I really should have titled this "healthy-esque" taco salad, considering I usually top it with a gallop of sour cream and hot-sauce and cheese. But if you omit those things, this is a great healthy meal. Although, in my opinion, it's a very filly lunch, and a not-so-filling dinner. If serving for dinner, I would serve it with a quesadilla or something a little more hearty if you have a hungry bunch.
Completely off the topic of food, but my husband is obsessed with the Angry Birds app on the iPad. I thought I was obsessed as we were fighting over it and beat all the levels in what seemed like record time. But then I learned what obsessed really was: he is googling and downloading tips and codes on how to get to the secret levels and the golden egg levels and blah blah blah. I mean, I guess it's only fair since I am blogging that he have the iPad to play Angry Birds on, but this is getting a little out of hand. That game makes me want to throw the iPad out the window sometimes when those stupid pigs won't die and just get a black eye and then smile all smug at you. Stupid pigs. I hate them. Angry Birds = Angry Abby.
Cheesy Factor (1 no cheese, 10 all cheese): 1 (this must be a record: like 3-4 recipes in a row with no cheese)
Time Factor (1 shortest, 10 longest): 3
Dummy Factor (1 easiest, 10 hardest): 2
Taco Salad for Two
1/2 lb ground turkey
1 package lettuce of choice
1/2 package of taco seasoning
Catalina Dressing
small can of corn
small can sliced black olives
shredded pepper jack or mexican blend cheese
7-8 grape tomatoes, sliced and diced
Tortilla chips
Sour Cream
1/3 cup of mix of chopped green pepper, red pepper, onion
chopped jarred jalapenos (optional)
Chalula hot sauce (optional)
In small sauce pan, heat corn. In saute/fry pan, add ground turkey, and pepper/onion mix. Brown meat, then add taco seasoning and cook as directed on package. In a large bowl, combine lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, and dressing, toss to coat. Top with meat mixture, corn, olives, (probably won't need whole cans, so eye ball the corn and the olives), then top/garnish with jalapenos (to taste), hot sauce, sour cream, and crunched up tortilla chips.
This is really a hodge podge recipe as things are really too hard to measure out. But I am guessing if you are reading a cooking blog, you have made a salad before and can figure out the proportions of lettuce to everything else. If you use a package of lettuce, a half lb of ground turkey, and a half package of taco seasoning, I think you will be okay. Everything else, just eye ball it as you are mixing it together. It's dang good though. And it's a nicely deceptive dish, meaning it looks like you cooked, but really, all you did is brown meat and toss a bunch of crap into a bowl with it. Presto!
And don't give me the bologna about ground turkey not tasting as good in tacos/Mexican dishes. You can't taste the difference in this, or most things, and you are full of it. I put you up to the taste test challenge any day of the week.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Abby Kung Pao!
I have been slacking on the posting. But have been cooking so I will play a little catch-up now. However, that whole 30 day blog challenge thing? Not for me. I can't even remember to brush my teeth every day, let along blog. (Just kidding, I brush my teeth, don't worry.)
As part of my New Year's Resolution of cooking more "Asian" inspired dishes, I am on to dish #2: my version of Kung Pao Chicken and Vegetables. It's definitely Asian flavors, but I don't think I will be given any acclamations from PF Chang anytime soon. Buuuut, in all fairness, my pacific-islander husband, who also happens to be an all-asian-foods lover, said it was really good. So I will go off of that.
You will probably start to notice a trend in these "Asian" dishes: none of them contain ingredients I don't already have in my pantry. I am not quite ready to start investing in fish sauce, oyster sauce, hoisen sauce, etc. So, I am trying to encapsulate the same flavors, minus the strange ingredients.
On a really exciting note (you will probably only find this exciting if you have been to a Shabu Shabu restaurant- which is basically a Japanese fondu type of place): I FINALLY got my handles on a bottle of hot drops. Google "Shabu Shabu hot drops" and you will see what I am talking about. SO EXCITED.
This recipe is good for 2 hungry people. Serve over white rice.
Cheesy Factor (1 no cheese, 10 all cheese): 1
Dummy Factor (1 easiest, 10 hardest): 6
Time Factor (1 shortest, 10 longest): 5
Abby Kung Pao
Marinade:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1 Tbl white wine (use whatever you are drinking)
1 Tbl soy sauce
1 Tbl sesame oil
1 Tbl cornstarch, dissolved in 1 Tbl water
Sauce:
1 Tbl and 1 tsp white wine
1 Tbl soy sauce
1 Tbl sesame oil
1 Tbl cornstarch, dissolved in 1 Tbl water
1.5 tsp white distilled vinegar
2 tsp brown sugar
1 ounce chili paste OR 2 hot drops OR 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp honey
1 Tbl fresh garlic, minced
Veggies:
5-6 white button or baby brown mushrooms, sliced
1/4 sweet or yellow onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 green bell pepper, cut into 1/2 in pieces
Small can of pineapple chunks (in their own juice)
1 carrot, julienned
1 egg, beaten
Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix. In a shallow dish, put chicken, and then pour marinade over, and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes. For sauce, add all ingredients in a bowl and mix. In a small sauce pan, heat sauce over low heat, stirring every couple of minutes. Once sauce thickens, remove from heat. Place large fry pan or wok over medium heat. Take chicken out of fridge, discard marinade, and add chicken to heated pan, along with mushrooms, onions, and bell pepper. Cook over medium heat until chicken cooked through. Add carrots and pineapple to taste (I like about a 1/4 of the can of pineapple). Continue to cook over low heat for about 1 minute. In a separate small fry pan, scramble and then shred the egg. In the large fry pan with chicken and vegetable, add the sauce, toss to coat everything, and cook for another minute. Add shredded egg and serve over rice.
NOTES/TIPS:
This dish is very good. It's pretty spicy, the pineapple makes it sweet, and the carrots give it a little crunch. It will smell heavily of sesame oil (which I personally do not like), but the taste of sesame oil won't be nearly as strong. If you know how to divide the sesame oil, that's even better, but if you don't, you aren't missing anything. For the white wine, just use whatever you are drinking. If you are blesses enough to have hot drops at your disposal, do NOT add more than 2 drops. You might die. Well, that's an exaggeration, but you might not feel your lips for a week and have some interesting stomach issues. Also, if you don't have the pineapple, it's not necessary, it just adds a little sweet spot to it. And although all of these steps sound difficult, they really aren't. I just make things sound more difficult than they are. It's what I do.
As part of my New Year's Resolution of cooking more "Asian" inspired dishes, I am on to dish #2: my version of Kung Pao Chicken and Vegetables. It's definitely Asian flavors, but I don't think I will be given any acclamations from PF Chang anytime soon. Buuuut, in all fairness, my pacific-islander husband, who also happens to be an all-asian-foods lover, said it was really good. So I will go off of that.
You will probably start to notice a trend in these "Asian" dishes: none of them contain ingredients I don't already have in my pantry. I am not quite ready to start investing in fish sauce, oyster sauce, hoisen sauce, etc. So, I am trying to encapsulate the same flavors, minus the strange ingredients.
On a really exciting note (you will probably only find this exciting if you have been to a Shabu Shabu restaurant- which is basically a Japanese fondu type of place): I FINALLY got my handles on a bottle of hot drops. Google "Shabu Shabu hot drops" and you will see what I am talking about. SO EXCITED.
This recipe is good for 2 hungry people. Serve over white rice.
Cheesy Factor (1 no cheese, 10 all cheese): 1
Dummy Factor (1 easiest, 10 hardest): 6
Time Factor (1 shortest, 10 longest): 5
Abby Kung Pao
Marinade:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1 Tbl white wine (use whatever you are drinking)
1 Tbl soy sauce
1 Tbl sesame oil
1 Tbl cornstarch, dissolved in 1 Tbl water
Sauce:
1 Tbl and 1 tsp white wine
1 Tbl soy sauce
1 Tbl sesame oil
1 Tbl cornstarch, dissolved in 1 Tbl water
1.5 tsp white distilled vinegar
2 tsp brown sugar
1 ounce chili paste OR 2 hot drops OR 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp honey
1 Tbl fresh garlic, minced
Veggies:
5-6 white button or baby brown mushrooms, sliced
1/4 sweet or yellow onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 green bell pepper, cut into 1/2 in pieces
Small can of pineapple chunks (in their own juice)
1 carrot, julienned
1 egg, beaten
Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix. In a shallow dish, put chicken, and then pour marinade over, and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes. For sauce, add all ingredients in a bowl and mix. In a small sauce pan, heat sauce over low heat, stirring every couple of minutes. Once sauce thickens, remove from heat. Place large fry pan or wok over medium heat. Take chicken out of fridge, discard marinade, and add chicken to heated pan, along with mushrooms, onions, and bell pepper. Cook over medium heat until chicken cooked through. Add carrots and pineapple to taste (I like about a 1/4 of the can of pineapple). Continue to cook over low heat for about 1 minute. In a separate small fry pan, scramble and then shred the egg. In the large fry pan with chicken and vegetable, add the sauce, toss to coat everything, and cook for another minute. Add shredded egg and serve over rice.
NOTES/TIPS:
This dish is very good. It's pretty spicy, the pineapple makes it sweet, and the carrots give it a little crunch. It will smell heavily of sesame oil (which I personally do not like), but the taste of sesame oil won't be nearly as strong. If you know how to divide the sesame oil, that's even better, but if you don't, you aren't missing anything. For the white wine, just use whatever you are drinking. If you are blesses enough to have hot drops at your disposal, do NOT add more than 2 drops. You might die. Well, that's an exaggeration, but you might not feel your lips for a week and have some interesting stomach issues. Also, if you don't have the pineapple, it's not necessary, it just adds a little sweet spot to it. And although all of these steps sound difficult, they really aren't. I just make things sound more difficult than they are. It's what I do.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Mango Chutney Aioli....The Condiment You Want to Put on Everything!
Two positives today: the weather is amazing and finally back to typical SoCal! Finally! AND our house is officially done with construction from the flood so I can have my kitchen back! WOOOHOOO! First order of business: cooking. Cooking. Cooking. Cooking.
There is a restaurant downtown Huntington Beach called Duke's that we frequent all too often. However, they have an item that is only on their Saturday lunch menu, the Turkey Stack Sandwich, which drives me nuts, because that is the one time we hardly ever make it there. It is a sandwich with turkey, cheese, avocado, tomato, bacon, and a mango chutney aioli. Delicious! So delicious, in fact, that we crave it often, and thus, have decided to start recreating it at home!
So, this aioli was an interesting task as there are a lot of recipes for aioli (basically, it's a garlic mayo), and lots of recipes for mango chutney, but none combining the two. So, I created my own! Quite successfully, I might add, and now I want to put it on everything.
Cheesy Factor (1 no cheese, 10 all cheese): 0
Time Factor (1 shortest, 10 longest): 1
Dummy Factor (1 easiest, 10 hardest): 1
Mango Chutney Aioli
1/4 cup Major Grey's Mango Chutney
1/2 cup mayo
Juice from 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
Combine all ingredients in bowl, mix well. Taste and adjust ingredients to taste. Cover and put in fridge 30 minutes.
Soooo yummy! I actually added a little more garlic, and a little more Chutney, but make the recipe first, then adjust to how you like it. Major Grey's is the best mango chutney, in my opinion, but you can make your own very easily as well. Major Grey's can be found in almost all grocery stores though, and is usually in the condiment aisle, by the jelly's etc.
There is a restaurant downtown Huntington Beach called Duke's that we frequent all too often. However, they have an item that is only on their Saturday lunch menu, the Turkey Stack Sandwich, which drives me nuts, because that is the one time we hardly ever make it there. It is a sandwich with turkey, cheese, avocado, tomato, bacon, and a mango chutney aioli. Delicious! So delicious, in fact, that we crave it often, and thus, have decided to start recreating it at home!
So, this aioli was an interesting task as there are a lot of recipes for aioli (basically, it's a garlic mayo), and lots of recipes for mango chutney, but none combining the two. So, I created my own! Quite successfully, I might add, and now I want to put it on everything.
Cheesy Factor (1 no cheese, 10 all cheese): 0
Time Factor (1 shortest, 10 longest): 1
Dummy Factor (1 easiest, 10 hardest): 1
Mango Chutney Aioli
1/4 cup Major Grey's Mango Chutney
1/2 cup mayo
Juice from 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
Combine all ingredients in bowl, mix well. Taste and adjust ingredients to taste. Cover and put in fridge 30 minutes.
Soooo yummy! I actually added a little more garlic, and a little more Chutney, but make the recipe first, then adjust to how you like it. Major Grey's is the best mango chutney, in my opinion, but you can make your own very easily as well. Major Grey's can be found in almost all grocery stores though, and is usually in the condiment aisle, by the jelly's etc.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Caribben Chicken Kebabs and the 30-day Blog Challenge
My friend Jessica started doing this "30-day Blog Challenge", where there is a list of things to enter on your blog each day. Not sure I can keep up with it, especially since this is really a food/cooking blog, and not an Abby blog, but figured I would tie in some of the things if possible.
Day 1 and day 2 are to put a picture up of yourself, describe your day, and then put a picture of something you ate today.
This is a picture of me on our wedding day, in case you couldn't tell. Ha! My mom and dad had arranged as a special treat for us to be taken from the church to the reception in all these old, cool vintage muscle cars!
As far as a day description, I will do yesterday. We woke up at 5am (on a Sunday!), and drove to Snow Summit to go snowboarding! The weather was good, and the snow was awesome. We rode hard from open until about noon, when it started to get busy, then hopped back in the car and drove home, just in time to watch the 2nd half of the football game. Our friends Javier and Danielle watched Guinness for us, and she had a very fun day playing. We came home, ordered some Chinese food, and were asleep by 8:45pm! It was great.
A picture of something I ate today? Well, I will conveniently use this opportunity to post on the blog what I am making for dinner tonight instead: Caribbean Chicken Kebabs!
This is a recipe I have been wanting to try from Coastal Living magazine. (PS, if you live by water, you want this magazine. It's awesome!)
Cheesy Factor (1 no cheese, 10 all cheese): zilch
Dummy Factor (1 easiest, 10 hardest): 2
Time Factor (1 shortest, 10 longest): 5 but only because of marinating
Caribbean Chicken Kebabs
1/3 cup orange juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp fresh minced ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1.5 in pieces
1 sweet onion, cut into 1.5 in pieces
2 bell peppers (red or orange) cut into 1.5 in pieces
1 pineapple, cubed
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
1/2 cup butter
1.5 Tbls fresh lime juice
1.5 tsp cayenne pepper
1.5 tsp garlic salt
Combine first 4 ingredients in bowl, mix. Pour marinade, chicken and onions into plastic ziploc and put into refrigerator for 3-6 hours to marinate. Take out, discard marinade, and skewer onions and chicken along with remaining veggies. In small sauce pan, melt butter, and stir in lime, cayenne, and garlic salt. Use this as butter-baste for skewers. Grill skewers over medium heat 8-10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through, turning and basting with Lime-Cayenne butter multiple times.
I am going to serve this with a wild rice mixture and a side salad. All while watching the Ducks win!
Day 1 and day 2 are to put a picture up of yourself, describe your day, and then put a picture of something you ate today.
As far as a day description, I will do yesterday. We woke up at 5am (on a Sunday!), and drove to Snow Summit to go snowboarding! The weather was good, and the snow was awesome. We rode hard from open until about noon, when it started to get busy, then hopped back in the car and drove home, just in time to watch the 2nd half of the football game. Our friends Javier and Danielle watched Guinness for us, and she had a very fun day playing. We came home, ordered some Chinese food, and were asleep by 8:45pm! It was great.
A picture of something I ate today? Well, I will conveniently use this opportunity to post on the blog what I am making for dinner tonight instead: Caribbean Chicken Kebabs!
This is a recipe I have been wanting to try from Coastal Living magazine. (PS, if you live by water, you want this magazine. It's awesome!)
Cheesy Factor (1 no cheese, 10 all cheese): zilch
Dummy Factor (1 easiest, 10 hardest): 2
Time Factor (1 shortest, 10 longest): 5 but only because of marinating
Caribbean Chicken Kebabs
1/3 cup orange juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp fresh minced ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1.5 in pieces
1 sweet onion, cut into 1.5 in pieces
2 bell peppers (red or orange) cut into 1.5 in pieces
1 pineapple, cubed
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
1/2 cup butter
1.5 Tbls fresh lime juice
1.5 tsp cayenne pepper
1.5 tsp garlic salt
Combine first 4 ingredients in bowl, mix. Pour marinade, chicken and onions into plastic ziploc and put into refrigerator for 3-6 hours to marinate. Take out, discard marinade, and skewer onions and chicken along with remaining veggies. In small sauce pan, melt butter, and stir in lime, cayenne, and garlic salt. Use this as butter-baste for skewers. Grill skewers over medium heat 8-10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through, turning and basting with Lime-Cayenne butter multiple times.
I am going to serve this with a wild rice mixture and a side salad. All while watching the Ducks win!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Grilled Shrimp and Feta Orzo Pasta Salad
Let me tell you, this construction in our house is getting to be a little ridiculous. It was supposed to be completed while we were gone. Instead, they started when we got back and NOW they are telling me won't be completed until next week some time??? How am I supposed to live like that? I can tell you I have now had to microwave my morning eggs not once, but twice. Actually, they didn't turn out too bad but not really what I had in mind for the new year. I seriously feel like this is a cooking challenge and I am failing miserably. I am no whiz with a microwave.
So, I did the obvious thing last night and invited myself and James over to our friend's house to cook for them, so that I could use their kitchen. Ha! Kill two birds with one stone. It's always strange to cook in someone else's kitchen, without your stuff, not knowing where everything is and how their range/stove reacts, etc. But I, fortunately, have cooked over at Javier's house many a time, so I didn't feel too lost.
This dish was interesting for me. It's Bobby Flay recipe I found online. I don't really care for some of the ingredients, but figured I would give it a whirl anyway. It turned out really good. However, I am going to modify the types and quantities of ingredients a little from the original, as it said it was 4 servings, but it was more like 8, and the proportions were off slightly. So this is now my version :)
Cheesy Factor (1 no cheese, 10 all cheese): 7 very very cheesy
Dummy Factor (1 easiest, 10 hardest): 4
Time Factor (1 shortest, 10 longest): 5
Grilled Shrimp with Feta Orzo Salad
1/2 lb Orzo pasta, cooked al dente
1 large cucumber, peeled, quartered lengthwise, seeded, then sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh spinach
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
2 Tbl rice vinegar
3 Tbl fresh lemon juice
3 Tbl dijon mustard
1/2 cup olive oil, plus a little extra for shrimp
Salt and pepper
8 oz crumbled feta cheese
20 medium shrimp, peeled, and de-veined
Cook orzo pasta as directed. In a large bowl, combine cucumber, spinach, and tomatoes. In a blender, add the dill, vinegar, lemon juice, and dijon mustard, and blend. With motor running, slowly add olive oil and continue to blend until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper. Preheat grill to high heat. When orzo is finished cooking (remember to cook al dente), drain, and add orzo to cucumber/tomato bowl, and pour the vinaigrette over all and mix well. Then gently fold in all of the feta cheese to the mixture. Skewer your shrimp, brush will olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Then grill over high heat about 2-3 minutes each side. Serve shrimp over the orzo salad on plates.
This dish is super good, actually, and I don't even like shrimp. Or dill very much. But it's a mildly "zesty" dish, and actually, the cheese and dill and mustard actually blend very well together so none of the ingredients are over powering. I know it seems like a lot of cheese too, but don't worry, add it all. I was worried too, but it all worked together in the end.
If you don't have rice vinegar or lemon juice, substitute them both out for white wine vinegar.
But overall, this is a good dish. Something different, not difficult. Don't be scared. I won't like shrimp or dill particularly and I liked it so there. :)
So, I did the obvious thing last night and invited myself and James over to our friend's house to cook for them, so that I could use their kitchen. Ha! Kill two birds with one stone. It's always strange to cook in someone else's kitchen, without your stuff, not knowing where everything is and how their range/stove reacts, etc. But I, fortunately, have cooked over at Javier's house many a time, so I didn't feel too lost.
This dish was interesting for me. It's Bobby Flay recipe I found online. I don't really care for some of the ingredients, but figured I would give it a whirl anyway. It turned out really good. However, I am going to modify the types and quantities of ingredients a little from the original, as it said it was 4 servings, but it was more like 8, and the proportions were off slightly. So this is now my version :)
Cheesy Factor (1 no cheese, 10 all cheese): 7 very very cheesy
Dummy Factor (1 easiest, 10 hardest): 4
Time Factor (1 shortest, 10 longest): 5
Grilled Shrimp with Feta Orzo Salad
1/2 lb Orzo pasta, cooked al dente
1 large cucumber, peeled, quartered lengthwise, seeded, then sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh spinach
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
2 Tbl rice vinegar
3 Tbl fresh lemon juice
3 Tbl dijon mustard
1/2 cup olive oil, plus a little extra for shrimp
Salt and pepper
8 oz crumbled feta cheese
20 medium shrimp, peeled, and de-veined
Cook orzo pasta as directed. In a large bowl, combine cucumber, spinach, and tomatoes. In a blender, add the dill, vinegar, lemon juice, and dijon mustard, and blend. With motor running, slowly add olive oil and continue to blend until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper. Preheat grill to high heat. When orzo is finished cooking (remember to cook al dente), drain, and add orzo to cucumber/tomato bowl, and pour the vinaigrette over all and mix well. Then gently fold in all of the feta cheese to the mixture. Skewer your shrimp, brush will olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Then grill over high heat about 2-3 minutes each side. Serve shrimp over the orzo salad on plates.
This dish is super good, actually, and I don't even like shrimp. Or dill very much. But it's a mildly "zesty" dish, and actually, the cheese and dill and mustard actually blend very well together so none of the ingredients are over powering. I know it seems like a lot of cheese too, but don't worry, add it all. I was worried too, but it all worked together in the end.
If you don't have rice vinegar or lemon juice, substitute them both out for white wine vinegar.
But overall, this is a good dish. Something different, not difficult. Don't be scared. I won't like shrimp or dill particularly and I liked it so there. :)
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Anthony Bourdain and the "Construction Kitchen Challenge"
For those of you looking for a good read, check out Anthony Bourdain's "Kitchen Confidential". It's inappropriate, crude, and hilarious. Super entertaining. Strangely inspiring.
Just to vent for a quick second: so I went to Whole Paycheck (aka Whole Foods) to get groceries on Sunday and spent an obscene amount of money, getting all the food I needed for the week to make some amazing meals. Sure enough, come Monday morning, construction people show up to our house to knock down walls from our flood! Our kitchen is completely out of order now and for who knows how long. Typical.
Let me just tell you: climbing over our counter to microwave eggs (have no stove now) was interesting. Sounds like something from Top Chef. "Construction Kitchen Challenge": you are given a fridge, food, one fork, one spoon, and a microwave. Go!
Just to vent for a quick second: so I went to Whole Paycheck (aka Whole Foods) to get groceries on Sunday and spent an obscene amount of money, getting all the food I needed for the week to make some amazing meals. Sure enough, come Monday morning, construction people show up to our house to knock down walls from our flood! Our kitchen is completely out of order now and for who knows how long. Typical.
Let me just tell you: climbing over our counter to microwave eggs (have no stove now) was interesting. Sounds like something from Top Chef. "Construction Kitchen Challenge": you are given a fridge, food, one fork, one spoon, and a microwave. Go!
Monday, January 3, 2011
New Year's Resolution: Asian Inspired Dishes Made Easy!
I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday season. And I hope you all aren't as suicidal feeling as I am going back to work after the relaxing break. JK. But it is has definitely been a struggle getting back into the swing of things this morning. Nothing like a little family time, snow, and catching up on sleep to get you back to centered.
So, I pretty much don't like Chinese food. Or most of it at least. And I have been trying to figure out why. I love the flavor combos but HATE the rubbery, chewy meat that is used in most dishes. And that most of it is fried. And then there are usually all these random ingredients and weird crap in them. I just wrote it off pretty much. However, I do like Pei Wei, and PF Changs, so I figured there is hope for me yet. Plus, I am married to a Filipino, so I decided it was time to start learning how to make my own "asian-inspired" dishes.
My first attempt was a HUGE success. This recipe is super good, and very easy, and uses things you most likely already have in your kitchen and pantry. I highly recommend you give it a whirl!
Cheesy Factor (1 no cheese, 10 all cheese): 1 BOOOOO!
Dummy Factor (1 easiest, 10 hardest): 2- a monkey could make this
Time Factor (1 shortest, 10 longest): 3
Beef and Broccoli
3 Tbl soy sauce
3 Tbl Fat-Free (or light) Italian Dressing
1.5 tsp cornstarch
1.5 Tbl minced garlic
1.5 tsp ground ginger
3/4 lb. steak (I used Rib-Eye, but round works also), cut into strips
1/2 cup fat-free (or light/low-sodium) beef broth
1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup green onions, sliced (or pearl onions, halved)
1 lb broccoli florets
6 cups water
5 beef bouillon cubes
4 oz linguine or spinach fettucini pasta
In bowl, whisk together soy, Italian dressing, cornstarch, garlic, and ginger. In a shallow dish or bowl, pour mixture over beef strips, toss to coat, and let marinate about 15 minutes or so. While beef is marinating, boil water and bouillon cubes, add pasta, and cook until al dente. Drain. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove beef from marinade with slotted spoon, and add to hot skillet (discard marinade). Stir constantly, cooking beef for 2-3 minutes, or until browned. Stir in beef broth, mushrooms, and onions. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add broccoli and continue to cook until broccoli is bright green and tender, but still crisp. Add pasta, toss, and serve.
The other option on this is to omit the pasta, and just serve the beef mixture over white sticky rice. Both are really really good, but if you or your eaters like more traditional asian food, eat it over rice of course.
The flavors in this are spot on. And the key is to cook the meat a little less than you think you should, so still tender and not chewy. And also the broccoli is to be crisp, not mushy.
This recipe makes enough for 2 pretty big servings, so if you have more people, make sure to adjust accordingly.
So, I pretty much don't like Chinese food. Or most of it at least. And I have been trying to figure out why. I love the flavor combos but HATE the rubbery, chewy meat that is used in most dishes. And that most of it is fried. And then there are usually all these random ingredients and weird crap in them. I just wrote it off pretty much. However, I do like Pei Wei, and PF Changs, so I figured there is hope for me yet. Plus, I am married to a Filipino, so I decided it was time to start learning how to make my own "asian-inspired" dishes.
My first attempt was a HUGE success. This recipe is super good, and very easy, and uses things you most likely already have in your kitchen and pantry. I highly recommend you give it a whirl!
Cheesy Factor (1 no cheese, 10 all cheese): 1 BOOOOO!
Dummy Factor (1 easiest, 10 hardest): 2- a monkey could make this
Time Factor (1 shortest, 10 longest): 3
Beef and Broccoli
3 Tbl soy sauce
3 Tbl Fat-Free (or light) Italian Dressing
1.5 tsp cornstarch
1.5 Tbl minced garlic
1.5 tsp ground ginger
3/4 lb. steak (I used Rib-Eye, but round works also), cut into strips
1/2 cup fat-free (or light/low-sodium) beef broth
1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup green onions, sliced (or pearl onions, halved)
1 lb broccoli florets
6 cups water
5 beef bouillon cubes
4 oz linguine or spinach fettucini pasta
In bowl, whisk together soy, Italian dressing, cornstarch, garlic, and ginger. In a shallow dish or bowl, pour mixture over beef strips, toss to coat, and let marinate about 15 minutes or so. While beef is marinating, boil water and bouillon cubes, add pasta, and cook until al dente. Drain. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove beef from marinade with slotted spoon, and add to hot skillet (discard marinade). Stir constantly, cooking beef for 2-3 minutes, or until browned. Stir in beef broth, mushrooms, and onions. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add broccoli and continue to cook until broccoli is bright green and tender, but still crisp. Add pasta, toss, and serve.
The other option on this is to omit the pasta, and just serve the beef mixture over white sticky rice. Both are really really good, but if you or your eaters like more traditional asian food, eat it over rice of course.
The flavors in this are spot on. And the key is to cook the meat a little less than you think you should, so still tender and not chewy. And also the broccoli is to be crisp, not mushy.
This recipe makes enough for 2 pretty big servings, so if you have more people, make sure to adjust accordingly.
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