The actual name for this is Beef Stir-Fry with Fragrant Vegetables. Now I don't know what she means by fragrant vegetables. I guess because her list includes things I use most every day. The great thing about stir fry is you can use just about any vegetables you have on hand. So for instance... she called for 2 cups broccoli florets... I didn't have any frozen, but I had about 4 pieces I cut from my garden. Not quite 2 c. :) But I did have two yellow squash and just about a cup of white mushrooms! I just added them! And the other thing I noticed I did different.... She called for the squash to be sliced... I thought I read DICED! But I really liked the squash diced. I didn't feel like I had to cut it up and didn't overtake my meal because remember I used TWO! :)
The beef turned out great too. I don't normally make beef stir fry. I don't cook that much beef. But I found some thinly sliced sirloin at walmart and decided to try it. Well... hubby and I got the schedule messed up for the Monday I was going to serve this so the sirloin marinated 24 hours instead of 1. Not sure if that made much difference, but it didn't seem to hurt anything!
Here's the recipe:
The Marinade part:
3/4 pound boneless sirloin trimmed of fat and cut into 1/4 in strips
2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger (don't forget to peel it!)
2 garlic cloves, minced (I did add more garlic... Italians you know)
1/2 cup beef broth (I used one of those cubes)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
Marinate the beef strips for at least 1 hour in a mixture of the ginger, garlic, broth, soy sauce and vegetable oil. (As I am typing this I realized I didn't add in the vegtable oil! Oops!)
2 bups broccoli florets
1 yellow squashed, sliced (remember, I diced mine)
1 red bell pepper, julienned
4 green onions, sliced on the diagonal
1/3 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and the broccoli. Cook the broccoli for about 5 minutes, add the squash and stirfry for about a additional 2 - 3 minutes. Add the bell pepper and cook 1 - 2 more minutes. Remove the begetables and set aside.
Add another tablesppon of vegetable oil, the beef strips, including the marinade and cook over high heat for a minute or two, until just cooked through. Stir the vegetables back into the wok to reheat, adding the green onion and red pepper flakes. After about 1 minute, remove from the heat. Serve immediately.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Salmon Steaks with Fried Ginger & Lime
Another one in the like category! I thought the cucumbers really added a great texture to the salmon. I will make Salmon this way most all the time now! :) YAY!
Fried ginger:
1 piece (3 in long) fresh ginger
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Peel the ginger and thinly slice (I used my mandolin slicer)
Cut the slices into thin strips (I actually missed this part and still thought it turned out good, but she's going for the fried onion look. Remember those fried onions in a can you put on the green bean casserole?)
Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan. When hot, add the ginger and cook until dark golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon, set aside to drain on paper towels.
Salmon:
4 salmon steaks
2 TBSP Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Prepare the grill (I cooked inside with my george forman). Brush the salmon with a little olive oil, then season with salt & pepper. Cook on a hot grill until just cooked through. Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the fish, from 5 to 15 minutes.
Garnish:
1 lime, sliced paper thin with peel
2 Kirby cucumbers halved lengthwise & sliced thin (I used regular cucumbers, couldn't find "Kirby"
A handful of daikon spouts - options (I couldn't find them)
3 TBSP soy sauce
Juice from 1 lime
Cut each lime slice into 8 pieces as if you were cutting a pie. Toss the lime with the cucumbers & spouts in a mixture of the soy sauce & lime juice. Place the salmon on plate and heap the vegetable garnish on the fish. Top with a sprinkle of fried ginger.
Okay, so as I'm typing this I realized I missed something when I was cooking this. I didn't see the part about slicing the one lime thin. So when I cut it in 1/8th my were 8 wedges!! Oh My! We just squeezed the juice from the wedges on the salmon.
We did enjoy eating the fried ginger. Hubby did more than I. I typically don't like ginger and rarely use it except at Christmas for gingerbread cookies. But I did enjoy the smell on my hands and in the house. And the house didn't smell like fish!
Very interesting recipe. I'll have to do it over and slice the limes! :)
Fried ginger:
1 piece (3 in long) fresh ginger
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Peel the ginger and thinly slice (I used my mandolin slicer)
Cut the slices into thin strips (I actually missed this part and still thought it turned out good, but she's going for the fried onion look. Remember those fried onions in a can you put on the green bean casserole?)
Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan. When hot, add the ginger and cook until dark golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon, set aside to drain on paper towels.
Salmon:
4 salmon steaks
2 TBSP Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Prepare the grill (I cooked inside with my george forman). Brush the salmon with a little olive oil, then season with salt & pepper. Cook on a hot grill until just cooked through. Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the fish, from 5 to 15 minutes.
Garnish:
1 lime, sliced paper thin with peel
2 Kirby cucumbers halved lengthwise & sliced thin (I used regular cucumbers, couldn't find "Kirby"
A handful of daikon spouts - options (I couldn't find them)
3 TBSP soy sauce
Juice from 1 lime
Cut each lime slice into 8 pieces as if you were cutting a pie. Toss the lime with the cucumbers & spouts in a mixture of the soy sauce & lime juice. Place the salmon on plate and heap the vegetable garnish on the fish. Top with a sprinkle of fried ginger.
Okay, so as I'm typing this I realized I missed something when I was cooking this. I didn't see the part about slicing the one lime thin. So when I cut it in 1/8th my were 8 wedges!! Oh My! We just squeezed the juice from the wedges on the salmon.
We did enjoy eating the fried ginger. Hubby did more than I. I typically don't like ginger and rarely use it except at Christmas for gingerbread cookies. But I did enjoy the smell on my hands and in the house. And the house didn't smell like fish!
Very interesting recipe. I'll have to do it over and slice the limes! :)
Monday, February 22, 2010
Zucchini Frittata
I like frittatas, but I didn't care for this one. And I'm not sure why. I guess because I like a lot of veggies with my eggs. I missed having bell pepper. A recipe I did before was better. I'll have to dig that up and see if I can sommersize it.
Oh, I did add some extra pepper and it made it better. Hubby liked it just fine. May be me tonight.... Any way, here it is
4 large eggs
salt & pepper
2 TBSP Olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup julienned zucchini (my favorite part of this, I'm going to julienne them next time too.
Sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese (I used 1/8 cup)
1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
10 fresh basil leaves, chopped (I used 1 tsp dried)
Preheat the oven to 350 F
Whisk the eggs in a bowl with a splash of water. Add a dash of salt and pepper. Place a medium saute pan (with an oven proof handle) over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil. Saute the onion until crispy brown, about 10 minutes. Set aside half the onion for a garnish. Add the zucchini to the remaining onion in the hot pan and saute for a few minutes.
Add the beaten eggs to the saute pan. Immediately sprinkle with the grated cheese and remove from the heat.
Place the pan in the preheated oven. (If you do not have a saute pan with an ovenproof handle, transfer the egg mixture at this point to a small casserole dish or pie pan.) Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, until puffy and golden.
While the frittata is baking, in a separate bowl, mix the tomato, basil, salt & pepper. top the cooked frittata with the tomato mixture and garnish with crispy onions.
I actually put it back in the oven for about 4 minutes to let the tomatoes get warm. That was a nice touch.
Oh, I did add some extra pepper and it made it better. Hubby liked it just fine. May be me tonight.... Any way, here it is
4 large eggs
salt & pepper
2 TBSP Olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup julienned zucchini (my favorite part of this, I'm going to julienne them next time too.
Sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese (I used 1/8 cup)
1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
10 fresh basil leaves, chopped (I used 1 tsp dried)
Preheat the oven to 350 F
Whisk the eggs in a bowl with a splash of water. Add a dash of salt and pepper. Place a medium saute pan (with an oven proof handle) over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil. Saute the onion until crispy brown, about 10 minutes. Set aside half the onion for a garnish. Add the zucchini to the remaining onion in the hot pan and saute for a few minutes.
Add the beaten eggs to the saute pan. Immediately sprinkle with the grated cheese and remove from the heat.
Place the pan in the preheated oven. (If you do not have a saute pan with an ovenproof handle, transfer the egg mixture at this point to a small casserole dish or pie pan.) Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, until puffy and golden.
While the frittata is baking, in a separate bowl, mix the tomato, basil, salt & pepper. top the cooked frittata with the tomato mixture and garnish with crispy onions.
I actually put it back in the oven for about 4 minutes to let the tomatoes get warm. That was a nice touch.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Curried Lamb with Cucumber-Mint Sauce
SURPRISE! I cooked LAMB! This dish was great. Very refreshing. I can still taste the mint a bit and love the light smell still on my hands!
It is more a lunch thing, but we had it for dinner after a very tiring day, when we both had lunch. Says it serves 8, but hubby and I finished it up. But that's all we had. I love this dish! Oh, and of course, I did substitute. It called to put it in radicchio leaves, but I got red leaf instead. The store didn't have radicchio. But hubby commented he liked the red leaf so much better than he would have the radicchio. So this time it was a GOOD substitution.
Also she says it can be served hot or cold as appetizers.
Here's the recipe:
Curried Lamb
2 TBSP Olive Oil
1 Medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 pound ground lamb (from leg) I don't know what I got! :)
1 TBSP curry powder
1/2 tespoon ground cinnamon
Salt & freshly ground pepper
Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and onion and cook until the onion is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the lamb, and season it with the curry, cinnamon, salt & pepper. Saute over medium-high heat until the lamb is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Set aside.
Cucumber Mint Sour Cream
1/2 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced (I used the end of my potato peeler to scrap out the seeds, very easy!)
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1/3 cup sour cream
Juice from 2 limes
Place all the ingredients into a bowl and mix them until well combined.
Assemble:
Fill each radicchio leaf with a large spoonful of curried lamb. Top with sour cream sauce and garnish with a mint leaf. Fold up like a taco and enjoy!
It is more a lunch thing, but we had it for dinner after a very tiring day, when we both had lunch. Says it serves 8, but hubby and I finished it up. But that's all we had. I love this dish! Oh, and of course, I did substitute. It called to put it in radicchio leaves, but I got red leaf instead. The store didn't have radicchio. But hubby commented he liked the red leaf so much better than he would have the radicchio. So this time it was a GOOD substitution.
Also she says it can be served hot or cold as appetizers.
Here's the recipe:
Curried Lamb
2 TBSP Olive Oil
1 Medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 pound ground lamb (from leg) I don't know what I got! :)
1 TBSP curry powder
1/2 tespoon ground cinnamon
Salt & freshly ground pepper
Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and onion and cook until the onion is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the lamb, and season it with the curry, cinnamon, salt & pepper. Saute over medium-high heat until the lamb is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Set aside.
Cucumber Mint Sour Cream
1/2 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced (I used the end of my potato peeler to scrap out the seeds, very easy!)
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1/3 cup sour cream
Juice from 2 limes
Place all the ingredients into a bowl and mix them until well combined.
Assemble:
Fill each radicchio leaf with a large spoonful of curried lamb. Top with sour cream sauce and garnish with a mint leaf. Fold up like a taco and enjoy!
Monday, February 8, 2010
Ratatouille
Ratatouille (pronounced (rat-a-too-ee); is a traditional French Provençal stewed vegetable dish, originating in Nice. The full name of the dish is ratatouille niçoise
And this was a big hit with my hubby. It's been cold & damp out here in the desert. And so to have this when he came home from work was a wonderful event!
My only complaint about this dish? I used to many bowls for each of the veggies.
Here's the recipe - serves 8
1/3 cup olive oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves
1 can (28 oz) peeled tomatoes with juice
4 bell peppers, julienned
1 large eggplant, peeled and diced
3 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch slices
Salt and black pepper
Heat a large, deep skillet (I used my wok) over medium heat. Add olive oil and onion. Saute until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Remove onion and garlic from the pan and set aside.
Quarter the tomatoes, reserving any juice. (I put this in a low sided casserole dish and pulled each tomato out with a spoon then cut it in the casserole dish to preserve all the juice. Moving them over to the side once cut). Set aside.
Layer the bottom of the skillet with the peppers, salt & pepper and 1/4 of the onion-garlic mixture.
Then layer with the the eggplant, more salt & pepper and another 1/4 of the garlic mixture.
Next layer is the zucchini with 1/4 of the garlic mixture
Last layer is the tomatoes with 1/4 of the garlic mixture. Pour in the reserved juice and top with remaining 2 tablespoons of oil.
Cover and simmer over very low heat for 35 - 40 minutes.
Recipe calls to then cook uncovered an additional 10 minutes to reduce the liquid, but I left it in because Hubby loves the juice.
Remember there is olive oil in this so if you want to eat with whole-grain pasta or brown rice, cook it with the tomato juice instead of the olive oil.
My stove has a Low, which just keeps things warm. It doesn't even actually simmer. I think the stove is old and it's not suppose to be that way. But I put this on about 2:30 and let it sit on low all afternoon. Served it at 6:30 and the flavors were blended perfectly and the vegetables weren't all mushy, had a tiny bit of crunch to them. We don't like our veggies too crunchy. But these were perfect.
And this was a big hit with my hubby. It's been cold & damp out here in the desert. And so to have this when he came home from work was a wonderful event!
My only complaint about this dish? I used to many bowls for each of the veggies.
Here's the recipe - serves 8
1/3 cup olive oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves
1 can (28 oz) peeled tomatoes with juice
4 bell peppers, julienned
1 large eggplant, peeled and diced
3 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch slices
Salt and black pepper
Heat a large, deep skillet (I used my wok) over medium heat. Add olive oil and onion. Saute until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Remove onion and garlic from the pan and set aside.
Quarter the tomatoes, reserving any juice. (I put this in a low sided casserole dish and pulled each tomato out with a spoon then cut it in the casserole dish to preserve all the juice. Moving them over to the side once cut). Set aside.
Layer the bottom of the skillet with the peppers, salt & pepper and 1/4 of the onion-garlic mixture.
Then layer with the the eggplant, more salt & pepper and another 1/4 of the garlic mixture.
Next layer is the zucchini with 1/4 of the garlic mixture
Last layer is the tomatoes with 1/4 of the garlic mixture. Pour in the reserved juice and top with remaining 2 tablespoons of oil.
Cover and simmer over very low heat for 35 - 40 minutes.
Recipe calls to then cook uncovered an additional 10 minutes to reduce the liquid, but I left it in because Hubby loves the juice.
Remember there is olive oil in this so if you want to eat with whole-grain pasta or brown rice, cook it with the tomato juice instead of the olive oil.
My stove has a Low, which just keeps things warm. It doesn't even actually simmer. I think the stove is old and it's not suppose to be that way. But I put this on about 2:30 and let it sit on low all afternoon. Served it at 6:30 and the flavors were blended perfectly and the vegetables weren't all mushy, had a tiny bit of crunch to them. We don't like our veggies too crunchy. But these were perfect.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Side Note
Hubby and I are feeling the difference in our body when we eat off balance. It is easy to eat great meals. It's just hard to remember when you're out to NOT have the protein with the carbs. And here in CA we have fruit with everything. But at least we are thinking about things more than we were before. It gives us something to relate with when we are ordering.
I've lost 2 pounds, but more than that, my clothes are bagging. My pooch is not so bloated. Hubby is feeling the same.
Now if you have read any of Suzanne Somers' books, you know the program is a level one being to follow all the rules. Level 2 is when you've achieved your weight loss and you can mix some things if it doesn't put you off balance. Hubby and I haven't stuck to a strict level one. We've been eating up the food we have here at the house. We are just making better choices over all.
Bottom line? We are enjoying the food, feeling less bloated, and losing a few pounds. To us, that's great!
I've lost 2 pounds, but more than that, my clothes are bagging. My pooch is not so bloated. Hubby is feeling the same.
Now if you have read any of Suzanne Somers' books, you know the program is a level one being to follow all the rules. Level 2 is when you've achieved your weight loss and you can mix some things if it doesn't put you off balance. Hubby and I haven't stuck to a strict level one. We've been eating up the food we have here at the house. We are just making better choices over all.
Bottom line? We are enjoying the food, feeling less bloated, and losing a few pounds. To us, that's great!
Taco Salad
We REALLY enjoyed this dish! Hubby can't believe he's on a "diet"!
2 Tbsp Vegetable oil
1 Med Onion, chopped
5 Garlic cloves, Pressed
1 Lb ground beef (I used turkey)
1 tsp paprika (I didn't have any so this got skipped on mine)
1 Tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne
Salt & black pepper
1 Cup water
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
2 med tomatoes chopped
6 oz Cheddar cheese, graded (I used a cheddar/jack combo.. yum!)
6 tbsp sour cream
6 green onions, chopped
1 jar (8 oz) mexican salsa
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Turn up the heat to high and add the ground beef. Brown the meat, stirring constantly, until crumbly, about 4 minutes. Drain excess fat. Lower heat and add the paprika, cumin, oregano, chili powder, cayenne and plenty of salt & pepper. Add the water and tomato paste, blending well with a wooden spoon. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
To assemble the salad, place the romaine on 4 plates. Spoon the meat mixture over the lettuce. Top with tomatoes, cheese, sour cream, green onion & salsa.
Enjoy! It's a little bit spicy, so if you don't like heat (and I'm a baby) use MILD salsa.
2 Tbsp Vegetable oil
1 Med Onion, chopped
5 Garlic cloves, Pressed
1 Lb ground beef (I used turkey)
1 tsp paprika (I didn't have any so this got skipped on mine)
1 Tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne
Salt & black pepper
1 Cup water
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
2 med tomatoes chopped
6 oz Cheddar cheese, graded (I used a cheddar/jack combo.. yum!)
6 tbsp sour cream
6 green onions, chopped
1 jar (8 oz) mexican salsa
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Turn up the heat to high and add the ground beef. Brown the meat, stirring constantly, until crumbly, about 4 minutes. Drain excess fat. Lower heat and add the paprika, cumin, oregano, chili powder, cayenne and plenty of salt & pepper. Add the water and tomato paste, blending well with a wooden spoon. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
To assemble the salad, place the romaine on 4 plates. Spoon the meat mixture over the lettuce. Top with tomatoes, cheese, sour cream, green onion & salsa.
Enjoy! It's a little bit spicy, so if you don't like heat (and I'm a baby) use MILD salsa.
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