I really don’t know what else to say about this beef and broccoli stir fry except that it is delicious. You don’t have to take my word for it though. Here is how my daughter felt about this dinner:
She ate almost everything on her plate and then proceeded to make a “happy plate” with the tiny bit she didn’t eat. As, you can tell, she was quite proud to show off her little happy person, knowing it would land on the blog. Apparently, she could have done without the cashews.
I mean, but are the cashews really necessary?
The answer is no. There aren’t that many cashews in this recipe, but it does add a little crunch which can be fun and tasty. Feel free to do with or without the cashews. It will not alter the recipe too much. If you do choose to leave out the cashews it would make this recipe just 5 Weight Watcher smart points per serving!
And how about the Ramen Noodles. Are they really necessary?
The answer is no. I think the noodles paired great with the steak, broccoli and sauce, but you could swap out the noodles for brown rice, white rice, quinoa or just leave them out altogether. To be honest, we had a package of Ramen noodles in our pantry and I was trying to find a way to use them right around the time I was dreaming up this recipe. While we are on the topic of the noodles, it really does not matter what flavor package you get, because we intentionally left out the seasoning packet since that little packet packs in lots of unnecessary sodium and we are already using soy sauce in this recipe.
If you leave out the Ramen noodles, this recipe is just 4 Weight Watcher smart points per serving! So good, right? One reader emailed to tell me that she exchanged spiralized zucchini in place of the Ramen noodles and it worked out well for her! Great idea, no? 🙂
So, if you are doing the math, when you leave out the cashews and the noodles you are left with just 3 WW SP per serving!
Make this recipe work for you! If you change things up leave us a comment and let us know about it. As always, we love hearing your feedback!
Here is what you need to make this Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry the way I made it:
3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 pound lean beef steak
1 (3 ounce) package Ramen noodles, any flavor
2-3 cups water
2 stalks broccoli (about 5 cups)
1/3 cup fat-free chicken broth
1 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, ground
1 large red bell pepper, sliced or chopped
1 green onion, sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted cashews
Here is how I made mine:
Combine soy sauce, vinegar, and red pepper flakes into a bowl. Add beef and mix well. Marinate in the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes.
Break up ramen noodles into a microwave safe bowl. Pour enough water in the bowl to cover the noodles, about 2-3 cups, and microwave on HIGH for 3 minutes. Set aside and wait to drain the water until later in the recipe. Discard the seasoning packet.
Meanwhile, cut broccoli into small florets, leaving out the stems. Steam broccoli in a steamer, or cook the broccoli in boiling water until tender, about 6-8 minutes. Set aside.
Mix the broth and cornstarch in a cup and set aside.
In a large stir-fry pan, cook garlic and ginger in oil for 30 seconds.
Add beef and cook 2 minutes.
Add bell peppers and cook an additional 2 minutes.
Toss in broccoli and green onion. Stir-fry until heated through, about 2 minutes. Add cornstarch mixture. Bring to a boil and allow to cook until the liquid thickens, about 3-5 minutes.
Drain Ramen noodles.
Serve 3/4 cup beef/broccoli mixture over 1/4 cup cooked Ramen noodles and top with 1 teaspoon cashews (about 3-5 cashews).
Makes 6 servings.
One serving is 3/4 cup beef/broccoli mixtures, 1/4 cup cooked Ramen noodles, topped with 1 teaspoon cashews.
One serving is 6 WW FreeStyle SP.
Beef, Broccoli & Cashew Stir-Fry with Ramen
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 pound lean beef steak
- 1 (3 ounce) package Ramen noodles
- 2-3 cups water
- 2 stalks broccoli (about 5 cups)
- 1/3 cup fat-free chicken broth
- 1 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, ground
- 1 large red bell pepper, sliced or chopped
- 1 green onion, sliced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted cashews
Instructions
- Combine soy sauce, vinegar, and red pepper flakes into a bowl. Add beef and mix well. Marinate in the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes.
- Break up ramen noodles into a microwave safe bowl. Pour enough water in the bowl to cover the noodles, about 2-3 cups, and microwave on HIGH for 3 minutes. Set aside and wait to drain the water until later in the recipe. Discard the seasoning packet.
- Meanwhile, cut broccoli into small florets, leaving out the stems. Steam broccoli in a steamer, or cook the broccoli in boiling water until tender, about 6-8 minutes. Set aside.
- Mix the broth and cornstarch in a cup and set aside.
- In a large stir-fry pan, cook garlic and ginger in oil for 30 seconds.
- Add beef and cook 2 minutes.
- Add bell peppers and cook an additional 2 minutes.
- Toss in broccoli and green onion. Stir-fry until heated through, about 2 minutes. Add cornstarch mixture. Bring to a boil and allow to cook until the liquid thickens, about 3-5 minutes.
- Drain Ramen noodles.
- Serve 3/4 cup beef/broccoli mixture over 1/4 cup cooked Ramen noodles and top with 1 teaspoon cashews (about 3-5 cashews).
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*SmartPoints® calculated by Meal Planning Mommies; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated without Weight Watchers Zero Points fruits and vegetables using the WW Recipe Builder.
This looks delicious! Ramen noodles, beef, garlic and ginger? Yes, please! Quick question….when you say “lean beef steak”, specifically which cut do you purchase? Thank you!
To be honest, Michelle, I usually go off of the looks of the meat more than the name of the meat. The way that the fat is spread throughout a cut of meat is called “marbling”. When you notice a lot of white in the meat it will be a juicier cut, but will also have a lot of fat that you cannot easily cut off of it. Having said that, the word I use when entering into the WW recipe builder is “Uncooked lean trimmed boneless chuck steak” or “lean flank steak beef”. In the store, “Eye of round steak”, “Top sirloin steak” or “Top Round Steak” is a safe bet. I like this picture of the different cuts of meat that includes calorie comparisons and gives a visual of the difference in how fat is spread throughout the meat: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TcdunNbIST4/UT3eRRMDbxI/AAAAAAAAADc/US74y36sUxg/s1600/Meat+Cuts.bmp Hope this helps! 🙂
Yes, thank you….this is perfect!