We had this last night and it was so tasty - like out of a fine restaurant tasty! Even delicious cold the next day. I don't cook too many things a second time, but this is one we will have over and over. It has great taste but is not spicy at all. My two-year-old ate up the juice mixed with rice, broccoli, and mushrooms. This recipe differs slightly from Mel's with the addition of mushrooms and a few other variations, but if you don't like mushrooms, leave them out and enjoy it just the same. We just happen to love mushrooms at our house.
(Adapted from http://www.melskitchenscafe.com/)
*Serves 4-5
INGREDIENTS:
Sauce:
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons low-sodium chicken broth
5 tablespoons oyster sauce (I used 4T fish sauce)
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Beef and Broccoli:
3 tablespoons soy sauce (I use Amino Acids)
1 1/2 pounds flank steak, cut into 2-inch-wide strips with the grain, then sliced across the grain into 1/8-inch-thick slices
6 medium cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press or minced (about 2 tablespoons)
1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1 teaspoon peanut oil or vegetable oil, plus extra for cooking
1 1/4 pounds broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
8oz baby portabella mushrooms sliced
1/3 cup water
3 medium scallions, sliced 1/2-inch thick on diagonal, optional
DIRECTIONS:
In a medium bowl, combine beef and soy sauce. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour. Meanwhile, whisk the sauce ingredients together in a liquid measure or small bowl. In another small bowl, combine garlic, ginger, and 1 teaspoon peanut oil. Set aside.
Heat 1-2 teaspoons peanut oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot and rippling. Add half of beef to skillet and break up clumps; cook, without stirring, for 1 minute, then stir and cook until beef is browned around edges and cooked through, about 1-2 minutes. Don’t overcook the meat – cook until just barely cooked through so the meat stays tender. Transfer beef to a medium bowl and cover with a lid and tin foil. Heat another 1-2 teaspoons peanut oil in the skillet and repeat with remaining beef.
Add 1 tablespoon peanut oil to now-empty skillet; heat until rippling and hot. Add broccoli and cook 30 seconds; add water, cover pan, and lower heat to medium. Steam broccoli until tender-crisp, about 2 minutes. Pour on top of cooked beef and recover with foil to keep warm.
Add the mushrooms. Cook on medium until soft (7-8 minutes). As they soften they create their own juice, but if you don't think it's going fast enough, add a few tablespoons of water so they don't stick to the pan.
Push the mushrooms to the sides of the skillet and add the garlic/ginger mixture. Cook, mashing the mixture with a spoon, until fragrant, about 15-30 seconds. Stir the mixture into the mushrooms. Add the beef/broccoli mixture back to skillet and toss to combine.
Whisk the sauce to recombine and add to the skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened and evenly distributed, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with scallions, and serve – or be like me and serve (we served it with jasmine rice) it straight out of the skillet!
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
Jen's Cream of Broccoli Soup
Snow. Like a foot of it. In March. Of course it would decide to snow after weeks of fantastic weather. So, it feels like broccoli soup Monday. This is a recipe that I had at my friend, Meredith's house, and it was delicious.
1 T butter
1 T olive oil
1 chopped onion
3 pieces chopped celery
3-5 medium-sized potatoes (cooked, peeled, and pushed through potato ricer)
9 c chicken stock
3 lbs broccoli
5 T butter
1/2 c flour
1 c whole milk (or half and half or cream)
1/2 c plain yogurt
2 oz cheese
1/2 t sugar
10-30 leaves fresh basil
1/2 t sage
1/2 t poultry seasoning
Saute butter, olive oil, onion, and celery together in a good-sized pan (because you’ll add more later) until very soft. Then put in food processor and pulse til more mushy.
Meanwhile, cook 3-5 medium sized potatoes.
In a big pot, boil chicken stock with broccoli. Cook until broccoli starts to break down into mush. Try to keep several broccoli heads a bit bigger. Let sit there as you’re making soup. (Don’t pour out the stock you cook the broccoli in.)
Make a roux by melting 5 tbl butter with ½ cup flour (I use whole-wheat). Once melted and combined, gradually add in milk (or cream). Gradually add in yogurt and cream cheese. Add in potatoes, sugar, basil, sage, and poultry seasonings. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Gradually add in mushed broccoli and stock from boiled broccoli until just a little runnier than desired consistency. It will thicken a bit as it sits. Serve pretty quickly after getting it where you want it. These ratios will serve about 10, depending on how much they like this kind of soup.
1 T butter
1 T olive oil
1 chopped onion
3 pieces chopped celery
3-5 medium-sized potatoes (cooked, peeled, and pushed through potato ricer)
9 c chicken stock
3 lbs broccoli
5 T butter
1/2 c flour
1 c whole milk (or half and half or cream)
1/2 c plain yogurt
2 oz cheese
1/2 t sugar
10-30 leaves fresh basil
1/2 t sage
1/2 t poultry seasoning
Saute butter, olive oil, onion, and celery together in a good-sized pan (because you’ll add more later) until very soft. Then put in food processor and pulse til more mushy.
Meanwhile, cook 3-5 medium sized potatoes.
In a big pot, boil chicken stock with broccoli. Cook until broccoli starts to break down into mush. Try to keep several broccoli heads a bit bigger. Let sit there as you’re making soup. (Don’t pour out the stock you cook the broccoli in.)
Make a roux by melting 5 tbl butter with ½ cup flour (I use whole-wheat). Once melted and combined, gradually add in milk (or cream). Gradually add in yogurt and cream cheese. Add in potatoes, sugar, basil, sage, and poultry seasonings. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Gradually add in mushed broccoli and stock from boiled broccoli until just a little runnier than desired consistency. It will thicken a bit as it sits. Serve pretty quickly after getting it where you want it. These ratios will serve about 10, depending on how much they like this kind of soup.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Vegan Banana-Pecan Pancakes
I love to cook these pancakes when we have dying bananas. Sometimes I sit and for a week watch my bananas brown to the point of perfect inclusion. These are just good and again, from my friend's blog, Green Fed.
Adapted from: Green Fed
1 1/2 cups almond milk plus 1 tsp vinegar (or lemon juice). Let this sit for 5 minutes.
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (I use a power flour recipe mix of equal parts barley, brown rice, amaranth, spelt, kamut, and whole-wheat flour from Tosca Reno)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 ground cinnamon
1 1/4 cups very well-mashed bananas
1 Tbsp grapeseed oil (or canola or applesauce)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cups pecans, chopped
Sift together dry ingredients. In separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients together until pretty smooth. Pour wet ingredients into dry mixture and mix but don’t over-mix. Fold in pecans and chocolate chips.
Pour 1/4 cup or batter per pancake onto lightly greased griddle (my griddle is usually set at 300 degrees for pancakes) or pan, and cook until bubbles appear. Flip, and cook another 2-3 minutes until the undersides are a golden brown.
Serve with sliced bananas and pure maple syrup. YUM!!!
Adapted from: Green Fed
1 1/2 cups almond milk plus 1 tsp vinegar (or lemon juice). Let this sit for 5 minutes.
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (I use a power flour recipe mix of equal parts barley, brown rice, amaranth, spelt, kamut, and whole-wheat flour from Tosca Reno)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 ground cinnamon
1 1/4 cups very well-mashed bananas
1 Tbsp grapeseed oil (or canola or applesauce)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cups pecans, chopped
Sift together dry ingredients. In separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients together until pretty smooth. Pour wet ingredients into dry mixture and mix but don’t over-mix. Fold in pecans and chocolate chips.
Pour 1/4 cup or batter per pancake onto lightly greased griddle (my griddle is usually set at 300 degrees for pancakes) or pan, and cook until bubbles appear. Flip, and cook another 2-3 minutes until the undersides are a golden brown.
Serve with sliced bananas and pure maple syrup. YUM!!!
Chili
I'm sure to some, chili is as easy to make as a bowl of cereal. I, however, am a child less gifted in creativity and fairly good at following instruction, so I look for a recipe. Here's a good recipe - easy to make and - for our family - it's bland enough that our two-year old loves it. But sometimes I feed him spicy stuff.
Adapted from: Mel's Kitchen Cafe
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped
1 yellow or red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
2 (16-ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar
DIRECTIONS:
In a large pot, brown the meat with the onion and garlic over medium heat, until cooked through, breaking up the ground turkey into pieces as it cooks. Drain off extra grease. Add the chopped bell pepper and cook 1-2 minutes until slightly tender. Add the rinsed and drained beans. Stir. Add the remaining ingredients and spices. Stir well. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the chili to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes (or upwards of an hour if you have more time), stirring occasionally and making sure the chili isn’t sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese and tortilla chips, if desired.
Adapted from: Mel's Kitchen Cafe
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped
1 yellow or red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
2 (16-ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar
DIRECTIONS:
In a large pot, brown the meat with the onion and garlic over medium heat, until cooked through, breaking up the ground turkey into pieces as it cooks. Drain off extra grease. Add the chopped bell pepper and cook 1-2 minutes until slightly tender. Add the rinsed and drained beans. Stir. Add the remaining ingredients and spices. Stir well. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the chili to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes (or upwards of an hour if you have more time), stirring occasionally and making sure the chili isn’t sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese and tortilla chips, if desired.
Pineapple Cashew Quinoa
So this is from my friend, Angela's, blog: Green Fed. They were vegan before she got pregnant and the little pea started calling for cheeseburgers. At least that's what I think. And though we haven't caught up lately, I'm thinking pregnancy is creating a break from her awesome vegan blog. So, I'll carry on for her in spirit. Though we aren't vegan, I love to cook vegetarian meals. And this is one dish that Jared actually loves (and the little P-man too). You could probably add chicken, but I like keeping it vegetarian.
Hint: If you haven't cooked with quinoa, I hear the magic number for washing it is seven times but I don't know if that's true (maybe that's for shuffling a card deck?). Needless to say, the outside of quinoa contains the residue used to make soap, so you want to wash it thoroughly. I use a fine-mesh collander and a large bowl to swish and rinse, swish and rinse, several times. It takes a few minutes, so I'll do several cups at a time and then freeze the rest. It still cooks perfectly.
Every time I cook this, I wonder why I didn't double it.
Adapted from: Green Fed
Ingredients:
Quinoa:
1 cup quinoa, well rinsed and drained
1 cup pineapple juice (I just use the juice from the canned pineapple and add water to make up the full cup)
1 cup cold water
1/4 teaspoon soy sauce (I use Bragg’s Liquid Aminos)
Stir-fry:
4 ounces cashews, raw and unsalted
3 tablespoons peanut oil (or any high-heat oil will do)
2 scallions, sliced thinly (I sometimes use 1/2 of a regular onion)
1 hot red chile, sliced into very thin rounds (I don’t use this and it's still really good)
1/2 inch piece ginger, peeled and minced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, rolled and sliced in thin shreds
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
10 ounces fresh pineapple, cut into bite sized chunks (I’ve used canned pineapple and it tastes just as good)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons vegetable stock
Lime wedges for garnish
Instructions:
For the quinoa: Combine the quinoa, juice, water and soy sauce in a medium sized pot. Cover, place over high heat, and bring to a boil. Stir a few times, lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 12 – 14 minutes until all the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa appears plumped and slightly translucent. Uncover, fluff and let cool.
For the stir-fry: Use a large frypan or wok. Have all your ingredients pre-chopped and in reach. Place the cashews in the dry pan and heat over low heat, stirring them, until lightly toasted (4 to 5 minutes).
Remove the cashews from the pan, raise the heat to medium and add the peanut oil, scallions and garlic, when the garlic starts to sizzle, add the sliced chili and ginger.
Stir-fry for about 2 minutes, then add the bell pepper and peas. Stir-fry for another 3 to 4 minutes, until the bell pepper is softened and the peas are bright green.
Add the basil and mint, and stir for another minute before adding the pineapple and quinoa.
Combine the soy sauce, vegetable stock and miri. Pour over the quinoa mixture. Stir until the mixture is coated. Continue to stir-fry for 10 minutes (it helps to use two spoons/spatulas to scoop the quinoa around).
Serve with lime wedges.
Hint: If you haven't cooked with quinoa, I hear the magic number for washing it is seven times but I don't know if that's true (maybe that's for shuffling a card deck?). Needless to say, the outside of quinoa contains the residue used to make soap, so you want to wash it thoroughly. I use a fine-mesh collander and a large bowl to swish and rinse, swish and rinse, several times. It takes a few minutes, so I'll do several cups at a time and then freeze the rest. It still cooks perfectly.
Every time I cook this, I wonder why I didn't double it.
Adapted from: Green Fed
Ingredients:
Quinoa:
1 cup quinoa, well rinsed and drained
1 cup pineapple juice (I just use the juice from the canned pineapple and add water to make up the full cup)
1 cup cold water
1/4 teaspoon soy sauce (I use Bragg’s Liquid Aminos)
Stir-fry:
4 ounces cashews, raw and unsalted
3 tablespoons peanut oil (or any high-heat oil will do)
2 scallions, sliced thinly (I sometimes use 1/2 of a regular onion)
1 hot red chile, sliced into very thin rounds (I don’t use this and it's still really good)
1/2 inch piece ginger, peeled and minced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, rolled and sliced in thin shreds
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
10 ounces fresh pineapple, cut into bite sized chunks (I’ve used canned pineapple and it tastes just as good)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons vegetable stock
Lime wedges for garnish
Instructions:
For the quinoa: Combine the quinoa, juice, water and soy sauce in a medium sized pot. Cover, place over high heat, and bring to a boil. Stir a few times, lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 12 – 14 minutes until all the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa appears plumped and slightly translucent. Uncover, fluff and let cool.
For the stir-fry: Use a large frypan or wok. Have all your ingredients pre-chopped and in reach. Place the cashews in the dry pan and heat over low heat, stirring them, until lightly toasted (4 to 5 minutes).
Remove the cashews from the pan, raise the heat to medium and add the peanut oil, scallions and garlic, when the garlic starts to sizzle, add the sliced chili and ginger.
Stir-fry for about 2 minutes, then add the bell pepper and peas. Stir-fry for another 3 to 4 minutes, until the bell pepper is softened and the peas are bright green.
Add the basil and mint, and stir for another minute before adding the pineapple and quinoa.
Combine the soy sauce, vegetable stock and miri. Pour over the quinoa mixture. Stir until the mixture is coated. Continue to stir-fry for 10 minutes (it helps to use two spoons/spatulas to scoop the quinoa around).
Serve with lime wedges.
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