Stir fry two ways (serves 4)

This recipe starts out as one large stir fry, and then right at the end I separate it into two: one with beef, one without. But you could also choose to make it all meat (add an extra steak and eliminate the vegetable stock), or all veggie (eliminate the beef stock and double the veggie):

2 tsp. crushed ginger

2 tsp. chopped garlic

Vegetable oil

1 bag frozen mixed Chinese vegetables

6 oz. mushrooms (optional)

1 can water chestnuts, sliced

2 Steak-eze steaks (*see note)

1 cup beef stock

1 cup vegetable stock

2 tsp. corn starch

2 T soy sauce (or more to taste)

Rice, cooked according to package directions (*see note)

In a large fry pan, saute ginger and garlic in oil until golden, about 5 minutes. Add frozen vegetables and mushrooms and saute until cooked through and golden. Remove from pan. Drain and reserve half the pan juices (skip this step if making all meat or all veggies). Add Steak-eze and cook according to package directions, separating meat after turning steaks over. Remove cooked meat from pan. Add beef stock and 1 T soy sauce and whisk to combine. Add 1 tsp corn starch and whisk to remove any lumps (I never get the lumps out, so I often will strain the sauce and return it to the pan). Bring to a boil and reduce slightly. Add back to pan half of vegetables and all of meat and stir to heat and combine. Remove from pan, wipe out pan and add remaining pan juices, vegetable stock and 1 T soy sauce. Repeat process with corn starch. Add vegetables, stir to combine and remove from pan. Serve both stir fries over rice.

* Steak-eze. I found this product the last time I was at Costco, and figured it had potential in recipes. It looks like pressed steaks, but when cooked the meat comes apart into layers designed to make steak sandwiches. I saw a picture on the box of the meat used in a stir fry, and was inspired to create this dish.

* Rice. I can't cook it according to package directions. It either comes out underdone, or mushy and overdone. So after much trial and error I have learned how to cook rice like you would cook pasta. It comes out fluffy and perfect every time. Fill a pot with a generous amount (two to three times the amount the package calls for) of lightly salted water and bring to a boil. Add rice, stir and boil on low for 16 minutes. Drain.