An Inspired Cook

I love a good stir fry.  It’s one of those meals that takes little preparation and cooks up in minutes.  Plus I can get a few vegetables into my husband who is pretty much a meat and potatoes kind of guy.  He did however enjoy this stir fry with snow peas and shitake mushrooms. Along with some grated ginger and garlic, I made a spicy and slightly sweet sauce which was oh so fragrant throughout the kitchen.

Make your sauce by combining the soy sauce, chili sauce, hoisin sauce and sesame oil.

After tasting it, I felt it needed a bit of sweet to counter the saltiness by adding a couple teaspoons of brown sugar.

Drizzle some canola oil in the pan and add the sliced shitake mushrooms, grated ginger and garlic.  Stir that around for a couple minutes until the mushrooms are tender.

Add the sliced beef and continue cooking until the meat starts to brown on the outside but still pink on the inside.

Stir in the snow peas and half of the sliced green onion.  The snow peas will be crisp but tender after a couple minutes.

Stir in the sauce and cook for a minute more.  By now you have an amazing aroma to fill your senses!

Serve with a side of Jasmine rice.

Sprinkle with some green onions and cilantro.

And for a little more spice sprinkle some crushed red pepper.


Beef and Snow Peas Stir Fry

1 pound Steak, (such as Sirloin or Flank) sliced thin
1 tablespoon Fresh Ginger, grated
1 clove Garlic, grated
4 – 6 ounces Fresh Snow Peas
4 – 5 ounces Fresh Shitake Mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup Green Onion, sliced thin
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
2 teaspoons Chili Sauce
1 teaspoon Hoisin Sauce
1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
2 teaspoons Brown Sugar

Combine soy sauce, chili sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil and brown sugar together.  Set aside

In a wok or large non-stick skillet heat a drizzle of canola oil over medium high heat.  Add the ginger, garlic and mushrooms to the pan.  Stir for 2 minutes or until the mushrooms become tender.  Add the beef and continue to cook until the meat has browned on the outside leaving a pink center.  Add the snow peas and half of the green onions, continue to stir for 1 – 2 minutes or until the snow peas are crisp but tender.  Stir in the sauce and continue stirring for 1 minute.  Serve alongside rice, top with remaining green onions.

Serves 6