Aug28

Beef with Broccoli

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Beef with broccoli is not something that I would typically order at a Chinese restaurant. The sauce can be heavy, and I prefer my broccoli on the crisp side. However, I love homemade beef with broccoli!

I always use the recipe from The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook, which advises you to steam the broccoli separately then toss it with the sauce. It’s a great way to make sure that your broccoli remains bright green and perfectly cooked!

I used flank steak this time, but I have used presliced meat from the Japanese market (for stir fry), and it makes this an even quicker dish. I served mine over brown rice, but you can use white rice or chow mein.  (Brown rice also takes 50 minutes to cook, so it’s not ideal for a quick dinner.)

Beef with Broccoli
(Adapted from The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook)

1 lb flank steak, sliced across the grain into thin slices
1 1/2 lb broccoli, cut into florets
kosher salt
1 T vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced

For the marinade:
1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp vegetable oil
black pepper

For the stir-fry:
3 T oyster sauce
2 tsp sherry
2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Combine the marinade ingredients, then marinate the beef for 15 minutes.

To steam the broccoli, place it in a microwavable bowl with an inch of water and season with salt. Cover with a plate. Microwave it on high for 2-3 minutes, until the broccoli is tender but still a little bit crunchy. Drain the broccoli and rinse it with cold water.

Heat the oil in a large saute pan or wok over medium high heat. Add the garlic and beef in a single layer, and brown the beef on both sides. Add the stir-fry sauce, and cook until the sauce is a little bit thick. Finally, add the cooked broccoli to the pan and toss in the sauce.

Aug24

Arroz con Pollo

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Chicken and rice is a great comfort food (other favorite chicken-rice combinations include chicken rice, chicken adobo, and ground chicken and basil).  My version was a little bit greasy because I did not drain off the excess fat as I should have.  I’ve included that step below so that you won’t suffer the same fate!

We had ours doused in Marie Sharp’s hot sauce and apple cider vinegar.

Arroz con Pollo
(Adapted from Melissa d’Arabian)

6 chicken thighs
2 T vegetable oil
kosher salt
black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp garlic powder/salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 serrano or jalapeño pepper, minced
1 1/2 c rice
8 oz can tomato sauce
1 c chicken stock

Season the chicken with salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic powder/salt, and cumin. (I used garlic salt so I didn’t use much regular salt, but if you are using garlic powder you should adjust the amount of salt accordingly.)

Heat oil in a dutch oven or large skillet (that has a tightly fitting cover) over medium high heat. Place the chicken in the pot, skin side down.  Brown the chicken on all sides, in batches if necessary. Do not flip the chicken until it releases easily from the pan; this ensures that you will have a nice crust and that you will not tear the skin.

Remove the chicken from the pot when browned. Drain off some of the fat, leaving about a tablespoon of oil in the pot.

Add the bell peppers and onions to the pot and saute until softened. Add the garlic, serrano/jalapeño pepper, and rice, and saute for one minute, coating the rice in the oil and rendered chicken fat.

Add the tomato sauce and chicken stock and bring to a simmer. When the liquid is simmering, nestle the chicken into the liquid and cover.

Simmer for 25-35 minutes, or until the rice is cooked and most of the liquid has been absorbed.

Turn off the heat and allow to rest, covered, for 10 minutes.

Aug22

Quick Turkey and Mushroom Goulash

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I have been making a version of Rachael Ray’s goulash for years. It’s quick, tasty, and Paco and I both love it. I usually use ground turkey, but I’ve used ground chicken and ground beef, and all versions are delicious. I usually lower the meat to vegetable ratio, but the great thing about this recipe is that you can modify it any way that you’d like.

Turkey and Mushroom Goulash
(Adapted from Rachael Ray)

3/4 lb ground turkey
1 T olive oil
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb crimini mushrooms, sliced
2 tsp smoked paprika
kosher salt
black pepper
6 oz tomato sauce
6 oz water
1/3 c reduced fat sour cream
2 T chives, finely chopped
1/2 lb macaroni, cooked according to package directions

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground turkey, and cook until browned. Season with salt. Add the bell pepper, onions, mushrooms, and garlic, then continue to cook for five minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.

Add the tomato sauce and water, stir, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, taste, and adjust seasoning.

Turn off the heat, stir in sour cream, and garnish with chives. Add the prepared macaroni and toss to coat with sauce.

Aug20

How to plan a week of meals

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One of the main obstacles that I’ve heard about for why people don’t cook very often is that it’s hard to buy groceries without wasting a lot of food. If you are only cooking for one or two people, I can understand how this is challenging. What works for me is to plan a few meals before I go shopping, and to try to overlap some of the main ingredients. I’ve outlined a few examples below.

When you are shopping for the week, be realistic about how often you cook. If you know that you will probably go out to eat one or two nights of the week, don’t buy enough groceries to make five dinners. If possible, shop somewhere where you can buy custom-sized portions (i.e., somewhere with a butcher’s counter and that allows you to buy produce by weight).

Sample week 1:
Grilled Chicken with Caprese Topping
Clams with Bacon, Corn, and Cherry Tomatoes (serve with leftover bread)
Barbeque Chicken Salad (use some of the cherry tomatoes from the caprese topping and leftover grilled chicken)
BLTs (use the remaining cherry tomatoes from the caprese, lettuce from the salad, and bread from the clams/caprese)
Pizza (use some of the leftover fresh mozzarella and grilled chicken)

Sample week 2:
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Panzanella Salad
Meatball Subs (repurpose the leftover meatballs into meatball subs by melting fresh mozzarella from the salad on top and usung leftover bread from the salad)
Tacos (with unused ground beef or turkey from the meatballs)

Sample week 3:
Engagement Chicken with Roasted Potatoes
Chicken Salad (with leftover chicken)
Frittata (with leftover potatoes)

Sample week 4:
Polenta with Shrimp
Panzanella Salad (use remaining basil)
Pasta with Pesto and Shrimp (use remaining shrimp)
Slow-Roasted Tomato Soup (use remaining tomatoes and serve with leftover bread from the salad)

Aug20

Cold Peanut and Sesame Noodles

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I have been really into cold noodle salads lately, so I made this one to take to book club.  If you are making it as a side-dish, be warned that it makes a ton (at least 8 servings).

Cold Peanut and Sesame Noodles
Adapted from Mark Bittman

12 oz angel hair pasta
2/3 c peanut butter
2 1/2 T sesame oil
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 1/2 T sugar
1 T rice vinegar
3 1/2 T soy sauce
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1/2 English cucumber, sliced into thin strips
5 scallions, finely sliced
1/2 c frozen edamame, shelled

Prepare the angel hair pasta and frozen edamame according to package directions. Drain.

Combine the peanut butter, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes in a large  bowl to make the dressing. Add the noodles and vegetables and toss to coat.

Enjoy!