Spicy Thai Beef and Broccoli

I recently reviewed my blog posts and realized that not only were there few meat recipes (not surprising since I personally follow a mostly "Mediterranean" style diet) but also few entrees. Here's a post to rectify the dearth of both meat and entree recipes.

I came across a recipe for Spicy Korean Beef in a quarterly compilation of Cooks Illustrated and it inspired me to create this dish. Any excuse to use my Thai Pepper plant is generally inspiration enough, but it was learning about the mix of sweet and spicy along with the saltiness of fish sauce that moved me to action.

Although I went into some detail on the importance of advance preparation when making stir frys here I also want to add that when using beef in a stir fry a cook's trick is to freeze the beef for 30 minutes before slicing it. This firms up the meat just enough so that it is easier to make thin slices that cook in record time. Also, do not skip the marinade step, it is important to bringing the full flavor to the dish. It is because of these steps that stir frys, done traditionally, are not as "quick" as people believe. Give yourself at least an hour and a half (including freezing time for beef) from beginning to table.

Spicy Thai Beef and Broccoli

1/2 lb steak, defatted, frozen for no more than 30 minutes, 1/8 inch slices
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cloves garlic, sliced in flat disks
3-4 scallions, white parts sliced; green parts in 3 inch pieces
1 crown broccoli, cut into even, bite size pieces
3 green thai chilies cut lengthwise on the diagonal (or other green chilies such as serrano) Deseed for less spiciness

Marinade
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
minced garlic
white part of scallions
grinds of pepper

Sauce
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

Oil for cooking (peanut, safflower, grapeseed, NOT olive oil)

Mix Sauce ingredients and blend well. Heat wok over high heat until it begins to smoke. Add beef in its marinade and fry for 3-4 minutes until cooked. Remove meat to bowl and wipe out wok. Reheat wok and add 2 tablespoons cooking oil and heat until smoking. Add sliced garlic and cook 1 minute. Add broccoli and green chilies and stir fry 6-8 minutes, tossing continually. Add beef back to wok and green parts of scallions and toss another minute. Give sauce another whisk and add to wok and toss to coat another minute. Remove from heat and serve with rice or other grain.

P.S. Cooking the chilies in the sauce does not give the sauce a fiery flavor; biting into them will. This version is not particularly spicy (for some who like really hot food) so to up the heat quotient I would recommend adding two dried chilies, whole, to the meat marinade and remove when finished cooking.

P.P.S. If you ever find the opportunity to acquire a Thai Pepper plant I highly recommend it! The plant is gorgeous, easily living indoors in colder climates, and their spice seems to be tempered after a deep watering. Be sure it is already fruiting when you buy it since it only produces peppers in the second year.

Hugs!

Easy Crab Salad

Crab is one of those foods that I rarely eat since it is hard to find true crab (as opposed to the rubbery faux stuff) and is usually prohibitive in cost. Enter Trader Joe's, the bargain godsend of food purveyors. I probably don't want to know how they secure their little cans of crab meat, but it is affordable and since crab is so rich, a small 8oz can goes a long way.

While crab feels like a special treat, I do like to make a quick crab meat salad and savor this delicate flavor over salad greens or on a cracker. Most recently I opted for the cracker option and it was a delicious decadent treat on a very hot day!

This recipe is not traditional as far as I know; it was simply what I had in the refrigerator that I thought would got with the crab; some crunch from celery, a bit of tang from a red onion and a conventional seafood pairing of fresh dill. I considered adding capers, but fortunately I did not have them since I think their briny-ness would have overwhelmed the delicate crab taste.

Kirsten's Crab Salad

1 8 oz can crab meat, drained
1/2 small red bell pepper, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1-2 sliced red onion, minced
2 tablespoons fresh dill, minced
2-3 tablespoons mayonnaise, according to taste
1 tablespoon yogurt
Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine all and mix well.

If you do any variations, let me know!

Hugs!

Fresh Herb Potato Salad

Although I grew up on the East Coast, both of my parents were from the Midwest and my sisters and I definitely grew up on a meat and potatoes diet. I still love potatoes in any season but I particularly love them in the summer in potato salad.

My mom is from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which is home to many German Americans like herself, so the potato salad I grew up with was usually hot and full of vinegar and kielbasa sausage. While I love the vinegar I am less inclined towards a warm potato salad in the middle of a hot California Summer. So I whipped up a lighter version with lots of fresh herbs and just a little crunch from red onions and celery.

As you'll see from the picture, I used a mix of potatoes, blue, red and yellow, but it doesn't taste any different if you just use one type, it's just prettier with the mix.

Herbed Potato Salad

Red, yellow and blue potatoes, 1-2 of each depending on the size
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2/3 cup fresh minced herbs (parsley, thyme, basil, tarragon, chives, dill)
1 stalk celery, minced
2 slices red onion, minced
Pepper to taste

Cook potatoes whole in boiling water until tender. Drain and as soon as you're able to touch them, cut into bite size pieces and sprinkle with salt and vinegar and toss well. This is a crucial step to allow the vinegar to soak into the still warm potatoes. Allow to sit while you prepare herbs, celery and onion. Add to potatoes, add olive oil and salt and pepper as needed. Add additional vinegar to taste. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

Note: Using other fresh herbs like mint or cilantro would also work but I would avoid sage or rosemary, of if you want to use them, only use sage and rosemary since their flavors are a little heavier and earthier than the light ones of thyme, basil and tarragon.

Hugs!

One Pot Breakfast

One of my favorite breakfasts is available at Gillie's in Blacksburg, VA and they call it "Chappie's Choice." It was my Sunday ritual and such a treat since it is pretty hearty and hefty: pan fried potatoes, covered with scrambled eggs and topped with melted cheese. So Good!

With such simple food, it's easy to duplicate at home and I have many times. When I first had Chappie's Choice, I was vegetarian, but I have since added bacon which makes for a great flavor with pan fried potatoes. I even go a little wild and have it for lunch or dinner when I'm in the mood for "breakfast" food. Sometimes, this is just the comfort food to soothe the soul. The following recipe is for two people (or one really hungry one!)

One Pot Breakfast

2 eggs, whipped
2 large potatoes, diced small
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 slices bacon, diced

Cook bacon until almost crisp; remove from pan and leave bacon grease. Add potatoes and toss to coat and cook on medium heat for 8-10 minutes until they begin to brown. Add onions and bacon back to pan and finish cooking bacon, potatoes and onions, which may remain somewhat raw. Remove to serving bowl. If necessary, add teaspoon olive oil or butter to hot pan and scramble eggs to desired doneness. Spoon over potatoes and top with cheese if desired. Salt and pepper and eat!

Hugs!

White Pizza with Corn, Cilantro and Lime

I am seldom impressed with my own food. It's not that I'm overly critical but I think the cook rarely enjoys her food as much as others. My personal theory is that you smell the food as you're cooking it and half of tasting food is in smelling it. So your olfactory sense is already "tasting" the meal before you actually put it in your mouth. So it's less than spectacular when you finally do.

But this was different.

I was craving pizza so I pulled some pre-made dough out of the freezer and seeing as I had an ear of fresh corn decided to replicate my favorite pizza from Berkley's Cheeseboard. It sounds ridiculous - corn and lime juice on a pizza? But it is unbelievably amazing food. I don't know if it can rightly call itself pizza (I'm sure true Neapolitans shudder at the idea) but it is phenomenal. AND mostly importantly, I was able to recreate it in my kitchen. How could I not share the wealth!

A note on making pizza easy for yourself. You CAN make your own dough and then freeze it in baggies which is something my former roommate and I did often; it makes life so easy and satisfying to defrost dough in about an hour and have great pizza. I also buy pre-made dough (today's recipe is grace a Trader Joe's). When you buy pre-made dough, I suggest dividing it into 2-4 portions and freezing in baggies so that they defrost quickly when you're craving pizza. Another helpful hint is not to overload your pizza; three toppings maximum and spread them out. If there are too many toppings, the crust will be soggy in the middle and that's so unappetizing!

While I am a relative newcomer to white pizzas other than clam pizza, I am happily converted. The thin crust allows for the flavor of the cheeses and toppings to really sing and these savory combinations are a revelation.

White Pizza with Corn Cilantro and Lime

pizza dough (about 8 oz)
1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded
1/2 cup (4 oz) goat cheese, crumbled
2-3 scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro, minced
1 cob corn or 1/2 cup frozen
2 wedges lime

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. If you have a pizza stone, place it in the oven to preheat. Cook corn cob in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain and cool. Dust baking sheet with flour or cornmeal and stretching dough as thinly as possible, place on baking sheet. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese thinly over crust. Sprinkle goat cheese over crust. Sprinkle scallions, cilantro and corn lastly (cut it off the cob if using fresh). Bake for 10-15 minutes until crust is lightly browned and bottom of crust is browned. Remove and slice. Squeeze lime juice over all and serve.

Do not fear the lime juice. It is vital to bringing out the goat cheese and corn flavor. Trust in the food gods!

Hugs!

Chilled Avocado, Citrus and Mint Soups

"Variations on a Theme" is a famous piece by Bach (trust me, you'd recognize it) and inspired by that I made not one but two chilled avocado soups, drawing on the abundance of citrus here in the Ojai Valley.

Initially, I was going to only make one soup, avocado, orange and mint. The recipes that I saw called for yogurt and after completing that soup, it was a bit too creamy for me. So I decided to experiment and make another without the yogurt, hence soup number two, avocado, grapefruit and mint.

They're equally delicious and I decided to share both!

Chilled Avocado, Orange and Mint Soup

Juice of 3 oranges (or 1 cup juice)
Pulp of 2 avocados
Cup plain yogurt (or greek style to make it really creamy)
1/3 cup of water
Juice of 1 lime
3 tablespoons mint, mashed with a spoon to release flavor
Pinch of salt

Blend all ingredients in a blender. Adjust for taste. Chill at least 1 hour and serve with extra slivered mint and dash of tabasco if desired.

Chilled Avocado, Grapefruit and Mint Soup

Juice of 2 grapefruits (very fresh or their bitterness will ruin the soup)
Pulp of 2 avocados
Juice of 1 lime
Pinch of salt
3 tablespoons mint, mashed with spoon to release flavor

Blend all ingredients in a blender. Adjust for taste. Chill at least 1 hour and serve with extra slivered mint and dash of tabasco if desired.

Hugs!