Do you like bean sprouts? I love 'em--they're so crunchy and satisfyingly bland, adding a real snap to whatever dish they're mixed with. Here, when combined with soy glazed skirt steak and green beans, they give the illusion of noodles while still keeping this a low carb dinner--not that I'm particularly on a low-carb kick right now, but it's good to have easy-to-make delicious meals that don't rely on pasta or rice as their base. This one comes together in just about half an hour which makes it perfect for busy weeknights and I promise you it tastes better and is better for you than anything you could order from your favorite take-out place. Seriously, this one's a keeper!

All of us love Chinese food but when you're ordering for a big family it gets kind of expensive for just an ordinary weeknight dinner, plus there's the fact that they use a lot of salt and fat that I just don't want to eat on a regular basis, so I've gotten pretty good at making my own homemade versions of our Asian favorites. Check out my Steak and Soba Noodle Bowls with Snow Peas, Stir-Fried Beef and Broccoli in Garlic Sauce, Easy Chicken Pad Thai, Chicken Teriyaki Stir-fry with Green Beans and Mushrooms, Mango Chicken and Peppers Stir-Fry, Chicken, Asparagus and Mushroom Stir-Fry, Sweet and Sour Pineapple Chicken, Lucky Peach's Jap Chae and Stir-Fried Sesame Asparagus. Who needs a takeout menu?!!

Guys, this is so good. The steak is tender and nicely seared with a salty/sweet crust, the green beans are crisp and flavorful and those bean sprouts--well, you know how I feel about those already! And it takes so little effort to make all this happen. My advice to you--keep your eyes on your plate at all times--this is a dish that causes neighboring forks (or chopsticks) to wander!

"Noodle-Free" Soy Glazed Beef, Green Beans and Bean Sprouts

Makes 4 servings

Prep Time: About 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

• 5 teaspoons rice vinegar

• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

• 1 teaspoon olive oil

• 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak

• Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

• 8 ounce green beans, trimmed

• 1/3 cup water

• 4 ounces fresh bean sprouts

The Recipe

1.  In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, vinegar and sesame oil. Set aside.

2.  In a large heavy skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Season the skirt steak with salt and pepper on both sides and add to the hot pan. Cook for 5-6 minutes, per side (less if you like the meat more rare) and transfer the meat to a plate.

3.  Pour off the fat from the pan and add the green beans and the water. Lower the heat to medium, cover the pan and cook for about 5 minutes, until the beans are crisp tender--you may have to add more water if the pan gets too dry. 

4.  While the beans are cooking, thinly slice the steak. Once the beans are done, add the soy mixture to the pan and toss to coat the beans. Add the steak and any juices on the plate to the pan and cook, uncovered for a few minutes to reheat and let the flavors meld together. Add the bean sprouts, toss well and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Note:  Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart.  I left out the teaspoon of Asian garlic-chili sauce because I didn't have any and it was great without it. If you want to use it, add to the soy mixture at the beginning.