Asian Style Pepper Steak

Shannon Beigert

Cool Fall days evoke the desire for comfort food. One of my favorite recipes is for Pepper Steak, a variation on a dish from my childhood. This recipe pairs well with rice, quinoa, or even mashed potatoes.

Ingredients:

2 green bell peppers, cleaned and thinly sliced lengthwise
1 red bell pepper, cleaned and thinly sliced lengthwise
1 yellow or orange bell pepper, cleaned and thinly sliced lengthwise
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
4 pods of garlic, finely chopped or finely chopped
1 and 1/2 to 2 pounds of flank steak, about one inch thick, sliced on the bias into bite-size strips
3-4 Tablespoons of toasted sesame seed oil
4-6 Tablespoons of ground black pepper
4-6 Tablespoons of soy sauce ( I use reduced sodium type)
1 teaspoon of Chinese Five Spice seasoning

Instructions:

Using part of the sesame oil, heat a large frying pan, and add the oil using medium heat on the stovetop. Add the peppers, onions and garlic. Mix ingredients and cook until the onions turn translucent and the peppers are bright and fragrant.

In a mixing bowl, add the steak pieces and the black pepper and combine. In a separate large pan, add the remaining sesame oil. Place the steak into the oiled pan and cook until the desired level.  Add some soy sauce to the steak mixture.

Combine the steak and peppers into one cooking pot. Mix all the ingredients together on low heat, and add a bit more soy sauce and the Chinese Five Spice. As an option, you may add dried pepper flakes if you like a little heat. Mix well!

Serve with rice, or other preferred grain!

Enjoy!

Shannon Beigert is a chef and baker who loves to entertain guests at her Olympia home. If you want to let her know that this recipe worked well for you, send her a note at  shannon@theJOLTnews.com