Crispy Orange Beef with Broccoli

This recipe looked so delicious I had to try it :)

Here is the link to the original recipe:

http://comfyinthekitchen.com/2012/01/crispy-orange-beef-with-broccoli/

I decided to tackle this meal while my boys were napping, so unfortunately I didn't get to serve it immediately (I stored the beef and broccoli in the fridge and left the rice cooker on warm until dinnertime) so the beef lost some of its crispiness. However it was still SO DELICIOUS and extremely flavorful!

The recipe called for some basic ingredients that we already had on hand - soy sauce, garlic, rice wine vinegar, sugar, rice, cornstarch, and frying oil. I bought broccoli florets, an orange (for the "zest"), frozen OJ concentrate, fresh ginger, and sirloin.

The sauce called for garlic, orange zest and freshly grated ginger, among other ingredients. I had never bought fresh ginger before, nor had I grated it but let me tell you the smell was DELICIOUS, especially combined with the orange peel.

I am always intimidated by frying anything... however, I am learning to use a splatter screen in the process so I don't get burnt by hot oil and so my stove top doesn't become a complete greasy disaster in the process.

 I used peanut oil for frying the beef, and it actually went pretty smoothly. The cornstarch coating made the beef crispy and delicious.

 Overall I'd say the prep and cook time for me took about 90 mins (about double what the recipe says... pretty typical for me the first time I make anything new). However the flavor was amazing! Honestly I liked this better than the same dish at most take-out restaurants. I'd definitely recommend trying this if you have an hour or two of time to invest!