Fortune cookies?
They’re based on a traditional Japanese cracker. Crab rangoon was “first served by a French dude running a Polynesian restaurant in San Francisco in the 1950s. He also would go on to invent the Mai Tai.” (source) Authentic might not be the right word for every dish served in an American Chinese restaurant, but delicious is a contender.
Now, if you’re like me, you might be speaking more from memory than current experience. After several severe reactions to MSG in college, I basically swore off Chinese food. That is, until last year when Russ Crandall released the Paleo Takeout cookbook. His sweet and sour chicken recipe (which he so graciously allowed me to share with you) inspired me to recreate a few of my other favorites.
This pepper steak recipe is super simple and kid-approved. Serve it up with plain white rice or cauliflower fried rice – I hope you love it as much as we do!
Pepper Steak Recipe (Gluten-Free, Paleo)
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp arrowroot powder (level)
- ½ cup coconut aminos
- 1 ½ lbs sirloin steak (cut into thin strips)
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 3 bell peppers (any color, cut into 1/4-inch thick strips)
- 1 large onion (cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick sections)
- 3 garlic cloves (minced)
- 3-4 tbsp coconut oil (you can sub ghee or avocado oil – I prefer refined coconut oil rather than virgin for this recipe because the flavor is more mild)
- 2-3 cups cooked white rice or cauliflower fried rice (optional)
Instructions
- Place coconut aminos and arrowroot powder in a small cup and set aside.
- Sprinkle steak with salt and pepper.
- In a large pan (I use my well-seasoned cast iron skillet), heat 2 tablespoons of oil/ghee over medium/high heat. Add half of the steak and cook until browned on all sides but still pink in the center. Remove steak and place it in a bowl, then add the remaining steak – and one additional tablespoon of oil if needed – then repeat the process.
- After you transfer the second batch of meat to the bowl, add another tablespoon of oil to the pan along with the bell peppers, onion and garlic. Stir-fry over medium heat for 6-8 minutes.
- Add the meat back in to the pan. Whisk the ingredients in your cup and pour them over the meat/veggies. Bring the liquid to a simmer and let it cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and serve with white rice or cauliflower fried rice.
