A Turkey Leftover Alternative

For a nice change a pace from turkey, turkey and more turkey, how about some Chinese food.  This recipe comes from one of my favorite Asian cookbooks which I have mentioned before called Steamy Kitchen by Jaiden Hair.  It incorporates many styles of Asian food including Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and even Philipino.  The recipes are easy to follow and the photos are amazing.  The author also has a wonderful food blog by the same name.

This particular recipe caught my fancy and though it was really simple to make, it does take four different bottled sauces. These include soy sauce, oyster sauce, Chinese black vinegar and Chinese rice wine, plus I used sesame oil to saute in.  Luckily when I went to my local Asian market I was able to find the three that I didn't have for very reasonable prices and these bottles should last awhile.  I did splurge on the meat and purchased a boneless rib eye but considering this made three servings from one steak, it was worth it and oh so tender!

Stir Fry Beef Broccoli

1 lb top sirloin or flank steak, sliced into 1/8-in strips


For the marinade

1½ teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon cooking oil

For the Stir-fry Sauce

3 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
2 teaspoons Chinese black vinegar

For the Broccoli

1 broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets
½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic

Marinate the beef in soy sauce, cornstarch and the ½ teaspoon of oil for 10 minutes at room temperature.

In a small bowl, mix together the stir-fry sauce ingredients.

In a wok or large frying pan, add 1 inch of water and salt and bring to a boil. Add the broccoli and cover to steam for 3 minutes. Broccoli should be bright green, crisp tender and you should be able to pierce the stem with a fork. Drain.

Discard the water in the pan and dry the pan well. Heat the pan over high heat and when hot, add the 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and swirl to coat. Add the garlic and fry for 15 to 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the steak strips, keeping them in one layer and fry 30 seconds. Flip the strips and fry the other side.

Pour in the stir-fry sauce and stir to combine. Simmer until the sauce is thick enough to coat a back of a spoon, about 30 seconds. Add the cooked broccoli back into the pan and toss to coat well.  Serve over hot Jasmine white rice.

Beef Barley Soup

These damp Fall days always make me want to bring out my favorite soup kettle and spend an hour or two in the kitchen cutting, chopping and stirring up a pot full of goodness.  This weekend beef barley soup was on the agenda.  My BFF Patti was talking about her husband's delicious vegetable barley soup he had made earlier in the week and it inspired me. 

This was a great recipe to make as I had everything I needed in the cupboard and freezer except for carrots.  I always like to cut up my own stew meat from a chuck roast. You know what you're getting that way.  Also, I just love the process of chopping up all of the veggies even though I have a fancy food processor that would do all that work in half the time.  It's such a therapeutic thing for me to do.  I get the radio on NPR and listen to the entertaining Saturday morning shows and before I know it, the soup is simmering away.

Serve this wonderful beef soup with a crusty piece of bread and a hearty glass of red wine for a delicious meal.  There will be plenty for leftovers throughout the week too!

Beef Barley Soup

1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and halved lengthwise
1 pounds beef chuck stew meat, cut into 1-inch chunks and patted dry
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 quarts beef stock or broth
1/4 pound medium pearled barley, rinsed in cool water and drained (NOT THE QUICK COOK!)
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, cleaned, trimmed, and cut into 1/2-inch slices
3 large carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch slices
3 large potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 28-ounce cans plum tomatoes, drained (I cut these up before adding)
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a 10- to 12-inch skillet. Add the garlic and cook until golden. Using a slotted spoon, remove and discard the garlic. Working in batches, add a single layer of beef cubes to the skillet and sear on all sides. Remove each batch with a slotted spoon, and sprinkle with black pepper. Leave the remaining oil in the skillet, and set it aside.

In a 5-quart soup pot, bring the stock or broth to a simmer. Add the browned beef and rinsed barley, cover, and return to a full simmer. Reduce heat and cook gently for about 1 1/2 hours.

Return the skillet to medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Heat and add the onion, celery, carrots, and potatoes. Stir in the oregano and thyme. Cover the skillet and cook over very low heat for about 15 minutes.

Transfer the vegetables to the simmering soup, then add the chopped tomatoes, peas and corn. Simmer for 15 minutes and add chopped fresh parsley before serving. Yield: about 10 servings

Improvisational Cooking

The Husband and I were discussing jazz over dinner last night. In particular, Miles Davis and the 50 year anniversary of his groundbreaking album Kind of Blue. One of the things it is best know for is it's amazing improvisation from all of the artists who contributed to the album.

This conversation made me think about certain dishes I make where I don't have a recipe and the final product never turns out the same but with improvisation, I always enjoy the cooking process and the end result. Spaghetti sauce is one of those dishes for me as is macaroni and cheese. I start with a basic premise and then forage the cupboards and fridge and come up with something usually wonderful, though not always!

Another improvisational dish for me is stew. I never know which vegetables will end up in it or which herbs or spices, but what I always know is that there will be a hearty, meaty pot of stew to enjoy for our supper.

Beef Stew

2 lbs. stew meat (I cut up my own using chuck roast)

4 medium russet potatoes, diced into cubes

4 medium carrots, sliced

2 celery stacks, sliced

1 parsnip, sliced

1/2 bag of frozen pearl onions

1/2 bag of frozen peas
1/2 bag of frozen corn

1 small can of diced tomatoes with juices

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp dried thyme

1 bay leave

1 Tbsp. Worcesteshire sauce

1/2 cup red wine

32 oz. beef broth

Coat beef cubes in a seasoned flour (salt, pepper) and saute until beef is browned on all sides. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Turn down to a gentle simmer and let cook for 2 hours or until vegetables are soft and beef is tender. Adjust seasonings to taste. Makes a generous pot of stew to serve 6-8.

Barbecued Beef (Korean Style)

Yesterday I had the urge to go to one of my favorite food shopping destinations, Uwajimaya in Beaverton. While living in Seattle I would occasionally drop by the original store when I was wandering around the Pioneer Square area. I was not a very adventurous cook in those days though, so the store didn't excite me as it does now. For those of you readers who aren't familiar, it's a huge grocery store that encompasses many Asian food cultures. It is quite an experience going up and down the aisles looking at products and not having a clue as to what they are or what they are for.

I had no menu in mind as I walked in the door and was delighted to find a large kiosk filled with recipe cards of all sorts. After glancing through them, I decided on the following recipe for something called Bulgogi or Korean style barbecued beef. It didn't indicate on the recipe what type of beef to use so I chose the beef pictured below. I found the labeling to be quite humorous regarding the 100% vegetarian diet statement. It's good to know this cow had low cholesterol, even if I don't. Anyway, this was a very easy meal to prepare and I grilled the beef on my cast iron grill pan as opposed to a charcoal barbecue which would be the more traditional way to go.

Bulgogi Barbecued Beef

1 lb. beef steak, thinly sliced

Sauce

1/4 cup Soy Sauce

2 Tbsp. honey

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp minced fresh ginger root

1 Tbsp sesame seed oil

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1 tsp (or more to taste) red chili flakes

1/2 tsp black pepper

Combine all the sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Add sliced beef and allow to marinate for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight. Cook meat until rare. I served this with jasmine rice, grilled green onions, and a side salad of cucumber ribbons dressed with seasoned rice vinegar which was a nice cool compliment to the hot beef dish.