I can’t believe it’s been over a week since the hubby and I came back from France. We went there with lots of actual work to do, but also to see our families. The trip was short – seven days, 2.5 of which fully spent travelling. (The fact that his family is in the North and mine – in the South, doesn’t make our trip from San Fran any shorter.)

Still, we had a great time. And a lot of great food too. And by a lot, I mean so much food that you actually need a small sorbet after your first several courses to prepare you for the second half of your meal…

Of course, no need to explain why I decided  it’d be a pretty good idea to have some healthy, light, and veggy-full dishes for a while after our return. Here’s what I made this Tuesday:

Spicy Orange Beef

(adapted from Good Housekeeping — One-Dish Meals)

Ingredients

• 3 medium oranges, rinsed
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 12-14oz beef top sirloin steak, thinly sliced crosswise
• 2tbsp +1/2 tsp cornstarch
• 2 broccoli crowns (a little over 1lb), cut into flowerets
• 3 medium green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 medium red pepper, thinly sliced
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2-1tbsp (depending on preference) fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp red pepper powder

Directions

1. Peel one of the oranges. Remove the membranes, recuperating the “meat” and any falling juice in a small bowl.
2. From the other two oranges, peel (moving horizontally) 8 strips, around 3-inch long and ½ inch wide. Remove any white pith from the strips. Then, squeeze ¾ cup juice from those oranges.
3. Coat evenly the beef slices with the 2tbsp cornstarch. (Don’t forget: you must have ½ tsp left after this.)
4. In large skillet, heat the oil over medium high and then add the orange peels. Cook them for about 3 minutes, or until lightly browned, and then place in large bowl.
5. Immediately after this, place the beef slices in the skillet and cook until both sides are lightly browned. (About 5 minutes.) In the meantime, mix together (in a cup or another recipient)
   Add to the large bowl with the orange peels.
6. In the meantime, mix together the ¾ cup orange juice, the soy sauce, the red pepper powder, and the ½ tsp cornstarch left.
7. Now, add 2 tbsp water to the skillet and the broccoli flowerets. Reduce heat, cover, and cook for about 2 minutes. Add greens onions and red pepper , and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for one more minute.