Beef Stir Fry

Parents often say their kids won't eat anything. Fights. Hunger strikes. Terrorist negotiations. Oh yes, dinner can be a nightmare for many adults trying to just get through to bedtime with their beloved offspring.

Allow me to present a solution, dear desperate readers: Stir fry. Yes, stir fry them into a frenzy of eating and not complaining.

My son is now 8. While he is very open to trying new foods and in general digs dinner time, there certainly are nights where he doesn't even want to eat dinner. But honestly, doesn't that happen to all of us, no matter what our age? There are times I do not want to eat. There are times my husband doesn't want to eat. So if my little guy just doesn't have an appetite, I get it. There's no need to argue. Some nights,he may just want a snack and there are a few nights that he is not grooving on what the main dish is. Even in these instances there is usually something that he will gnaw on at my table: Salad, bread, rice. He'll live. That's the point.

One of the many hits in my house with kiddo is stir-fry. Yes, I bust out my wok, and he is totally like, "Mom, let's DO THIS!" He even houses the hot and sour soup I occasionally make to go with stir fry dins. Yay!

Here is a steak and mixed veggie stir fry I make when my husband travels. My husband would love it, too, but he tries to avoid red meat, so I whip it up when he's on the road. My son has yet to taste the broccoli but one day, people. One day....

I served this with white rice, but of course you could do brown rice. And I think it would be really nice with ramen noodles, too. You can mix and match whatever veg your heart desires. My mix has bell peppers, broccoli, carrots and onions. I top it all with scallions as part of a grand finale sitch.

The five spice Chinese seasoning is easily found in any grocery store in your spice aisle. McCormick makes one.

Beef and Mixed Veggie Stir Fry
Makes 4-5 gigantic portions

1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak, trimmed of fat and cut into strips
1 small red bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 small green bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 carrot, peeled and slicked into matchsticks
1 small onion, sliced
12-14 broccoli florets
2 cups beef broth, warmed in a microwave safe measuring cup or in a small pot on the stove
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. Chinese 5-spice seasoning
3-4 Tbsp. soy sauce
Fresh ground pepper
1 Tbsp. clear vegetable oil
For serving: Chopped scallions, soy sauce to taste, sirachi if desired

In a wok or large rimmed frying pan over medium-high heat, add vegetable oil. Once hot, add steak. Stir frequently so that all the meat browns. Cook for about 4-5 minutes. Using tongs, remove cooked steak to a dish.

Add all of the vegetables to the wok. Stir frequently so that all of the vegetables fry quickly. Add the meat back to the wok. Season with Chinese 5-spice seasoning, soy sauce, and black pepper. Stir again.

Whisk the cornstarch into the warmed broth. Slowly add broth mixture to wok.

Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Cover with lid for a few minutes to cook through.

Top with chopped scallions and more soy sauce, to taste. For spiciness, drizzle with sirachi

Serve with three cups cooked rice. I like basmati.