Broccoli & Beef

 

I can't take too too much credit for this one since I only altered a few things in this recipe.  Well, who knows, those little changes could have been what made this dish SO FREAKING FANTASTIC!!! So I guess I'll go ahead and toot my own horn for a sec.  "toot toot!"  Ok, done now. 

 I am a huge broccoli  & beef fan.  I've tried making it at home before, only to realize that the Chinese restaurants can make it much better.  The hubster requested broccoli & beef for dinner last night so I decided to go ahead and try out a new recipe that I had pinned a while back.  It turned out SO SO YUMMY!! I will definitely  be make this again and again.  It tasted just as good as a Chinese restaurant without all the MSG.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. sugar
1 TBSP cornstarch
1 TBSP low sodium soy sauce
1 TBSP water
2 TBSP toasted sesame oil
1.5lbs. flank steak, sliced thin
1/2 C low sodium soy sauce
2 TBSP brown sugar
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
2 TBSP flour
1 TBSP sherry
3 TBSP toasted sesame oil
2 heads of broccoli crowns

DIRECTIONS:

Preparing the beef:

Allow the beef to come to room temperature.  (Mine sat out for about an hour and a half)  Then, using a sharp knife, slice the beef into thin strips making sure to slice against the grain.  If the slices become too long, feel free to cut them in half or even in thirds. 

Preparing the marinade:

In a large bowl, whisk together the first six ingredients. Then add the beef strips and thoroughly coat them in the marinade.  Cover the bowl in plastic wrap, set aside and allow to marinate for 30 minutes.  (Now would be a good time to get your rice started)

In the meantime:

Trim your broccoli and set aside.  In a small bowl whisk together the 1/2 C low sodium soy sauce, brown sugar, minced garlic, flour and sherry. Set aside until the meat is finished marinating.

When the meat is ready:

 Heat 2 TBSP of the sesame oil in a wok or  large sauté pan over high heat.  Next, add the broccoli and sauté in the oil for 4-5 minutes.  (I prefer my broccoli a little on the crunchy side, feel free to cook longer if you like it softer.)  Transfer the broccoli to a dish and set aside. 

Turn the heat down to medium-high and add the remaining 1 TBSP of sesame oil to the pan.  Add the meat to the pan and then pour in half of the soy sauce/brown sugar mixture on top.  Saute until the meat is no longer pink, this takes just a few minutes.  When the meat is finished, add the broccoli to the wok with the remainder of the soy sauce/brown sugar mixture.  Saute for another minute. 

Serve over steamed white rice. ENJOY!!


Recipe adapted from: Rainydaygal.com

Stir Fry Sauce (a DG original!)

This recipe is technically not a new post.  It originally made its debut here as part of my Thai Lettuce Wrap recipe.  (Which btw, if you haven't checked it out yet I suggest you do so.  It's one of our favs!)  Stir fry is another one of our favs and this has become my go-to recipe for making the sauce.  I wanted to make a post specifically for this since I use it a lot and it'll make my life much easier when I go to find it!  (Its true, I use my blog as my personal online recipe keeper! I love it!)

I'll assume that most of you know what stir fry is and how to make it. For those who don't its basically a mixture of meat, veggies and a stir fry sauce (such as this one) stir fried together with oil (sesame oil works well!) over high heat and served over steamed rice.  I like to keep it simple and use beef with onion, carrots, celery, bean sprouts, and sometimes broccoli.  Keep in mind that the possibilities are endless!!  Try using chicken or shrimp or throwing some snap peas or bell peppers! OH YUM!!

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 C low sodium soy sauce

1.5 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. corn starch
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 TBSP sherry

DIRECTIONS:

In a small bowl, whisk together all the above ingredients.  Transfer to a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Turn heat down and allow to simmer for three minutes.  Remove from the heat and set aside.  Use in your favorite stir fry recipe.  ENJOY!

Chicken Teriyaki

 

 

Crock pot meals are not my favorite.  I love that they are so quick and easy to throw together, but I feel that flavor and texture are sometimes compromised when preparing a meal in a crock pot.  A friend recently suggested to me a recipe for Chicken Teriyaki made in a crock pot.  It sounded yummy and simple, but after a recent crock pot failure of mine, I just couldn't stand the thought of another!  So I slightly altered the ingredients and came up with my own version of the recipe using the good ol' trusty stove instead of my crock pot.  The boys loved it a lot and it took less than thirty minutes to throw together.  I served it with steamed jasmine rice and a side of steamed broccoli for a perfect weeknight dinner!

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

1 lb. thin sliced chicken breasts, cubed

1 TBSP toasted sesame oil

1 1/2 tsp. chicken bullion granules

1 C boiling water

3 cloves of garlic minced

1/3 C brown sugar, packed

1/2 C soy sauce (I use low sodium)

2 TBSP cornstarch

2 tsp. sesame seeds, toasted

3 green onions, chopped

 

DIRECTIONS:

 

In a wok, heat the sesame oil over medium high heat.  Add the cubed chicken breasts and brown on all sides, but not cooking through.  Meanwhile, dissolve the chicken bullion granules in the boiling water and then add to the wok along with the garlic.  Boil the chicken until it is cooked through (5-7 minutes).  In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the soy sauce and add it to the wok along with the brown sugar.  Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for three minutes or until the sauce has thickened.  Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and chopped green onions.  Serve with steamed white rice.  ENJOY!

 

 

Thai Lettuce Wraps

I have a few recipes lined up for the blog, but after I made these Thai Lettuce Wraps Wednesday night, I allowed the recipe to have priority and let it cut in line to be debuted on the blog first.  They were that good!! We had a very colorful dinner that night, it was also the night that I made the Roasted Purple Potatoes.

During my search for lettuce wrap recipes, I stumbled across one that seemed pretty straight forward, but it called for the use of Kikkoman Stir Fry Sauce, which I have never used.  When I found the bottle on the grocery store shelf my first thought was I don't need all that sauce, maybe only a quarter of the bottle.  It seemed like such a waste of money to buy the whole bottle when I just needed a smidgen of it.  So what did I do?  I read the ingredients on the back of the bottle. Hey, I already have all that in my cupboards! (Minus the junky crap), I thought. So I snapped a picture of the ingredients on the bottle and headed to the check out, sans the stir fry sauce.

(proof)

 

And using the provided picture, I created my very own stir fry sauce.  Which was pretty darn tasty if I must say!  Another proud kitchen moment for me! 

 

I have a feeling that I'll be making this recipe often when the weather warms up.  Its quick and easy and with all that lettuce and carrots, I felt like I was eating something super healthy.  (Actually, I felt more like a rabbit!)

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

Stir Fry Sauce:

 

1/3 C low sodium soy sauce

1.5 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. rice wine vinegar

1 tsp. corn starch

1 tsp. toasted sesame oil

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1 TBSP sherry

 

1 lb. ground pork

1/2 C chopped onion

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp. toasted sesame oil

1/4 C cilantro, coarsely chopped

1 carrot

green leaf or iceberg lettuce leaves

 

DIRECTIONS:

 

In a small bowl, whisk together all the stir fry sauce ingredients.  Transfer to a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Turn heat down and allow to simmer for three minutes.  Remove from the heat and set aside.   In a wok or large skillet, stir fry the ground pork with the onion and garlic until the pork is no longer pink.  Drain.  Place the meat back into the pan and stir in the stir fry sauce making sure to coat the meat thoroughly.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sesame oil and cilantro.  Peel the outer skin off of the carrot, after its peeled, use the peeler to peel long strips of the carrot to top the meat mixture with.  Serve in lettuce leaves.  ENJOY!

 

***An after thought...I should have added red pepper flakes! Next time, for sure!***

 

 

 

 



Pad Thai Remix

 

Do you ever come across a recipe that appears appealing, but when you start to read the recipe you then realize that you actually only like components of it?  That happened to me recently when I stumbled across a recipe for Pad Thai on Pinterest. The sauce sounded very appealing, but it didn't include enough veggies, the boys need a little more protein in their lives and the peanuts just had to go.  So in a nutshell, that is how the Pad Thai Remix was born.  Now I don't know much about Thai food, besides the fact that I really enjoy eating at a local Thai restaurant ( The food is awesome and the quantity vs. price ratio is spectacular!). So really, I'm not  sure if this dish would even be considered Pad Thai after my alterations.  Oh well... we'll just go with it! :)

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

One 8oz box of thin rice noodles (I ended up using only 3/4 of the noodles, because that is A LOT of noodles!)

1/4 C brown sugar

juice of one lime

1/4 C plus 2 TBSP of soy sauce

3 tsp. vegetable oil

6 green onions, sliced thin (separate the white and the green parts)

2 cloves of garlic

2 C green cabbage, thinly sliced

1 1/2 C matchstick carrots

4 thin sliced chicken breasts, cubed

2 large eggs beaten

1/2 C cilantro, chopped

 

DIRECTIONS:

 

Prepare rice noodles according to the package directions.  Be sure to rinse well with cold water, place in a strainer and set aside.  In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, lime juice, and soy sauce; set aside. In a wok or a large frying pan heat the veggie oil over med/high heat, cook the garlic and white parts of the green onion stirring constantly until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add the cabbage and carrots, cook until almost tender stirring frequently.  Add the egg and continue to cook until the veggies are tender and the egg has completely cooked.  Remove the mixture from the pan and set aside.  Add the chicken to the pan adding more oil if needed, salt and pepper to taste and cook thoroughly.  When the chicken is done, add the veggie mixture, sauce mix, noodles, and the green parts of the green onion.  Toss together making sure to heat the noodles completely.  Top with Cilantro.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

NOTE:  I strongly recommend adding Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce.  Its good stuff!

 

 

 

 

 

 



Korean Chicken Soup

This is a new recipe for me and I can tell already that it's one of my favorites. It's super easy and relatively quick...which I love. I used to think I hated ginger, but it's dishes like this one that have made me realize that I actually adore ginger! It's so yummy! You can find the recipe in the comments below. If you decide to try it, come back and let me know what you think!

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

8 cups chicken broth
2 TBSP finely chopped garlic
2 TBSP fresh grated ginger
1/2 C white rice, uncooked
1 TBSP soy sauce
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1-2 tsp hot chile paste or hot chile sauce
1 C cooked chicken, shredded
2 scallions, finely chopped
1 TBSP sesame seeds, toasted

DIRECTIONS:

Add broth, garlic and ginger in a Large sauce pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Add rice. Reduce to medium-low heat and simmer until the rice is tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in the soy sauce and sesame oil; add chile paste (or sauce) to taste. Add the chicken and heat through. Garnish with scallions and sesame seeds.

NOTE: If you plan to serve this soup to kids (mine loved it!) then I recommend to leave the hot chili sauce out and then add it to the individual bowls instead. It's also an easier way to control the spiciness if one person likes theirs with more or less of a kick!

 

 

Mongolian Beef

This recipe for Mongolian Beef was SO yummy that my husband ate the leftovers for breakfast the next morning!!!  It is definalty a keeper and getting filed into my recipe binder ASAP!!!  This recipe says it makes two servings, but I'd say it makes a little more than that.  My husband had two helpings last night, I had one, and he had some for breakfast (but it wasn't quite a full serving) so you do the math.  :)

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb flank steak, thinly sliced crosswise
1/4 C cornstarch
3 tsp canola oil
1/2 tsp grated ginger (about 1/2 inch piece)
1 TBSP chopped garlic (2-3 large cloves)
1/2 C water
1/2 C soy sauce
1/2 C brown sugar
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
3 large green onions, sliced crosswise into thirds

PREPARE THE MEAT:
First, make sure the steak slices are dry (pat them dry with a paper towel) and mix them with the corn starch.  Using your hands or a spoon, move them around to make sure all pieces are coated.  Place beef slices in a strainer and shake off excess corn starch.

MAKE THE SAUCE:
Heat half the oil in a large wok at medium-high and add the garlic and ginger.  Immediately add the soy sauce, water, brown sugar and pepper flakes.  Cook the sauce for about 2 minutes and transfer to a bowl.  Don't worry if the sauce doesn't look thick enough at this point.  The corn starch in the beef will thicken up later.

COOK THE MEAT AND ASSEMBLE DISH:
Turn the heat up and add the remaining oil to the wok.  Add the beef and cook, stirring until it is all browned (this is a quick thing).  Pour the sauce back into the wok and let it cook along with the meat.  Now you can choose to cook it down and reduce the sauce or leave it thinner.  Add the green onions on the last minute so the green parts will stay green and the white parts crunchy.
Serve it hot with rice.  (I used jasmine)

I'd like to give credit to the website that I got this from, but I can't remember where I got it :( Sorry!

Thai Basil Chicken

I have a feeling that I'll be cooking this one up again really soon!  It was a hit with my hubby and took such a short amount of time to make.  Our only complaint (which I'm not even sure if I'd call it that since we were able to adjust the recipe very easily) was that it wasn't spicy enough.  If you also prefer your thai dishes on the spicy side then you may want to consider revising the recipe as we did.

INGREDIENTS:
3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1x2 inch pieces
2 TBSP Asain fish sauce
1 1/2 TBSP soy sauce
1 TBSP water
1 1/2 tsp sugar
2 TBSP cooking oil (I used olive oil, but I'm sure any kind would be fine)
1 large onion, cut into thin slices (It seems like a lot, but they cook down significantly)
1/4 tsp dried red-pepper flakes (I increased this to somewhere between 1/2 to 3/4 tsp)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 C lightly backed basil leaves (plus a few more if you want to garnish)
***Opitional ingredient: Chili garlic sauce (that was my husbands idea and it worked VERY well! Good job hubby!)

DIRECTIONS:
1.) In a medium bowl, combine the chicken with the fish sauce, soy sauce, water and sugar.  In a large nonstick frying pan or a wok, heat the oil over Med-High heat.  Add the onion and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes.  Stir in the chilies and garlic; cook, stirring for another 30 seconds longer.
2.)  Remove the chicken from the marinade with a slotted spoon and add it to the hot pan.  Cook until almost done.  Add the remaining marinade and finish cooking the chicken.  Remove from heat and stir in the basil.  Serve topped with additional basil if desired.
*** I served this over steamed jasmine rice and topped with some chili garlic sauce (that should get the heat going in your mouth if the red pepper flakes just arent enough for you) :)