Flank steak + brussels sprouts stir fry

When I turned 24 a few months ago, I thought of some things I wanted to do in the next year before I turned 25, a sort of birthday resolution list.  One of my goals was to cook new recipes: while I've loved to cook for the past few years, I can get stuck on making the same things over and over.  I was frustrated with grocery shopping, wasting food, and feeling uninspired.  I decided an overhaul was in order; I started focusing on meal planning and purchased a subscription to Bon Appetit magazine in hopes of becoming excited about cooking again.  Since then, I've tried a handful of new recipes, and most have been really tasty.

With the new year comes a renewed desire to seek out new recipes and continue cooking more.  A visit to Powell's bookstore, in Portland, and several new cookbooks, got me motivated in the same way buying new gym shoes does.  My goal is to try one new recipe every week, and I'm going to attempt to document some of my favorites here.  

This recipe helped me utilize my new wok.  I'm a big fan of cooking Asian cuisine, partly because of the time I spent in Southeast Asia last year, and partly because it's quick.  I'm generally more confident with the stovetop than the oven (roasting is super intimidating!), so this was pretty simple, but still different than my standard of chicken fried rice.  I'm all about these one bowl meals!

Brussels Sprouts and Steak Stir Fry (very creative name, Bon Appetit!)
Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit, halved to 2 servings and added a few other things ;)

Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
4 tablespoons oil (I used grapeseed, use any oil with a high smoke point, aka not olive oil)
1/2 pound brussels sprouts
4 ounces flank steak or skirt steak, sliced against the grain
2 green onions/scallions, white part chopped, green sliced
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon chopped peeled ginger 
1/4 pound carrots, chopped
1/4 pound mushrooms, chopped
1 jalapeño chili, sliced into rings
Kosher salt
Any other seasoning for your steak (I used this sesame teriyaki seasoning)
Rice for serving (I used brown, and served everything mixed together in a bowl)

Directions

1.  Whisk oyster sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, and 1/4 cup water in a small bowl; set sauce aside

2.  Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add brussels sprouts & mushrooms and cook, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Cover and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate; wipe out skillet
3.  Season steak with salt & any other seasoning. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet over high heat until just beginning to smoke. Add steak in a single layer; cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook until nearly cooked through, about 30 seconds. Add to brussels sprouts
4.  Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet. Add scallion whites, garlic, and ginger and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute, adjusting heat as needed. Add carrots and chile and cook, tossing occasionally, until carrots are slightly softened, about 2 minutes
5.  Return brussels sprouts and steak to skillet and add reserved sauce. Cook, tossing occasionally, until sauce is thickened, about 3 minutes. Serve with steamed rice and garnish with scallion greens

PS:  side note that I wondered while making this... why are redheads called gingers? Ginger is beige.