Slow-Cooked Pepper Steak

This is a hearty, colorful dish that cooks in a soy-based sauce. Tamari is the extract of soybeans which have been fermented with wheat, salt and water.  Soybeans grow in fuzzy green pods which may also be boiled. The protein–rich soybeans can then be removed and enjoyed with salt as an appetizer.

Beef Casserole

    2 pounds beef top round steak, cut into ½-inch wide strips
    1 teaspoon canola oil
    ¼ cup tamari
    1 cup chopped yellow onion
    1 garlic clove, crushed in a garlic press
    1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
    ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
    1 (14 ½-ounce) can Italian-style tomatoes, undrained
    1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
    1 tablespoon cornstarch
    ¼ cup water

Rice

    1 cup uncooked brown rice
    1 cup uncooked white long grain rice
    4 cups cold water


1.  Preheat the oven to 350°.

2.  In a 6-quart oven-safe Dutch oven, brown the beef in oil. Stir
     in the tamari or soy sauce, onion, garlic, sugar, pepper,
     tomatoes, and bell pepper.

3.  Bake in the preheated oven for 2 hours.

4.  Cook rice in a rice cooker or heat rice and water in a 3-quart          
     saucepan until boiling. Simmer on low for 30 minutes or until  
     the rice is soft and water is absorbed.

5.  Just before serving, make a paste with the cornstarch and   
     water. Stir quickly into the hot casserole and cook until the
     sauce has thickened.

     Makes 4 servings