Whatever is in the Cabinet - Beef, Veggies, & Rice

My children's favorite meal is "whatever is in the cabinet." This all came about a couple of years ago. My kids always ask me "what's for dinner" as soon as I step foot in the kitchen. Well, there was a night that I did not have an answer for them because I was just tossing something together trying to use up left overs and produce before it went bad. The answers "I don't know" or "food" was not working anymore. So out of sheer frustration, I said "what ever is in the cabinet."

Of course, I was really using stuff out of the refrigerator more than the cabinet, but the answer satisfied them and they went on their merry way while I just grabbed things and made it work. It never fails that when ever I make this meal there are never any left overs. I have no idea how this is, but I will just accept it. This latest installment of "whatever is in the cabinet" was no exception.

Here is what I used:
White Rice
1 lb of stew beef (previously marinated in "I do not know what", bagged and tossed in the freezer)
1/2 a yellow onion (diced)
1 small bulb of fennel (diced)
1 small head of brocolli (trees pulled apart)
2 small summer squash (match-stickishly cut)
2 small zuchini (match-stickishly cut)
salt - of course
a shake or two of red pepper flakes
1 inch of ginger (grated)
1 garlic clove (grated)
a few dashes of soy sauce

I cooked the rice the way I like it; 1 part rice to 2 parts water with plenty of salt. In deep sided pan, I sauteed the onions, then the fennel; adding salt after every addition of an ingredient. I then added the beef and cooked it until almost done before adding anything else. In went the broccoli (salt); then the summer squash and zucchini (salt). Finally, I added a couple of shakes of red pepper flake, grated some ginger and garlic in, and few dashed of soy sauce. I let it marinate for a few and voila, yummy meal. Toss it all in a bowl. Easy peasy.