sizzling beef with cilantro and hoisin sauce

Last night, I had a dream that I borrowed Lady Gaga's bathroom scale and broke it. So tonight, it felt like the right thing to do to make a somewhat more health conscious meal. I have to say, blogging about food isn't spectacular for a girl's figure, you know? Especially one who spent the entire day napping, baking, reading in the bath and watching Being Erica and Six Feet Under (what a perfect rainy Saturday!). In any case, even though tonight's fare wasn't exactly vegetable heavy (and was perhaps a bit high in sodium), at least it did not contain any butter or cream, which I have been consuming way too much of lately.

This is a bit of a switch up of Jamie Oliver's sizzling beef with scallions and black bean sauce. My local grocery store didn't have any black bean sauce, so we ended up getting hoisin and hoping for the best (without any fear, I am a bit of a hoisin fiend!). All flavours went together very well and it was overall a filling and delicious meal - one that will be entering my regular repertoire, for sure.

sizzling beef with cilantro and hoisin sauce
Adapted from Jamie's Food Revolution

serves 2

1/2 lb beef cut for stirfry (I used inside round)
1 tsp finely minced ginger
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, finely minced
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
juice of 1/2 a lime
2 tbsp hoisin sauce

2 cups cold, cooked jasmine rice
1 egg, beaten

A quick note before starting: if you are not using leftover rice for this, you can just make it first, then put it in the fridge to cool while you prepare everything else.

In a medium bowl, stir together ginger, garlic, jalapeno, green onions, cilantro, sesame oil, soy sauce and lime juice.  Add in the beef and toss together until evenly coated.

Heat your wok to medium-high heat and put in a tablespoon of cooking oil (peanut, if you have it). Throw in the beef mixture and stirfry for a minute or two before adding your hoisin. Once the beef is cooked through (it should only take a few minutes), transfer everything (including as much sauce as is humanly possible to scrape out of the bottom of the wok) into a bowl and cover with foil to keep the heat in.

Wipe out your wok with a scrunched up ball of paper towel. It should still remain a little bit slick from the oil. Throw in your beaten egg and scramble it before adding your cooked rice.  Once the rice is heated through, serve it into two bowls and spoon the beef over it. Sprinkle with as much cilantro as you want (lots, in our house!) and enjoy your meal.