenly.

Heat a wok or heavy skillet and add peanut oil. Fry the meat in small batches to avoid sticking. Cook until light brown, about 1 minute; drain. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the oil and quickly stir-fry the green onions and grated ginger root for about 20 seconds.

Add the reserved sauce; bring to boil on high heat while stirring. Add the beef all at once, and toss until evenly coated. Push the beef aside and stir in cornstarch dissolved in water and cook until thick.

Makes 4 servings.

1-1/2 pounds boneless beef sirloin steak, cut about 3/4 inch thick
1 cup catsup
1/3 cup fish sauce or soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons lime juice
4 medium carrots
4 green onions
1 medium red sweet pepper
2 medium cucumbers
1 cup beef broth
4 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon cooking oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
4 cups hot cooked rice
Julienne carrot strips (optional)
Green onion tops (optional)

Recipe Directions
1. Partially freeze beef. Thinly slice across the grain into bite-size strips. Combine catsup, fish sauce or soy sauce, brown sugar, and lime juice in a bowl. Add beef strips, tossing to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice.
2. Meanwhile, thinly slice the carrots; cut the green onions into 1/2-inch pieces; cut the red sweet pepper into thin bite-size strips; and cut the cucumbers in half, remove the seeds, and thinly slice. Drain beef, reserving marinade. Stir broth, ginger, cornstarch, and crushed red pepper into reserved marinade; set aside.
3. Pour oil into wok or large skillet. (Add more oil, if necessary, during cooking.) Preheat over medium-high heat. Stir-fry garlic in hot oil for 15 seconds. Add carrots, stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add green onion, cucumber, and sweet pepper; stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes more or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove from wok.
4. Add half of the beef to the hot wok or skillet. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes or to desired doneness. Remove beef from wok; set aside. Stir-fry remaining beef. Return all beef to wok. Stir the broth mixture. Add to the wok; cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in vegetables. Heat through. Stir chopped peanuts into hot rice. Serve beef and vegetables over rice mixture. If desired, garnish with carrot strips and green onion tops, cut into strips (soak the strips in cold water so they curl). Makes 8 servings.
Note: Before slicing the carrots, use a zester to make the long strips that garnish this sizzling main dish. Zesting the carrots also creates the pretty ridge-shape slices.

6 ounces beef sirloin, trimmed
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon red chili pepper paste
3 cups sliced bok choy
1 clove garlic, minced
1-1/2 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted

Recipe Directions
1. Freeze beef partially; cut beef across the grain into very thin slices. Heat half of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Stir-fry beef and chili paste in hot oil for 3 minutes or until beef is of desired doneness. Remove pan from heat. Reduce heat to medium. Remove beef from pan with a slotted spoon, reserving liquid in pan; keep beef warm.
2. Add remaining oil to skillet. Add bok choy and garlic; stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes or until bok choy is crisp-tender. Transfer to serving dish. Top with warm beef mixture. Drizzle with soy sauce and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Makes 2 servings.

1 pound beef top round steak
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon cooking oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, cut into thin wedges
4 cups bok choy cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups fresh pea pods, strings removed, or one 6-ounce package frozen pea pods, thawed
2 small tomatoes, cut into thin wedges (1-1/2 cups)
2 cups hot cooked rice

Recipe Directions
1. Trim fat from beef. Partially freeze beef. Thinly slice across grain into bite-size strips. Set aside.
2. For sauce, in a small bowl stir together oyster sauce, soy sauce, and pepper. Set aside.
3. Pour cooking oil into a wok or large skillet. (Add more oil as necessary during cooking.) Preheat over medium-high heat. Stir-fry garlic in hot oil for 15 seconds. Add onion; stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add bok choy and pea pods; stir-fry about 3 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove vegetables from the wok.
4. Add half of the beef to the hot wok. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes or until done. Remove beef from the wok. Repeat with remaining beef. Return all of the beef to the wok. Push the beef from the center of the wok.
5. Stir the sauce. Add sauce to the center of the wok. Cook and stir until bubbly. Return cooked vegetables to the wok. Add tomatoes. Stir all ingredients together to coat with sauce. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes or until heated through. Serve immediately over hot cooked rice. Makes 4 servings.
Make-Ahead Tip: Prepare vegetables; cover and chill up to 4 hours.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 lb boneless sirloin steak, cut into shoestring strips
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
1/4 lb fresh snow peas or frozen snow peas, each cut in half on a diagonal or french-style green beans
1 (3 ounces) can whole mushrooms, drained and thinly sliced
1/2 cup coarsely chopped water chestnuts
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 tablespoon sugar
5 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup water
steamed rice

Recipe Directions
1. Heat oil in large skillet; add salt, then beef.
2. Cook, stirring often, over high heat to brown meat, about 5 minutes.
3. Add onion, celery, snow peas, mushrooms, and water chestnuts.
4. Continue cooking over high heat, stirring constantly for 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Cover, lower heat and simmer for about 3 minutes.
6. Combine cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce and water in small dish; mix well.
7. Add to skillet; cook stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and bubbles for 1 minute.
8. Serve immediately over fluffy, steamed rice.

3 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
1/2 cup water, plus
2 tablespoons water, divided
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 lb boneless round steak or charcoal chuck steak, cut into thin 3-inch strips
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
4 cups broccoli florets
1 small onion, cut into wedges
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
hot cooked rice

Recipe Directions
1. In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water and garlic powder until smooth.
2. Add beef and toss.
3. In a large skillet or wok over medium high heat, stir-fry beef in 1 tablespoon oil until beef reaches desired doneness; remove and keep warm.
4. Stir-fry broccoli and onion in remaining oil for 4-5 minutes.
5. Return beef to pan.
6. Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and remaining cornstarch and water until smooth; add to the pan.
7. Cook and stir for 2 minutes.
8. Serve over rice.

1/2 pound thick flank steak, weighed after trimming, cut into strips 2 1/2 inches by 1/4 inch
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon egg white, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon Shao-Hsing wine or dry sherry
Pinch freshly ground white pepper
1 tablespoon peanut oil
2 tablespoons cornstarch

3 1/2 cups peanut oil, to deep-fry the beef
5 small dried chilies
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 fresh Thai chili, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons 1/2- by 1/8-inch pieces fresh orange peel, most of pith removed
2 scallions, trimmed and cut into 2-inch sections
6 slices fresh orange

Recipe Directions
Marinate the beef with baking soda in the refrigerator for 8 hours or, preferably, overnight. After marinating, wash thoroughly, twice, with cold water. Drain and dry with paper towels. Place the beef in a bowl, add the egg white, and mix well until the beef is coated. Add the wine, white pepper, 1 tablespoon peanut oil, and cornstarch, mixing with your hand each time and ingredient is added. Allow to rest for 1 hour, refrigerated. There should be no residue.

In a bowl, combine the sauce ingredients and set aside.

Heat a wok over high heat for 1 minute. Add the 3 1/2 cups peanut oil and heat to 400 degrees F. Place the beef strips, one at a time, in the oil and cook for 1 1/2 minutes, loosening the beef with a spatula. Remove with a strainer and drain. Heat the oil again to 425 degrees F. Place the beef strips again in the oil and cook for 2 minutes, until the beef becomes crisp. Remove and allow to drain.

Drain off all but 1 tablespoon oil from the wok and heat over high heat for 20 seconds. Add the dried chilies, stir, and cook until darkened. Add the ginger and garlic and stir briefly. Add the fresh chili and orange peel and stir briefly. Add the scallions, and mix well. Add the beef and cook, stirring, for 45 seconds. Make a well in the center of the mixture, stir the sauce mixture, and pour in. Mix well until the sauce is absorbed and the beef acquires a shiny coating. Remove to a serving dish and serve, garnished with the orange slices.

Jasmine rice or short grain white rice, 1 to 1 1/2 cups, prepared to package directions
2 cups beef broth or stock, paper container or canned
2 tablespoons wok or clear oil, 1 turn of the pan
1 1/2 pounds beef sirloin or beef tenderloin tips, trimmed, placed in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes then thinly sliced
2 green bell peppers, seeded and diced into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 cup dry cooking sherry
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce, eyeball the amount (recommended: Tamari)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder, found on Asian foods aisle of market
Cracked black pepper
3 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle, for garnish
1/2 cup smoked whole almonds, available on snack aisle, for garnish

Recipe Directions
Boil water for rice and prepare to package directions.

Place beef broth in a small pot over low heat to warm the liquid.

Heat a wok shaped skillet or pan over high heat. Add oil (it will smoke) and meat bits. Stir-fry meat 3 minutes and remove from pan or move off to the side of the wok. Return pan to heat and add peppers and onions. Stir-fry veggies 2 minutes. Add meat back to the pan. Add sherry and stir fry until liquid almost evaporates — 1 minute. Add soy sauce to the pan. Dissolve cornstarch with a ladle of warm beef broth. Add beef broth to the pan, then add cornstarch combined with broth, the five-spice powder and black pepper. Stir sauce until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Adjust seasonings. Add more soy or salt if necessary. Remove stir-fry from heat. Fill dinner bowls with beef stir-fry and top with a scoop of rice. Scoop rice with ice cream scoop to get a rounded ball. By placing rice on top of stir-fry, rice will stay firm and not soak up too much sauce. Garnish with chopped scallions and smoked almonds.

2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons dry sherry or water
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 pound beef top round steak
1 ounce cellophane noodles (bean threads), broken into bite-size pieces
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons finely chopped gingerroot or 1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup fresh snow (Chinese) pea pods or 1 package (6 ounces) frozen snow (Chinese) pea pods, thawed and drained
1 cup julienne strips jicama or 1 medium onion, cut into thin wedges
1 small red or green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

Recipe Directions
1. Mix soy sauce, sherry and sugar; set aside. Trim fat from beef. Cut beef with grain into 2-inch strips; cut strips across grain into 1/8-inch slices. (For easier cutting, partially freeze beef, about 1 hour.) Soak noodles in enough warm water to cover 15 minutes; drain.
2. Heat wok or 10-inch skillet over high heat until 1 or 2 drops of water bubble and skitter when sprinkled in wok. Add 1 tablespoon oil; rotate wok to coat side. Add beef, gingerroot and garlic; stir-fry about 3 minutes or until beef is no longer pink. Remove beef mixture from wok.
3. Add 1 tablespoon oil to wok; rotate wok to coat side. Add pea pods, jicama and bell pepper; stir-fry about 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in beef mixture and noodles; heat to boiling. Stir in soy sauce mixture; cook and stir about 1 minute or until heated through.

3/4 pound trimmed sirloin steak
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 small onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 cups broccoli florets
8 ounces fettuccine
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1/3 cup cashew pieces

Recipe Directions
Slice steak into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Toss with orange peel; set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pepper flakes, onion, and bell pepper. Stir-fry until vegetables wilt. Add broccoli and 3 tablespoons water; cover and steam 1 to 2 minutes until broccoli is cooked tender-crisp. Remove from skillet. Cook fettuccine according to package directions. Stir together orange juice and soy and hoisin sauces. Add remaining oil to skillet and return to medium-high heat. Add the steak and cashews; stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes. Return vegetables to skillet with sauce mixture and heat through. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Drain noodles; top with stir-fry.

Yield: Serves 4