Beef and Broccoli Orange Stir-Fry over Soba Noodles

Don't let the pictures scare you away. That's totally the photographer's fault. She's a really fun, smart, extremely cute girl, but she's still lacking the skill to make brown food look appetizing! But she works cheap, so she'll be sticking around!

I don't cook a lot of Asian dishes around here and other than sushi, we don't normally go out for Asian food. Maybe because I always feel like the Michelin Man the next day. Sodium overload.

But when I saw this recipe in this months Clean Eating magazine, it spoke to me. Maybe because the picture was so good???

Clean Eating's version is very healthy and low calorie. I made a few additions/substitutions which upped the calorie content a little, but it's still a great choice! This was my first time cooking with Soba noodles and be warned, they cook very quickly! I may have overcooked mine a little. They're made from buckwheat, so they have a nice nutty flavor and are a healthy alternative to the typical white rice that is normally served with a stir fry. I'm going to be using these more often!

Here's the original recipe along with my changes!

Beef and Broccoli Orange Stir-Fry over Soba Noodles

Clean Living, March/April, 2010

Serves 6

Ingredients:

12 oz soba noodles

Olive oil cooking spray (I used 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil and 1 tsp hot chili oil)

1 lb lean round steak, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness and sliced into strips (I used a London Broil and just sliced it into strips)

1/2 cup white onion, diced

2 cups fresh broccoli florets, separated into bit-size pieces

1/2 red bell pepper, julienne cut (I used the whole pepper)

3 tbsp low-sodium tamari soy sauce

Juice of 1 medium orange (I didn't have an orange so I used a lemon)

1 tbsp orange zest (again, lemon)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp raw organic honey (I just used whatever honey I had in the pantry!)

2 tsp whole wheat flour (I always have whole wheat flour in the pantry, but I'm sure you could use regular if you don't)

Instructions:

Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside. (Keep your eye on these!!)

Heat large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over high heat for 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-high, mist pan with cooking spray (This is where I added the sesame oil and hot chili oil) and saute steak for about 5 minutes or until cooked through. (For medium doneness, the steak will still be slightly pink in the middle.) Remove steak, leaving juices in the pan.

Mist same pan again with the cooking spray. Add onion, broccoli and pepper and saute over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes or until cooked through.

In medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, orange juice and zest, garlic and honey.

Add steak back to vegetables in pan and pour in soy sauce mixture. Saute steak and vegetables over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes, then whisk in flour to thicken, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add noodles to pan and cook until warmed, about 3 more minutes. Remove from heat and serve.

Nutrients per 1 cup serving:

Calories: 270

Total Fat: 2 g

Sat. Fat: 0 g

Carbs: 51 g

Fiber: 4 g

Sugars: 6 g

Protein: 14 g

Sodium: 520 mg

Cholesterol: 10 mg