Stir Fried Beef with Ginger and Scallions

This is one of my mother's signature dish and it is delicious in any language!
Ingredients:
½ lb beef tenderlion
10 slices fresh ginger root, sliced thinly (use more if you like)
5-6 stalks scallions, cut into ½-inch lengths
some dried vermicelli noodle, for garnishing
1 cup cooking oil, for deep frying
Marinade:
2 tsp. soy paste
1 tsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. Chinese wine (or sherry)
½ tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. water
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. oil
Sauce:
1 Tbsp. oyster sauce (good quality)
1 tsp. sesame oil
5 Tbsp. water
2 tsp. constarch
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
1.Cut meat across grain (diagonally) into thin, bite-size pieces. Mix marinade ingredients in a bowl, add in beef and mix well. Cover and set aside in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
2. In a saucepan, heat oil on high. When oil is hot add in the dried noodles in small batches to the oil. The noodles will sizzle and turn white and expand in size, remove immediately with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel and set aside.
2.Mix the sauce ingredients in a bowl, set aside. In a heavy skillet or wok, heat about 2 Tbsp. of oil on high heat. When oil is smoking, add in the meat, a few drops of Chinese wine. Stir fry until the color changes, remove into a plate and keep warm.
3.In the same wok, add another tablespoon of oil and fry ginger roots for about 2 minutes, then add the scallions. Toss and fry until the they impart their aroma. Add sauce and once it begins to thicken slightly, add beef. Toss and mix all the ingredients together (a little warm stock or water can be added if you prefer a little more sauce). Dish out and serve on top of fried noodles and serve immediately.
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Chicken & Beef Fajitas with Zesty Salsa

It's been awhile since my last post as I was away on vacation. It is great to get away and it is wonderful to be home and be in my own kitchen. I have some out-of-towners this week, and this would be great for a simple and light meal. I served my fajitas with different kinds of meat (beef, fish, chicken), as this will allow my guests to have fun selecting the meat of their choice and making their own fajitas.
Ingredients: (serves 4)
4 thin slices of sirloin tip
2 slices of tilapa (optional)
2 chicken breasts or thighs meat (bone remove)
6 ripe tomatoes, skin removed and chopped finely
1 small semi-ripe mango, skin removed and chopped finely
2 ripe avocados, seeds removed and mashed
1 package guacamole mix
Juice of 4 limes or lemons
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 onion, chopped finely
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 Tbsp. Teriyaki sauce
2 Tbsps. beef marinade (of your choice)
salt and pepper to taste
some sugar to taste
1 package flour tortilla
lettuce, washed and drained
sour cream (optional)
Method:
1. Season beef with your favorite marinade and some garlic. Rub fish with salt and pepper, then season with fish sauce and a teaspoon of lemon/lime juice. Lastly season chicken slices with Teriyaki sauce and a teaspoon of sugar.
2. Grill or brown meat till cooked. Sliced meat in thin strips and keep warm.
3. Put avocados in a bowl and mashed with a fork, add in 2 tablespoon of lemon/lime juice followed by the guacamole mix. Stir to mix and season to taste. Keep refrigerated.
4. In a bowl, add onions, chopped tomatoes, mangoes, cilantro, rest of the garlic and lemon/lime juice. Mix well and season to taste with some sugar, salt or pepper.

5. Gently heat both sides of the flour tortilla and serve with prepared meats, sour cream, lettuce, guacamole and salsa.
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Beef Porridge/Congee

Congee or porridge makes a wonderful meal for breakfast or a mid-day meal. It is easily digested and nutritious.The trick to a smooth congee is to presoak the rice overnight with some oil and salt.
Ingredients:
1 cup rice, presoaked overnight with a few drops of oil and salt
½ lb beef steak, minced
1 piece ginger
8 cups beef or chicken stock
1 bunch cilantro, chopped coarsely
1 bunch scallion, chopped coarsely
salt and pepper to taste
Method:
1. Rinsed rice in running water and pour into a large pot. Add stock and ginger and bring to boil on high heat. Simmer on low and stir to prevent rice from sticking to the bottom. Continue to cook until liquid has reduce and rice is cooked through. Add more stock if you like a watery consistency.
2. Bring to boil on high and stir in beef to cook and add the herbs before serving. Season to taste and serve warm.
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Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls

These fresh spring rolls are full of flavor and delicious as a snack or appetizer. The rice paper are made of tapioca and rice starch and it is softened with warm water and wrapped with fresh herbs, meat and serve with a sweet and sour dipping sauce. You can use other varieties of cooked meat, such as prawn, beef or pork. They can be made several hours in advance, and kept moist. I prefer to set out the ingredients on a platter and have my guests have fun picking up their choice of ingredients and rolling it on individual plates.

Ingredients:
1 pack Vietnamese rice paper (6", small)
4 oz dried vermicelli noodles (cooked, drained and cut into 2-inch lengths)
1 packet bean sprouts, washed and drained
½ lb tri-tip beef, cut thinly
¼ cup korean bulgogi sauce
lettuce, washed and drained
fresh mint leaves
fresh cilantro leaves
Dipping sauce:
2 gloves garlic, minced
4 Tbsp. sugar, honey, or Agave nectar
juice of 1 lime
2½ Tbsp. fish sauce
4 Tbsp. fried peanuts, chopped finely
¼ cup vinegar
Method:
1. Season meat with bulgogi sauce and set aside. Grill to cook on both sides and cut into 1-inch strips.
2. In a bowl mix the dipping sauce ingredients, season and adjust to your taste. It should be sweet and sour taste.
3. Heat a shallow pan with water and keep it warm. Assemble all the ingredients within reach on the table and fill a wide bowl with warm water.
4. Dip 1 piece of rice paper (with the rough side facing up) into the water for about 30 seconds, turning it around until it softened. Put on the plate and arrange lettuce, bean sprouts, vermicelli, mint and cilantro at the edge of the rice paper. Add a few pieces of beef about 2-inch below the top and roll from the bottom, tucking in the corners into a roll. Serve with dipping sauce. (Click below to watch video)
 
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Shepherd's Pie

Shephard's Pie is one of John's favorite dish to prepare whenever he feel like cooking. It is an English dish with meat, vegetables, and topped with mashed potatoes. I called this a casserole of leftover meat, dressed the next day with vegetables and mashed potatoes. You can used leftovers from your next Thanksgiving dinner, i.e., turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes. For added flavor, I've added some of my favorite spices, cumin, and turmeric.

Ingredients: (serves 4-6)
1¼ lbs ground lean beef
4 large potatoes, peeled and quartered
4 Tbsp. butter, softened (for potatoes)
1 onion, chopped finely
½ cup carrots, chopped
½ cup peas (optional)
½ cup corn
½ cup celery, chopped
1 cup milk (or beef stock)
1 cup shredded mozarella cheese (optional)
½ cup tomato sauce
1 cup tomatoes, sliced
1 Tbsp. worchesthershire sauce or A-1 sauce
1 tsp. cumin powder
1 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. rosemary
olive oil for cooking
salt and pepper
9" x 13" baking dish
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Cook potatoes in salted water until soft (about 20-30 minutes).
2. Sauté onions in some oil until softened. Add carrots and celery and fry for about 10 minutes.
3. Add beef and cook until meat is slightly browned, but not burnt. Add spices, tomato paste, tomatoes, worchesthershire sauce and simmer on low heat for about 8-10 minutes. Lastly stir in the peas  and/or corn and cook for another 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, add more milk if you like it to be more moist. Set aside.

4. Drained potatoes and mashed finely with butter, season to taste with pepper and some salt.
5. Spread beef mixture in baking dish, then layer the mashed potatoes on top followed by shredded cheese, if used.

6. Bake in oven until cheese is bubbling and/or potatoes are golden brown (about 30 minutes).
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Beef Stew with Red Wine

                                     

      

           

I have the house all to myself today, so I've decided to stay home, cook and perhaps catch up with my knitting. Today's recipe is inspired by Julia Child's famous beef bourguignon. I served this with kale and boiled potatoes as a side dish.

Ingredients:

1¾ lbs. lean stew beef, cut into small cubes
4 cups cabernet sauvignon
beef stock (optional)
½ cup carrots, cut in small chunks
½ cup celery, sliced (optional)
2 cans whole tomatoes
1 small onion
1 cup mushrooms
10-20 small whole white onions, peeled
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs thyme
3 Tbsp. flour
Butter for cooking
salt to taste
Method:
1. Wash beef and dry well with a clean towel. Heat 1 Tbsp. of butter in heavy skillet on high and browned the meat on both sides. Transfer browned meat to a deep pot or casserole.
2. In same skillet, add some butter and fry onions till soft, fry carrots and celery (if used) till it absorb most of the oil. Add a little wine to it to deglaze the pan. Pour this to the pot with the meat. Add bay leaf, thyme, garlic, mushroom, tomatoes and stir in to mix. Add wine and enough liquid or stock to cover the meat and vegetables completely. Bring this to a boil, cover and simmer till meat is tender, about 2 hours.
3. In another skillet, add 1 Tbsp. of butter and heat on high, stir in flour and using a spatula mix the flour with the butter will it resembles a thick brown paste. Add some warm water and continue stirring till it is smooth without lumps. Set aside.
4. Clean the skillet, add 1 Tbsp. butter and heat on high, add white onions and brown on both sides, add a little stock and simmer for about 15 minutes. Set aside.
5. Remove the bay leaf and thyme from stew, reheat on medium heat. Stir in the flour paste (roux) and the caramelized white onions. Season to taste if needed. Serve with boiled potatoes or rice.
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Pot Roast

Pot Roast is one of my favorite dish to make--especially if I want something simple with little preparation. I called this my one-pot-meal!

Ingredients:

3 lbs Chuck Roast or Rump Roast

2 bay leaves

1 onion, sliced

salt and pepper to taste

3 Tbsp. flour

2 Tbsp. Worstershire sauce

2½ cups Homemade Beef Broth or 2 cans beef broth

3 of each carrots, turnips, parsnips, rutabagas (skinned and cut into bite sized chunks)

4 red potatoes, quartered

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

Method:

1. Wash beef and pat dry with paper towel. Season with salt and pepper and coat lightly with flour.

2. Heat some oil in heavy pot add onions, bay leaves and brown beef on both sides. Add stock to cover meat and let it come to a fast boil. Turn heat low to simmer for an hour or two, making sure the meat do not stick to the pot and the meat is tender. Baste meat with the juice to prevent from drying.

3. Add root vegetables at the last cooking hour and simmer to cook. Mix cornstarch with a little water and pour over mixture to thicken gravy. Remove meat and vegetables on a platter and serve with horse radish if preferred.

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Organic Beef Broth

Our son, Kwan got me into purchasing a quarter portion of grass-fed beef from a farm in Marin. We had to borrowed a friend's large cooler to bring all those beef home. I have never seen so much meat in my life! We have enough bones to make this wholesome broth that is nutritious and easy to prepare. If your only experience with soup involves opening a can, it's time to take this soup a little more seriously.

Ingredients:

3 lbs beef bones

2 carrots, cut in chunks (unpeeled)
4 celery ribs, cut in chunks
1 large or 2 medium onions, quartered (unpeeled)
1 small yam, quartered (unpeeled)
4 bay leaves
3 cloves garlic
10 peppercorns
2 tsp. parsley
2 tsp. bouquet garni (thyme, rosemary, marjoram, oregano)
3-4 quarts water
2 tsp. olive oil
Method:
1. Heat oil in a large, heavy saucepan and brown bones to provide favor.  Add water, salt and bring to a boil. Skim off excess froth off the top and discard.
2. Add vegetables and rest of ingredients. Reduce heat to low and cover to boil slowly for about 4-5 hours.
3. Strain liquid with a fine sieve and use as soup base. Freeze the rest for later.
Note: To remove most of the fat, I would freeze it and gently remove the layer of fat on top. Broth can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or 4 months in the freezer.
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Beef Rendang/Dry Beef Curry

A traditional dish of beef simmered in a rich spicy coconut milk. This is a special dish to prepare during the festive and/or weddings in Malaysia. It is generally served with ketupat (compressed rice cubes), roti jala or plain rice. The authentic rendang recipe calls for kerisik, which is pan-fried or toasted fresh grated coconut. It is then grind to form a fine powdery paste. My family loves this dish and I used to make batches of it and freeze them. Whenever my kids come to visit, they have something yummy to bring home. Years ago, I used to prepare the curry spices from scratch using the mortar and pestle and it is very time consuming and tiring for my shoulders. Nowadays, I substitute it with ready-made pastes and spice ingredients that I can get in the local markets. I've tested a few of these ready-made paste and by far, the best one is Brahim rendang paste, and the Mae Ploy red curry paste.

Ingredients:
4-5 lbs topside or round chuck beef, cut in large pieces (larger than bite-sized)
1 can coconut cream (dilute with some of the coconut milk)
½ can coconut milk
Fry Ingredients (C):
1 stalk crushed lemon grass
4 kaffir lime leaves
3 star anise
2 cloves
1 small piece cinnamon stick
3 pieces dried tamarind
1 tumeric leaf, finely sliced (optional if not available)

4 Tbsp. oil

Kerisik: (optional)
¼ cup grated coconut for kerisik
Spices (A): (Blend to fine paste)
1 package Brahim rendang paste (if not available, substitute with 2-3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste, or curry powder)
5 shallots, sliced

1-2 large onions, sliced
10 dried chilies, soaked and seeds removed

2 cloves garlic

½-inch ginger
4 stalks lemon grass, thinly sliced
4 kaffer lime leaves, sliced
4-5 slices of galangal

5 candlenuts (can substitute for a handful of walnuts)

Marinade (B):
2 Tbps curry powder

1 Tbp dark soya sauce

1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt

Method:
1. Season meat well with marinade ingredients (B) and set aside.
2. To make the kerisik, if using: fry the grated coconut in a non-stick frying pan (without oil) on low heat. Keep stirring until it is evenly browned and golden in color. It takes about 8-10 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle grind until it resembles a fine paste. I use a mortar and pestle to do this task. Tip: Adding kerisik to the rendang helps thickens the gravy and give it a nice aroma.

4. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-low heat, fry lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, blended spices (A), until fragrant and oil from the chilli starts to bubble on the surface. Continue stirring to prevent mixture from sticking.
5. Add in half of the coconut milk and stir the mixture for another 5 minutes, then add in the meat, dried tamarind, star anise, cloves, and cinnamon stick. Stir and mix until the mixture coats the meat evenly.
6. Add half of the coconut milk/cream, making sure the liquid is just enough to cover the meat. Cover and simmer on low until the meat is tender, stirring occasionally. Continue to simmer for 2 hours until the meat is tender and gravy has thickened
Tip: You don't add too much liquid as the meat will shrink during cooking, adjust when the mixture is getting too dry.
7. Add in the kerisik at the last hour of cooking time and stir in to mix with the gravy. The gravy should be thick and fragrant after the final stewing. Skim off some of the oil if you prefer.
8. Season to taste and serve hot with rice, roti or nasi kunyit.
Cook's tip:
You can make the kerisik ahead of time and keep in the refrigerator. I suggest you make extra and have enough for your next rendang. You can store it in an airtight container for up to about a month.
I find it economical to use coconut cream and add water to dilute and use accordingly. If using coconut milk do not dilute.
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