Grilled Beef
and Broccoli
30 minutes plus marinating.
Serves 6.(^1) ⁄ (^3) cup Shaoxing cooking wine or
dry sherry
(^1) ⁄ 3 cup soy sauce
(^1) ⁄ (^4) cup oyster sauce
(^2) tablespoons sesame oil
(^1) tablespoon granulated sugar
(^4) large garlic cloves
(^1) pound flank steak
31 ⁄ (^2) pounds broccoli with stems
(^2) tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Combine the Shaoxing wine,
soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame
oil and sugar in a medium bowl.
Using a Microplane, grate the
garlic directly into the mixture.
Or crush into the bowl with a
garlic press or mince by hand
before adding. Stir until the
sugar dissolves. Pour about half
the mixture over the steak in a
shallow dish that holds it snugly.
Turn the steak to evenly coat,
then marinate at room tempera-
ture while you heat the grill or
cover and refrigerate for up to
one day. If refrigerating, cover
the remaining marinade and
refrigerate it as well.
2 Heat a grill or grill pan to
medium-high.
3 Use a sharp paring knife to cut
the thick peel off the stems of the
broccoli, then cut each stalk in
half or quarters lengthwise. You
want them all to be about the
same size. Drizzle with the vege-
table oil and toss to evenly coat.
4 Remove the steak from the
marinade and pour its marinade
into a cast iron or other heavy
heatproof small skillet or sauce-
pan. Add the remaining sauce to
the skillet and set on the grill.
Put the steak and broccoli on
the grill grate in a single layer.
Grill, turning once, until the
broccoli is evenly charred and
tender and the steak is well-
seared, 10 to 12 minutes. The
sauce will be simmering along-
side for the same amount of
time. If it starts to thicken past
the consistency of syrup, pull it
off the grill.
5 Transfer the broccoli and
steak to a rimmed baking sheet
and drizzle the boiled marinade
all over. Let the steak rest for five
minutes, then cut with the grain
into thirds. Cut each section into
thin slices across the grain and
toss with the broccoli and sauce.
Serve hot.
Mariah TaugerLos Angeles Times
F2 LATIMES.COM
3 p.m.
Relax and release stress with a
massage at Eli’s Stay in Touch at
1820 S. Elena Ave., Suite B. There
are more upscale places here for
residents to park their Porsches
and get pampered; Eli is here for
the rest of us. She’s been helping
clients from 11 to 95 feel comfort-
able in their own skin for more
than 15 years. Her sessions last
from 30 minutes ($35) to three
hours, and she’s not stingy with
her time. Make an appointment
and be prepared to tip.
3:40 p.m.
Muscles massaged, satisfy your
thirst with an organic shake at the
Punchbowl, 1811 S. Catalina Ave., a
second location of the Los Feliz
juice bar that opened here in Sep-
tember. How about a sweet
Greeña Colada: kale, pineapple,
avocado, lime and the water, nec-
tar and meat of coconuts. The
founders wrote on their Tumblr
page: “Los Angeles is such a
stressful city ... we wanted to cre-
ate ... a peaceful little enclave
where people could ... fill their
bodies with delicious, nutrient-
rich juices.” They aren’t cheap ($9
to $11), but they’re 100% organic
with no ice or filler and they’re
served in eco-friendly packaging. I
feel better already.
4 p.m.
Score some good karma shop-
ping at Ten Thousand Villages at
1907 S. Catalina Ave., a nonprofit
fair trade store (one of more than
100 in the U.S. and Canada) that
showcases the handcrafted works
of artisans around the world.
Instead of buying that designer
sweatshirt made in a sweatshop,
consider a hooded poncho from
Ecuador ($99.99). Or splurge on a
gorgeous piece of Haitian metal
wall art ($350).
“Ten Thousand Villages is so
much more than a store. We are a
maker-to-market movement
that’s almost entirely run by vol-
unteers,” store manager Brittany
Costa says. “We work in 30 devel-
oping countries with over 20,000
artisans to break the cycle of pov-
erty by bringing their products
and stories to our market through
long-term, fair trading relation-
ships.”
4:30 p.m.
New Age healing is the art of
Sacred Stone Gallery, 1832 S.
Elena Ave. Part gallery, part gift
shop and 100% “renowned energy
field,” this space shimmers with
crystals, stones and jewelry. The
healing powers of each type of
stone, which cost from a few dol-
lars to much more, are advertised
on cards. The local wisdom is to
allow yourself to gravitate to the
one that speaks to you. My wife
chooses mangano calcite (“Heals
the inner child”) and asks me
which one I’m attracted to; I tell
her I already married my Krystle.
The gallery holds almost daily
events — sound baths, in which
instruments produce sound and
vibration for relaxation, are
among the most popular — in a
small meditation garden behind
the store, where you can write
down a prayer and leave it before a
statue of Buddha. “The religion
here is love, not anything else.
Divine love, expanding love, un-
conditional love,” the gallery’s
founder, Gustav Schindler, once
said. Amen to that.
5 p.m.
Your body is your temple, so
give it a healthful offering at the
Green Temple, 1700 S. Catalina
Ave. Suite 103. This vegetarian
restaurant, a staple of the neigh-
borhood for two decades, is open
and airy with inside and outside
patios. We sit side by side at a
small mosaic table in a private
nook, surrounded by colorful
pillows, plants and Eastern de-
signs that transport us, and the
feathery sounds of Sting’s “Shape
of my Heart” feel right here. We
share a plate of enchiladas ($15)
filled with soft, stewed veggies and
organic white cheddar cheese, and
wash it down with an organic
lemon fizz ($4). My mind is clear
and not troubled by thoughts of
the location of the closest In-N-
Out. Maybe this inner peace stuff
really works.
The ocean breeze plays with
wind chimes, reminding us we’re
just two blocks from the beach.
6:20 p.m.
The soothing sounds of the
water and the church of crashing
waves are the perfect way to end
our day as we share a sidewalk
bench atop the bluff that looks out
at the vast Pacific.
FOUR HOURS IN RIVIERA VILLAGE
Soulful stroll
at the beach
By Andre Vergara
A sign outside a store in Riviera Village reads: ¶“To live in Manhattan
Beach, you have to be rich. ¶“To live in Hermosa Beach, you have to
be young. ¶“To live in Redondo Beach, you have to be lucky.” ¶Who
can argue on a day like this, sunny and 69 degrees in November? This
beachside neighborhood, which boasts more than 300 boutiques,
restaurants, galleries and businesses tucked into several blocks in Re-
dondo Beach, is the perfect place to rejuvenate your soul.
RIVIERA VILLAGE boasts more than 300 boutiques, restaurants, galleries and businesses along several blocks in Redondo Beach.
Dania MaxwellLos Angeles Times
AFTER ANafternoon of shopping and dining, stop to enjoy the sunset at the Redondo Beach Pier.
Jay L. ClendeninLos Angeles Times
MUKTHA ANANDA,astrologer and card reader at the Sacred
Stone Gallery, meditates on a patio behind the New Age store.
Dania MaxwellLos Angeles Times
THE SPROUTADAis a popu-
lar dish at the vegetarian
restaurant Green Temple.
Dania MaxwellLos Angeles Times
KIERA MALONEY serves customers at the Punchbowl, the
second outlet for the L.A.-based vegan and organic juice bar.
Dania MaxwellLos Angeles Times
This iconic stir-fry is known as beef and broccoli, but I prefer to
treat it as broccoli and beef. In this version, I’ve upped the propor-
tion of vegetables to meat and swapped out stir-frying for grilling.
Growing up, I ate this simple dish almost once a week at home,
swiping the saucy mix through steamed rice before each bite. My
babysitter made it using the traditional technique of boiling the
broccoli until morning-grass green, then quickly tossing it in a
wickedly hot wok with flank steak and a savory-sweet soy-based
sauce.
It was a defining weeknight meal of my childhood. Just as mem-
orable were our weekend cookouts with extended family. My dad
grilled steaks as an indulgent treat, and we all smashed the slices
into our ever-present rice. The beefy juices soaked the grains with
their smoky deliciousness.
I love both meals so much, I’ve combined them here by grilling a
whole steak and lots of long-stemmed broccoli, then tying them
together with the classic sauce.
My favorite part of stir-fried broccoli is the hint of char it picks
up from sizzling in the wok. On the grill, broccoli gets even smokier
and more satisfying. The same is true of the beef, especially after
sitting in a marinade with just enough sugar to give the meat a
caramelized crust over the fire. Although the dish is tasty on its
own, it’s best with — you guessed it — steamed rice.
THE SATURDAY COOK
Grilling time boosts
this takeout favorite
By Genevieve Ko