Beef and broccoli stir-fry

Makes 4 servings

2 tablespoons brown sauce

1/2 cup reduced-sodium beef broth

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon less-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons grated fresh gingerroot

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 pound boneless beef sirloin, well trimmed of all fat (or ask the butcher to do this for you)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 small onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 carrot, cut in julienne strips

1 cup sliced zucchini

2 cups broccoli florets

1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced

Hot cooked brown rice

Combine brown sauce, beef broth, red wine vinegar, cornstarch, soy sauce, ginger and red pepper flakes; set aside.

Slice beef sirloin into 2- by- 1/4 -inch strips. Spray a large skillet with nonstick spray coating. Heat skillet over medium-high to high heat. Add beef and cook, stirring frequently until browned. Drain and set beef aside.

Heat oil in skillet. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes. Add carrots and cook, stirring 1 minute. Add remaining vegetables and cook, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Return meat to skillet and allow to heat through. Push contents of skillet to outer edges of pan. Stir broth mixture well, then pour into center of skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Stir well to evenly coat meat and vegetables. Serve over hot, cooked brown rice.

Per serving, without rice: 199 calories (51 percent from fat), 11 grams total fat (4 grams saturated), 36 milligrams cholesterol, 11 grams carbohydrates, 14 grams protein, 236 milligrams sodium, 3 grams dietary fiber.

Per serving, with 1/2 cup cooked brown rice: 308 calories (36 percent from fat), 12 grams total fat (4 grams saturated), 36 milligrams cholesterol, 34 grams carbohydrates, 16 grams protein, 231 milligrams sodium, 4 grams dietary fiber.

Recipe developed exclusively for The Star by local professional home economists Kathryn Moore and Roxanne Wyss.

Shopping tip: For testing, we used Far East brown sauce, a product much lower in sodium than soy sauce: 1 tablespoon of brown sauce has 75 milligrams sodium, compared with 575 milligrams sodium in 1 tablespoon of reduced-sodium soy sauce.

Fresh ginger offers richer flavor than pre-minced ginger.

Cooking tip: Although a wok is ideal for cooking stir-fry, any large skillet will do.