Adapted from Diethood’s Steak Stir Fry with Zucchini

Serves 4-6

We’re in the thick of zucchini season now, and many a gardner is looking for fresh new ways to use up their crop. This is a simple stir fry but is full of flavor, with salty and umami-rich sauce lightly coating tender steak and zucchini. I highly recommend this easy, satisfying weeknight dinner.

Ingredients:

1 ½ lb flank steak, sliced against the grain into  approx.1 cm x 1 cm x 4 cm strips

2 TBSP oyster sauce

2 TBSP soy sauce

A dash of rice vinegar

1 tsp sugar

½ teaspoon sesame oil

2 TBSP cornstarch

Garlic powder, to taste

Red pepper flakes, to taste

Neutral oil, as necessary

4 medium zucchini, spiralized or sliced lengthwise as thinly as possible to make long, thin “noodles”)

4 cloves of fresh garlic, minced

Sesame seeds, to top

Scallions, sliced, to top

Instructions:

Combine the oyster sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, cornstarch, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes in a medium bowl. Add the beef and mix well. If there isn’t enough of the sauce mixture to evenly coat the meat, add a little neutral oil to help spread it.

Heat about 2 TBSP neutral oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the steak and stir fry for 2-3 minutes, or until browned (it’s okay if it’s not cooked through, as it will continue to cook once the zucchini is added). Add the zucchini and cook for another 2-3 minutes, until the zucchini is tender and the steak is done to your liking. Add the minced garlic in in the last minute of cooking.

Taste to see if you want to add salt or any other seasonings (such as soy sauce, a healthy dose of black pepper, red pepper, garlic powder, etc.). Serve topped with sesame seeds and scallions.