The Cookbook Challenge Week 16 - Noodles - Beef & Bok Choy Noodle Stir-Fry - 1 - $

There is still not much cooking going on in my world this week. If it weren't for The Cookbook Challenge there would probably be none!

Burning the candle at both ends means I've been feeling a distinct lack of energy and craving green leafy veg and meat. My body is crying out for some iron I think. So I delved into my collection of delicious magazines and found the perfect recipe to aid my deficient system and qualify for the challenge. You can find it in Issue 81, April 2009.

The ingredients below feed 4 people. As you may well know I can't do as I'm told, so I used pak choy instead of bok choy, wok-ready noodles and added some cashews for a bit of extra crunch.

Ingredients

250gm dried eggs noodles (you need double if using wok-ready)
300gm sirloin steak or eye fillet, trimmed
1tbs soy sauce
1tbs oyster sauce
2tbs Chinese rice wine
2tsp rice vinegar
1tbs sunflower oil
5cm piece ginger, cut into thin matchsticks
1 bunch bok choy, thickly sliced
6 spring onions, sliced on angle
1 cup bean shoots
1tsp sesame oil

Cook the noodles (or not if you're lazy like me and using pre-cooked ones) in a large pot of salted water according to the packet instructions. Drain and set aside.
Cut the steak into 1cm thick strips. Spread the meat out on the chopping board and season with salt and pepper.
In a small bowl stir together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, Chinese rice wine and vinegar. Set aside.

Heat the sunflower oil in a wok or large non-stick pan over a high heat. Add the steak and stir-fry for 1 minute or until just cooked. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the ginger, bok choy, spring onions and bean shoots to the wok. Stir-fry for 1 minute over high heat or until the vegetables are just tender. Return the beef to the wok and add the sauce, sesame oil and noodles.
Toss to combine and serve immediately.

This dish is so quick and easy; perfect for cooking on a day when your city is unexpectedly flooded and it takes approximately 100 years to get home, rendering you almost incapable of feeding yourself.
The little ginger matchsticks really give this a nice little kick against the sweetness of the sauce. I also can't stress enough how much tastier beef stir-fry is when you buy a steak and cut it yourself, rather than purchase ready-made strips from the stupormarket.

I will definitely add this to my 'can't really be bothered cooking' repertoire.

Enjoy!