Pomegranate & Lychees: Wok Wednesdays: Scented Cumin Stir-Fried Beef

Cumin. I use this spice when making homemade chili. Lots of it. So I was excited to expand my culinary use of cumin which I typically equate to with beans and Mexican cuisine.

After two straight nights of Kung Pao Chicken for dinner, it was time for something different. So we had beef at lunch time. That's different! On a serious note, it's been a typical busy morning, and by the time I got home for lunch, it was 1:30 pm. Stir-frying is the way to go. On a busy day. In a healthy way.

We eat equal amounts of chicken and beef. It's usually ribeye or sirloin steaks - the kids love a great medium rare steak with white rice! Over Thanksgiving holiday, I went crazy and bought a 6 pound beef tenderloin. I learned how to cut the beef slab, watching You-Tube video, into three portions: filet mignon, roast, and stir-fry. In the last week, I've been buying lean flank steaks which is called for in the beef stir-fries. I've really been pleased at how lean, yet tender the meat has been. The trick is how the meat is sliced - against the grain in small, bite-size pieces and how it's cooked - quickly in high heat.

I made a huge improvisation in this recipe by stir-frying the beef rather than a quick deep-fry as the recipe instructed. I think the deep-fry would have made this dish deliriously divine, but for the lack of time and guilt reasons, I thought the stir-fry will be the way to go during the holiday season.

Main ingredients include lean flank steak, carrots, cherry tomatoes, cauliflower, scallions, garlic, and cumin.

Like most of these recipes, the meat is stir-fried first and then put aside. The vegetables are next. I put the crunchiest vegetable first (carrots) before the softest (tomatoes)...but when the stir-fry is for 1-2 minutes, it's best to cut the vegetables in bite-size pieces, same size, so it all cooks in the same rate.