Sirloin Steak and Asparagus Stir-fry

In a small bowl, combine 2 teaspoons cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and pour over the sliced, uncooked sirloin steak. Use a spoon (or your hands) to make sure this mixture is making contact with all outer surfaces of the steak. Let the steak marinate for about 10 minutes in this mixture. Now, prepare your rice for serving with this dish. You may use regular rice--just follow the package instructions, but substitute beef broth in place of the water for richer flavor. Make as much rice as you like to go with this meal. I used approximately 1 soup can of beef broth and 1 soup can of minute rice. (You may want to double this amount.) For minute rice, you need to heat the broth in a medium-sized saucepan, and when it boils, add the minute rice. Bring it to a boil again, cover with a lid, remove from heat, and set aside. It will cook itself, freeing up your time to make your stir-fry. To make your stir-fry: Pour 1 1/2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil around the top of a deep skillet or wok, letting it drizzle to the bottom. Heat the oil at medium-high heat, until it is hot, but not smoking. Drain off any excess marinade from the pound of sliced steak, and add the steak to the hot oil in the skillet. Stir and fry the steak for 4 minutes, and remove it from the skillet to a temporary platter. Now, add 1 pound fresh, cut asparagus to the skillet, along with 3 tablespoons beef broth. Cover the skillet with a lid, and let the asparagus and beef broth simmer for 3 minutes. Mix together 1 teaspoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoons soy sauce, and add to the skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. (This will happen very fast.) Place the cooked steak back in the skillet and stir to blend all flavors. Serve the Steak and Asparagus Stir-Fry over the beef-flavored rice, which by now is ready to be removed from its cooking container. This is a luscious, colorful dish, that is super quick to fix and is a little out of the ordinary. I hope you enjoy it!