This week between Christmas and New Year's Day is a bit of a blur for many of us. In an effort to avoid just eating leftovers, cookies, and junk food every day, we're offering a couple great dishes that taste like they were a bit of work to put together, but actually let you get dinner on the table with just a little bit of effort. This time around, we're turning to a tried and true method: stir frying.
This stir fry gets most of its flavor from the intense sauce that gets added at the end of the cooking process. Prior to that, tender lamb (you could also use beef) gets stir fried (I used sesame oil) before a combination of garlic, broccoli, baby turnips, and red bell pepper get their turn. I used both hot honey and sesame seeds in my sauce to the delight of my family. Pick the options that work best for you and yours.
I like serving this over brown rice, but you can opt for noodles or white rice as well. Really, it would be lovely tucked into rice wrappers or lettuce leaves too. It's great to have fun, easy meals to make sure you get your veggies without feeling like it's homework between the holidays. Enjoy!
Sweet Chili Broccoli Lamb Stir Fry
- 1 pound boneless leg of lamb, cut into thin 3-inch strips
- 1 tablespoon olive, vegetable, or sesame oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3-4 cups chopped broccoli
- 1 cup baby turnip, halved and sliced into thin pieces
- 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup chili crisp
- 1 tablespoon honey or hot honey
- 1 teaspoon grated or minced fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon corn starch mixed with 2 teaspoons cold water
- 2-3 tablespoons sesame seeds, optional
- Hot cooked rice or noodles, for serving
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the lamb and stir-fry for 3-5 minutes or until it’s no longer pink. Remove from the pan and set aside.
In the same pan, stir-fry the garlic, broccoli, turnip, and red bell pepper in the remaining oil, for 3-5 minutes. Return the lamb to the pan.
In a small bowl, whisk all the ingredients for the sauce (soy sauce through sesame seeds) and pour the mixture into the pan. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes or until everything fully combines and the mixture as completely simmered.
Serve hot over rice or noodles.
- Yields: 4 servings
- Preparation Time: 30 minutes