Chinese Beef and Zucchini Bowls

Whisk water, cornstarch, vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar until smooth. Grate ginger and garlic directly into the sauce, and set aside.

Preheat a large pan to medium-high heat with a drizzle of oil. Add beef and cook for about 7 minutes and cook, stirring, until browned and crumbly.

Add zucchini and half of the chili pepper to the pan. Stir for 3 minutes to soften the veggies. Pour the sauce into the pan and let come to a bubble. Add the water chestnuts.

Simmer for 5–10 minutes more, uncovered, until reduced slightly and zucchini is soft. Serve over rice with the rest of the sliced red chilies. Enjoy!

Notes:
• I start the rice before I start the rest of the dish so everything is ready about the same time.
• For the sauce, I whisk all of the liquids together, then use my Microplane to zest the garlic and ginger right into the sauce.
• Feel free to use any veggies you like in this! Anything quick-cooking like yellow squash, bell peppers, or sliced bok choy would be great.