One Pot Beef, Zucchini & Cashew Stir Fry
Talk about a great decision.
Now when it’s the middle of Summer some of my favourite meals are quick stir fries cooked outside while the boys play in the sandpit.
No heating up the house. No garlicky smells in the bedrooms. And no fire alarm incidents.
This is my latest favourite stir fry. Love using minced meat because it’s economical, it cooks so quickly and you don’t have to worry about it ending up tough. This zucchini version is wonderful but there are endless possibilities – check out the variations below!
And make sure you have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go before you even think about turning on that gas burner.
Ingredients
- 4 medium zucchini sliced into rounds
- 500 g (1lb) minced (ground) beef
- 1-2 cloves garlic minced
- 3-4 tablespoons oyster sauce or 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 handfuls roast cashews
- 1 small bunch basil or coriander / cilantro leaves optional
Instructions
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Heat a little oil in your wok on a super high heat. Add zucchini and stir fry for 3-5 minutes or until zucchini is browned and starting to soften but not mushy. Remove zucchini from the wok.
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Add more oil and stir fry the beef and garlic until beef is well browned.
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Return zucchini to the pan and toss to warm. Remove wok from the heat and stir in oyster / soy sauce. Taste and season with more sauce if needed.
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Serve topped with cashews and herbs (if using)
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
WINE MATCH: A cold beer or dry white like a riesling.
Variations & Substitutions
hot! – add a little chopped fresh chilli with the garlic. Or drizzle with a little of Marcos Chilli Oil.
different veg – broccoli, cauliflower, capsicum (bell peppers), carrot, broccolini, asparagus – anything you like to stir fry.
vegetarian – replace beef with cooked lentils or chickpeas or crumbled tofu. And either use soy sauce or track down some vegetarian oyster sauce (it does exist!)
nut-free – just skip it or replace with crunchy veg like snow peas or bell peppers (capsicum).
different nuts – cashews are our family fave but almonds or peanuts will also work.
more substantial (low carb) – more cashews! or more veg! Or drizzle with a little chilli oil.
more substantial (carb-lovers) – serve with steamed rice or cooked noodles.
sliced meat – feel free to use sliced steak or other stir fry meat.
different meat – great with chicken or pork or lamb.
Waste Avoidance Strategy
zucchini – will keep for 2 weeks or longer in a plastic bag in the fridge. To keep it even longer, cook sliced zucchini in a little butter until just soft then store in an airtight container in the fridge.
minced (ground) beef – freeze it.
garlic – will keep for months in the pantry. I wrap in a brown paper bag to protect from light and prevent shooting.
oyster sauce – unopened bottles keep in the pantry. Once opened will keep in the fridge for months.
soy sauce / roast cashews – keep them in the pantry.
basil – make basil oil by packing washed and dried leaves in a clean jar and covering with extra virgin olive oil. Or you can freeze the leaves, they’ll wilt but will still be delicious.
coriander – best to use for another meal. Can be frozen but will wilt when defrosted.
Prepare Ahead
You can if you like. Just cook beef and zucchini as per the recipe but keep the cashews and herbs separate. Will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks or can be frozen. To serve, heat everything in a hot wok with a little oil then serve with cashews and herbs.
Have fun in the kitchen!
With love,
Jules x
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Your recipes are so cool! I cannot wait to check them out closer and try them out in my kitchen.. This weekend sounds good to me!!
Cheers for the tips!!
Regards,
Gerry
Thanks Gerry!
Cooked this for my husband this evening and he loved it. We are currently on holiday self catering so it needed to be fuss free.. having sorted finding the dish to cook it in it was a breeze. Will probably try again with different cheese but definitely a success. He is not a fan of cabbage or broccoli so some of your recipes he wouldn’t touch although I would love them but this was ideal. He is also a great fan of salad. Win win. Thanks Jules
Great Elly!
If you don’t like cabbage or broccoli you can always substitute other vegetables like zucchini or eggplant :)
I wrote about it recently over here https://stonesoup.mystagingwebsite.com/2019/05/20/vegetable-substitutes/
Enjoy your holiday!
Hey Jules, just cooked your beef, zucchini and cashew nut stir-fry – no cashews in the house, so used some pecans I’d roasted this morning. Just beautiful! I meant to save some for tomorrow, but most of it got eaten! So simple – I’ll definitely be making this again. Thanks Jules…