Spicy Tangerine Beef and a Snowy Day

February 2nd, 2010


What fun it was to be in North Carolina for the snow storm and to get to spend time with my son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter. Kristen was scheduled to be in Atlanta for an event honoring her business, but she opted to miss it for fear that she would not be able to get home on Sunday. Michael kept a fire burning all day Saturday and we had the neighbors over for S’mores Saturday night. Rachel got bundled up Saturday morning to play in the snow.

She is waiting for her Mimi and Mommy to suit up and get outside.

She said the snow tasted like sugar. Unfortunatly it was not a packing snow, so we could not make a snowman.

Kristen made a yummy pasta dish for dinner which she said she will blog about sometime soon. It was orecchietti pasta in a creamy tomato sauce with Trader Joe’s chicken sausage with sundried tomatoes. She added a little wine and balsamic vinegar to it and it was a very complex satisfying meal. I am so lucky to have a daughter-in-law who loves to cook as much as I do.
The planes were flying on Monday so I returned to Florida. It is a culture shock of sorts to get on a plane in cold blustery weather and get off in balmy weather. Believe me, I am not complaining. Dinner last night was this spicy tangerine beef from the Weight Watchers in 20 Minutes cookbook. It was wonderful over brown rice. It is so colorful. I love the addition of the tangerines to this. The zest was added too so it had a very fresh taste to it.
SPICY TANGERINE BEEF
2 Tangerines*
2 teaspoons cornstarch
4 tablespoons water, divided
3/4 pound boneless sirloin steak, trimmed and thinly sliced**
3 cups small broccoli florets
3 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths
1 small red bell pepper, cut into strips
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Grate the zest from the tangerines; set aside. Peel the tangerines and separate into sections; reserve the sections. Stir together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of the water in a cup until smooth; set aside.
Spray a nonstick wok or large deep nonstick skillet with nonstick spray (I just used a little olive oil) and set over medium-high heat. When a drop of water sizzles in it, add half of the beef and stir-fry until browned, about 3 minutes, using a slotted spoon to transfer the beef to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining beef.
Add the broccoli and the remaining 2 tablespoons water to the wok; cook, covered about 2 minutes. Increase the heat to high. Add the scallions, bell pepper, garlic, tangerine zest, soy sauce, and crushed red pepper; stir-fry about 1 minute. Stir the cornstarch mixture and add to the wok; stir-fry until the sauce thickens and bubbles, about 1 minute. Return the beef to the wok, along with the tangerine; stir-fry until heated through, about 1 minute longer.
* I cut the tops off of each tangerine section to make it easier to remove the seeds.
** I used Laura’s Lean Beef available at Target superstores. It is grass fed beef and does not use any antibiotics.
Serves 4. 4 Points

13 responses to “Spicy Tangerine Beef and a Snowy Day”

  1. Barbara says:

    Nice to live in Florida, isn’t it Penny? But I do miss the fall and springs up north. Aside from the first big snowfall, I don’t miss northern weather.
    You have an adorable granddaughter!

    I love tangerines! This looks like a great dinner- lots of color and healthy ingredients.

  2. Delicious!
    You guys got more snow than we have so far here in Canada!!

  3. What a lovely beef dish and it looks gorgeous with the tangerines. Looks like Kristin enjoyed the snow. She’s a doll. Trader Joe’s sausage sounds fabulous. Is there a Trader Joe’s near you in Lake Lure? Also do you like the WW’s in 20 minutes cookbook? If this recipe is like the others, it sounds like a winner.

    Glad you’re back in the balmy south.
    Sam

  4. That looks, and sounds, wonderful, Penny. And grass-fed beef, too. Good for you!

  5. Penny, your stir-fry looks amazing! Do you deliver?

    And the pasta dish your daughter-in-law made sounds incredible, too. Just the right dish after an afternoon of “the girls” playing in the snow.

  6. I am glad you had a good time with your family. Your grandaughter looks adorable in her snowsuit!!

    Your recipe sounds yummy as always. It’s a keeper! Thanks, Penny!!

    xoxo
    Jane

  7. Karen says:

    Our snow doesn’t pack up here, either. In fact, it’s so powdery and dry that we can just use a broom to sweep it away! Love the tangerines in this dish – it brightens it up and I bet brightens the flavor, too.

  8. I knew once the worrying about survival thing passed you would be having a great time… good to be a Granny!

  9. Susan says:

    This recipe so mimics one I was taught by a friend who married a man from Mandarine China. Only difference was there were no tangerines in the dish. Nice addition.

  10. Penny says:

    Sam, To answer your questions; Yes, I love the WW 20 minute cookbook. Right now it is my lifeline for recipes. And no, we do not have a Trader Joe’s anywhere near Lake Lure, much to my regret. When I visit the kids in Cary I stock up on ingredients.

  11. Penny! THANK YOU for spending time with us this weekend! Rachel would be the most content child if she could see you pretty much every day 🙂

    This spicy tangerine beef recipe looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it! I’ve already added it to next week’s menu.

    Love you!

  12. Lynda says:

    This is such a fresh and delicious looking dish-I’ve bookmarked it to try!

  13. First of all, Your granddaughter is beautiful.

    Second,The recipe looks so colorful with the tangerines.

    Enjoy your stay in Florida

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