A Peach of a Dish, that's Mint to Be: Check out All the Ingredients in my Fusion Flavors recipe for Moroccan Stir-Fry!

A Peach of a Dish, that’s Mint to Be: Check out All the Ingredients in my Fusion Flavors recipe for Moroccan Stir-Fry!

Beef / June 17, 2016

I love summer fruit, especially stone fruit, especially peaches, especially….a…lot. And when I’m done adding them to muffins, or cooking them into jam, or ladling a puree of them into a frosting, I simply must find a way to put them into a savory dish. When I’m thinking of ways to match flavors that seem at odds, (although fruit is the ULTIMATE flavor bridge for savory dishes!) I look to some of the Mediterranean flavors for cues to deliciousness.

This one was a true match made in heaven…or in the orchard I suppose.

The best kind of magic happens when a marinade is perfect. And this one did the trick. By putting the tender steak pieces in with lemon, onion, red wine vinegar, oil and lots of Moroccan seasoning blend, the meat was infused with flavor. Then I stir fried the usual suspects of pepper and onion, but added peaches, raisins and mint to the fragrant medley.

Further enhancing the tanginess of the meal, I created a sauce that was simply a blend of fig balsamic vinegar and honey, and finished it all with a bit of parsley. I couldn’t wait to dig into it!

The best thing to soak up all this Moroccan flavor and juices is good white rice. I amped it up by stirring in copious amounts of smoky paprika. It added a bit of tint, and a lot of heat. What I was most happy about is that all the flavors created were brand new. Nothing popped out as being overwhelming. Just all perfect together. It was truly “peachy.” And for sure, “mint” to be.

Moroccan Beef Stir – fry with Peaches and Mint

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 small lemons, cut
½ white onion cut into chunks
3 t Moroccan seasoning blend
¼ C red wine vinegar
¼ C + 2 T canola oil divided
1 lb tender beef sirloin, cut into strips
1 medium green pepper cut into thin strips
½ c white onion cut into thin strips
3 peaches peeled and cut into 1 inch slices
1/3 C raisins
2 T mint finely chopped
3 T Italian flat leaf parsley chopped
1/8 C fig balsamic vinegar or sweet
balsamic vinegar
2 T honey
Salt and pepper
2 ½ C cooked jasmine rice
1 t paprika

Direction:

Put beef in a gallon sized zip-lock bag with the red wine vinegar, the chopped lemons, the chopped onion, theMoroccan seasoning, a little salt and pepper. Massage to getthe liquid marinadeall over beef. Let marinate forup to 4 hours. You can do on countertop for about 2 hours. If you do in the fridge, let the meat reach roomtemperature before cooking.When removing, just take out beef and discard marinade.
Put rice in water, let come to boil, coverandreduce heat to the lowest setting and let cookfor 20 minutes. Whilerice is cooking, heat a large saucepanwith 1 T oil. Add the green pepper, onion and raisins. Season with a littlesalt and pepper. Cook until the raisins are almost soft. Add the peaches and cook on high until the peaches are alittle charred and the onions are soft. Remove contents and put on a plate, covered.
Add 1 more tablespoon of oil to the pan and add the beef. Sear until beef is medium rare. Add the vegetables andpeaches back in to the pan with the meat, and the mint, andsauté for about 2 more minutes, being careful not toovercook the beef. Now add the balsamic honey mixture which you have combined in a small dish. Toss to coat,heat through, add about 1 T of the parsley, stir, and then serve over the rice which you havecombined with thepaprika. Garnish with the rest of the parsley