So we all know peanuts and chicken have been pals for ages. They go waaay back in Asian-inspired cuisine. Beef and peanuts don't have quite the history. I mean, sure, they've met a time or two, but they aren't close...until now. Instead of mad cow, think of this as a delightfully nutty cow. :-) This dish brings a heat wave with 3 distinct types of heat. You have a warm heat from the ground ginger, classic heat from the black pepper and a sharp heat from the chili flakes. If you're looking for something different, this dish is it!
Peanutty Beef Stir-Fry
1 to 1 1/2 lbs flank steak cut into ultra thin ribbons
1/2 red onion, sliced into very thin half moons
2 red bell peppers, halved then sliced
4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1/3 cup roasted peanuts
2 T sesame seeds
5 T peanut oil, divided
2 1/2 t ground ginger
1/2 t red pepper flakes
1/2 t course ground black pepper
3 T dark brown sugar
1/4 cup organic, low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup orange juice
1.) Heat pan on med-high heat. Add 2 T oil and move the pan around until the bottom is mostly covered. Add the beef and keep it moving until it is well browned. Remove the beef from the pan into a bowl (but keep it close).
2.)Add 1 T of oil to the pan if needed, then add the peppers, onions and garlic. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt. Keep everything moving until the vegetables are crisp-tender (I always try a piece of the peppers to check for this). Add the veggies to the bowl with the beef.
3.)Add the remaining oil to the pan, then quickly add the peanuts and sesame seeds. Keep them moving, then after 30 seconds, add the spices (ginger, red pepper flakes, and black pepper), continue stirring.
4.)When you can smell the spices (after about 45 seconds), add the sugar. As it starts to melt, deglaze the pan with the soy sauce and the orange juice. Scrape the bottom of the pan to get all the lovely bits from the bottom. You will notice the sauce begins to thicken quickly, so keep an eye on it.
You will know it's thick enough when it is nearly molasses thick (coats the back of a spoon well). Pour the sauce over the beef and veggies, mixing well. Transfer the food back into the hot pan, and cook a 2-3 minutes to seal in the flavor and help marry the stir fried foods to their new saucy, companion. You can eat it as is if you're watching your carbs, or serve this with lo mein noodles.
Showing posts with label bell pepper. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bell pepper. Show all posts
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Adouille Sausage + Shrimp over Cheesy grits
Have I mentioned how much I love finding reduced price meat? It is such a great way to stock up on your frozen meats, especially for the single people out there. Think about it, the meat is usually half off (if not more), so you can get at least twice. With the way my grocery store does it, I can usually get a pound or two of meat for around $2-3. Score! At any rate, I was able to get some great Adouille sausage dirt-cheap the other day, hence this recipe. You can make this dish as spicy as you'd like, and if you're not adventerous enough to try the grits, you can use rice instead (I may judge you a little, though). This is a nod to growing up near Cajun country! Laissez les bon temps rouler!
Andouille Sausage & Shrimp
Serves 3
1 1/2 T butter
1 1/2 T all purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped celery
Cayenne pepper
Salt
1/2 pound fresh, Andouille Sausage (casings removed) sliced into 1/4 inch thick pieces
1/2 pound medium shrimp (I got the 1/2 pound with the exoskeleton still on)
1 to 3/4 cup chicken stock or clam juice
3 T heavy cream + 2 t all purpose flour
Directions
1. In a large skillet, cook the butter and flour until it turns golden brown, about 3 minutes. This is your roux. Be careful not to let it get too brown- the heat should be on the lower side of medium, you are looking for something about the color of peanut butter.
2. Once your roux is at the proper color, immediately add the vegetables, and stir to coat them in the roux. Sprinkle with a couple of pinches of salt and about a 1/2 t Cayenne pepper (use more or less to your liking, but remember...this a a Cajun dish, spicy is king!). Allow the vegetables to sweat (release their juices, the salt helps make this happen). This should take about 5-7 minutes if your heat isn't too high. Don't worry that the roux is getting darker, this is perfectly okay. FYI: When you add the cayenne, as it heats, it will sting your eyes and throat a bit! You've been warned!
3. Add the sausage, and let it really brown on all sides. Some of the fat will render off and help keep everything in the pan lubricated. Give it a good stir occasionally just to keep anything from sticking.
4. After about 7 minutes, the sausage will be partically done, and you can add the shrimp. Sautee your ingredients (you shouldn't need to add any additional butter or oil if you've been patient with the food) for a couple of minutes, until the shrimp just starts to turn pink.
5. Deglaze the pan with the chicken stock or clam juice. Take the time to scrape all of the cooked bits from the bottom of the pan (at this point there may be quite a bit-don't worry about it's color). Stir until the gravy starts to thicken, this is why the flour was added early on.
6. In a small bowl, add the cream and 2 t of flour together to form a slurry. Pour this into the pan with the skillet and stir to combine. turn your heat down to low-medium and allow things to simmer for 7-10 minutes...until the gravy thickens more and all the meat is completely cooked.
7. Remove the pan from the heat. Remember the gravy will thicken as it stands. Portion over a bed of grits or rice (again, slight judgement for the rice).
Cheesy grits
Serves 3ish
1 1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cup milk (cow's milk, coconut or almond milk don't work well here)
3/4 cup quick cooking grits
2 T butter
salt
3/4 cup white cheddar
2 T heavy cream
black pepper
Directions
(This can be done virtually at the same time as you are cooking the first recipe so they finish at the same time)
1. In a medium sized pot, bring the water and milk to a boil. Add a pink of salt and the grits to the boiling liquid.
2. Reduce the heat to low-medium! (Super important that the heat isn't too high!) Simmer for 15 minutes. Some grits will stick to the pot...just get over it...as long as they don't scortch, which shouldn't happen if the heat is low enough.
3. At this point in the previous recipe, you should be at step 4. In this recipe, you are going to remove the grits from the heat, and stir in the cheese, cream and butter. Sprinkle lightly with black pepper (you can also use white pepper).
4. Cover the grits to avoid a skin until you are ready to serve them. They can be made the day before and reheated beautifully with some additional cream. For this meal, you want to finish the Andouille Sasage + Shrimp last.
Notes
Remember hot grits are very sticky, so be careful when giving them to children as burns can occur.
To complete the meal, you could serve with Tomato-okra gumbo/soup or some collard greens (kale also works)
The veggies will pretty much dissolve into nothing by the time the first dish is done because of all cooking, but don't worry...you still get some of the nutrients from them!
This is a cold beer and creamy dessert sort of meal, you need things that will counter balance the spicy, hot food.
Andouille Sausage & Shrimp
Serves 3
1 1/2 T butter
1 1/2 T all purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped celery
Cayenne pepper
Salt
1/2 pound fresh, Andouille Sausage (casings removed) sliced into 1/4 inch thick pieces
1/2 pound medium shrimp (I got the 1/2 pound with the exoskeleton still on)
1 to 3/4 cup chicken stock or clam juice
3 T heavy cream + 2 t all purpose flour
Directions
1. In a large skillet, cook the butter and flour until it turns golden brown, about 3 minutes. This is your roux. Be careful not to let it get too brown- the heat should be on the lower side of medium, you are looking for something about the color of peanut butter.
2. Once your roux is at the proper color, immediately add the vegetables, and stir to coat them in the roux. Sprinkle with a couple of pinches of salt and about a 1/2 t Cayenne pepper (use more or less to your liking, but remember...this a a Cajun dish, spicy is king!). Allow the vegetables to sweat (release their juices, the salt helps make this happen). This should take about 5-7 minutes if your heat isn't too high. Don't worry that the roux is getting darker, this is perfectly okay. FYI: When you add the cayenne, as it heats, it will sting your eyes and throat a bit! You've been warned!
3. Add the sausage, and let it really brown on all sides. Some of the fat will render off and help keep everything in the pan lubricated. Give it a good stir occasionally just to keep anything from sticking.
4. After about 7 minutes, the sausage will be partically done, and you can add the shrimp. Sautee your ingredients (you shouldn't need to add any additional butter or oil if you've been patient with the food) for a couple of minutes, until the shrimp just starts to turn pink.
5. Deglaze the pan with the chicken stock or clam juice. Take the time to scrape all of the cooked bits from the bottom of the pan (at this point there may be quite a bit-don't worry about it's color). Stir until the gravy starts to thicken, this is why the flour was added early on.
6. In a small bowl, add the cream and 2 t of flour together to form a slurry. Pour this into the pan with the skillet and stir to combine. turn your heat down to low-medium and allow things to simmer for 7-10 minutes...until the gravy thickens more and all the meat is completely cooked.
7. Remove the pan from the heat. Remember the gravy will thicken as it stands. Portion over a bed of grits or rice (again, slight judgement for the rice).
Cheesy grits
Serves 3ish
1 1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cup milk (cow's milk, coconut or almond milk don't work well here)
3/4 cup quick cooking grits
2 T butter
salt
3/4 cup white cheddar
2 T heavy cream
black pepper
Directions
(This can be done virtually at the same time as you are cooking the first recipe so they finish at the same time)
1. In a medium sized pot, bring the water and milk to a boil. Add a pink of salt and the grits to the boiling liquid.
2. Reduce the heat to low-medium! (Super important that the heat isn't too high!) Simmer for 15 minutes. Some grits will stick to the pot...just get over it...as long as they don't scortch, which shouldn't happen if the heat is low enough.
3. At this point in the previous recipe, you should be at step 4. In this recipe, you are going to remove the grits from the heat, and stir in the cheese, cream and butter. Sprinkle lightly with black pepper (you can also use white pepper).
4. Cover the grits to avoid a skin until you are ready to serve them. They can be made the day before and reheated beautifully with some additional cream. For this meal, you want to finish the Andouille Sasage + Shrimp last.
Notes
Remember hot grits are very sticky, so be careful when giving them to children as burns can occur.
To complete the meal, you could serve with Tomato-okra gumbo/soup or some collard greens (kale also works)
The veggies will pretty much dissolve into nothing by the time the first dish is done because of all cooking, but don't worry...you still get some of the nutrients from them!
This is a cold beer and creamy dessert sort of meal, you need things that will counter balance the spicy, hot food.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Stir up some veggie eaters!
Growing up, I never had an issue eating vegetables. I guess it's because there were always plenty of fresh, locally grown vegetables available, and they tasted amazing. Our next door neighbor always grew tomatoes, collard greens, spinach, and sometimes peas (usually purple hull). Every once in a while, he would drop off bags and/or pillow cases full of each because he had too much. Sometimes, during the summer, my mother and I would walk to his house and he would let us pick it ourselves. My paternal grandparents had peach, plum and fig trees, as well as chickens, and squash. Occasionally, they grew strawberries or other veggies. Every summer, I would be in the kitchen with my step-grandmother, making jams, jellies and preserves. Boy, I wish I'd paid more attention...it would certainly make my canning go a lot smoother! Several other people we knew had extremely prolific and large home gardens, so we would get pounds and pounds of fresh produce straight from the source. It was a fabulous way for a young foodie to grow up, let me tell ya!
At any rate, I love vegetables, and summer makes me love eating them even more. Not every child falls in love with the oh-so-good-for-you fruits of the earth, so parents now-a-days are having to find all kinds of tricks to get their child to eat their veggies. I have found that stir-fry is a great way to get children to eat their veggies. For some reason, when they are hidden in plain sight, children are more interested in eating them. Granted, you can go the route of hiding vegetables by juicing and pureeing them and adding them to "normal" recipes, but understand this will not really develop a healthy love or enjoyment of vegetables...just the foods they are hidden in. I believe ultimately, you want a child to see a vegetable, know what it is and still chose to consume it. It makes life less stressful for everyone involved.
Thursday, I went about planning my meals for the weekend, and decided a stir-fry was in order. After the curried chicken, I was in the mood for more international cuisine. I was craving the tender-crisp texture of veggies with a hint of magic, which is what I feel like I get with stir-fry. Going low carb and G2F (gluten/grain free) meant eliminating soy sauce (it contains wheat) and limiting sugar exposure, since so many American-style stir-fry sauces contain tons of sugar. What I came up with, is a very light, summery Lemon Ginger stir-fry in which the main stars are the veggies. It has chicken, which is totally optional, so this would be quick and easy meatless meal, if you were so inclined. I paired it with Sauteed Bok Choy which also picked up some of the ginger notes and added a little more spice of it's own. You could serve this with fake rice, or not...totally up to you. I don't think its necessary. Okay, I shall keep you in suspence no longer, on to the recipes!
Lemon Ginger (7-veggie) Stir-Fry
1/2 cup sliced carrots (try to use organic)
1 red bell pepper sliced in semi circles
2 ribs of celery sliced on the bias
1/2 of medium sized red onion, sliced in semi circles
1-2 large portabella mushrooms, gills removed, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 cup green beans or sugar snap peas cut in 1-inch sections
1 broccoli crown cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 lb chicken breast or tenders, thinly sliced into 2-inch pieces, patted dry
3 large cloves of garlic sliced/crushed
1/2 t red pepper flakes
Olive oil
1 T minced fresh ginger
1/2 cup lemon juice
1-2 t agave nectar or honey* optional
Salt
Directions:
1. Pour enough oil to coat the bottom of a large (10 or 12 inch) skillet by a good 1/8th of an inch. Turn heat onto medium, close to med-high. Add garlic and pepper flakes.
2. As the oil heats, stir the glaric around to make sure it doesn't burn. You are using to to flavor the oil.
3. When the garlic is light brown (NOT BURNED), remove it quickly from the oil.
4. Turn the heat to med-high. Add the chicken, stiring quickly to coat it in oil. Cook for 2 minutes. (this is when thinly slicing/shaving it is a bit better than cutting it into 1-in cubes as many recipes ask, you get more caramelization and flavor)
5. Add broccoli, mushrooms, celery and onions and a couple of pinches of salt. Cook 1-2 minutes, stirring a few times.
6. Add all other veggies with another couple of pinches of salt. At this point you may want to make sure there is still enough oil to coat everything. It not, add a good 1/4 cup to the pan. This is what will help make the light sauce. Toss everything to coat well. Cook 1-2 minutes.
7. Add ginger and continue cooking until you smell it (if your heat is high enough, this should take about a minute). Pour in lemon juice and cook until everything is coated. Remove from the heat and serve!
NOTES: This dish is lightly sauced, so it should not be swimming in juices. If there is a lot of juice (adding the salt, makes the veggies release their natural juices), keep cooking and stirring until some of the liquid has evaporated. Lastly, if you want to make this a bit more appetizing to children, or if you'd enjoy a slightly sweeter flavor, add the agave nectar or honey. Add a very small amount to control sugar exposure. Remember, we're not going for a sticky, gooey stir-fry. We are looking for everything to have a nice coating, and that's it.
Sauteed Bok Choy
1 Head of Bok Choy, sliced (wash it well)
1-2 t minced fresh ginger (depending on how spicey you like it)
1/4 t ground nutmeg
1/3 cup olive oil
1 t butter
salt
Directions
Heat pan to med-high.
Add oil, butter, ginger and nutmeg. heat until you smell them (shouldn't take more than a few seconds). Stir well.
Add bok choy and a coule of pinches of salt. Stir, cooking about 5 minutes. You are looking for the stalks to have a tender-crisp texture and the leaves will be wilted. Enjoy!
At any rate, I love vegetables, and summer makes me love eating them even more. Not every child falls in love with the oh-so-good-for-you fruits of the earth, so parents now-a-days are having to find all kinds of tricks to get their child to eat their veggies. I have found that stir-fry is a great way to get children to eat their veggies. For some reason, when they are hidden in plain sight, children are more interested in eating them. Granted, you can go the route of hiding vegetables by juicing and pureeing them and adding them to "normal" recipes, but understand this will not really develop a healthy love or enjoyment of vegetables...just the foods they are hidden in. I believe ultimately, you want a child to see a vegetable, know what it is and still chose to consume it. It makes life less stressful for everyone involved.
Thursday, I went about planning my meals for the weekend, and decided a stir-fry was in order. After the curried chicken, I was in the mood for more international cuisine. I was craving the tender-crisp texture of veggies with a hint of magic, which is what I feel like I get with stir-fry. Going low carb and G2F (gluten/grain free) meant eliminating soy sauce (it contains wheat) and limiting sugar exposure, since so many American-style stir-fry sauces contain tons of sugar. What I came up with, is a very light, summery Lemon Ginger stir-fry in which the main stars are the veggies. It has chicken, which is totally optional, so this would be quick and easy meatless meal, if you were so inclined. I paired it with Sauteed Bok Choy which also picked up some of the ginger notes and added a little more spice of it's own. You could serve this with fake rice, or not...totally up to you. I don't think its necessary. Okay, I shall keep you in suspence no longer, on to the recipes!
Lemon Ginger (7-veggie) Stir-Fry
1/2 cup sliced carrots (try to use organic)
1 red bell pepper sliced in semi circles
2 ribs of celery sliced on the bias
1/2 of medium sized red onion, sliced in semi circles
1-2 large portabella mushrooms, gills removed, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 cup green beans or sugar snap peas cut in 1-inch sections
1 broccoli crown cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 lb chicken breast or tenders, thinly sliced into 2-inch pieces, patted dry
3 large cloves of garlic sliced/crushed
1/2 t red pepper flakes
Olive oil
1 T minced fresh ginger
1/2 cup lemon juice
1-2 t agave nectar or honey* optional
Salt
Directions:
1. Pour enough oil to coat the bottom of a large (10 or 12 inch) skillet by a good 1/8th of an inch. Turn heat onto medium, close to med-high. Add garlic and pepper flakes.
2. As the oil heats, stir the glaric around to make sure it doesn't burn. You are using to to flavor the oil.
3. When the garlic is light brown (NOT BURNED), remove it quickly from the oil.
4. Turn the heat to med-high. Add the chicken, stiring quickly to coat it in oil. Cook for 2 minutes. (this is when thinly slicing/shaving it is a bit better than cutting it into 1-in cubes as many recipes ask, you get more caramelization and flavor)
5. Add broccoli, mushrooms, celery and onions and a couple of pinches of salt. Cook 1-2 minutes, stirring a few times.
6. Add all other veggies with another couple of pinches of salt. At this point you may want to make sure there is still enough oil to coat everything. It not, add a good 1/4 cup to the pan. This is what will help make the light sauce. Toss everything to coat well. Cook 1-2 minutes.
7. Add ginger and continue cooking until you smell it (if your heat is high enough, this should take about a minute). Pour in lemon juice and cook until everything is coated. Remove from the heat and serve!
NOTES: This dish is lightly sauced, so it should not be swimming in juices. If there is a lot of juice (adding the salt, makes the veggies release their natural juices), keep cooking and stirring until some of the liquid has evaporated. Lastly, if you want to make this a bit more appetizing to children, or if you'd enjoy a slightly sweeter flavor, add the agave nectar or honey. Add a very small amount to control sugar exposure. Remember, we're not going for a sticky, gooey stir-fry. We are looking for everything to have a nice coating, and that's it.
Sauteed Bok Choy
1 Head of Bok Choy, sliced (wash it well)
1-2 t minced fresh ginger (depending on how spicey you like it)
1/4 t ground nutmeg
1/3 cup olive oil
1 t butter
salt
Directions
Heat pan to med-high.
Add oil, butter, ginger and nutmeg. heat until you smell them (shouldn't take more than a few seconds). Stir well.
Add bok choy and a coule of pinches of salt. Stir, cooking about 5 minutes. You are looking for the stalks to have a tender-crisp texture and the leaves will be wilted. Enjoy!
Friday, July 12, 2013
Chicken curry and "rice"
I love a good curry, and this totally hits the spot without being too fussy. What's great is the "rice" made of cauliflower, it's a sneaky way to get kids to eat an extra helping of veggies.
Curried Chicken
1 lbs chicken breast sliced thinly and cut into 2 inch sections (or cubed, if you prefer)
1/2 cup canned coconut milk
1/4 cup water.
2 T tomato paste
1 red bell pepper
2 T curry powder
1 t paprika
1 small yellow onion
1/2 t Red pepper flakes
Olive Oil
salt and pepper
Heat a large skillet with no oil over med-high heat, add oil, pepper fakes, onion, bell pepper and chicken. Cook until chicken almost done. Add curry powder and paprika. Cook until you begin to smell the spices. Add tomato paste and stir rapidly. Deglaze with coconut milk and water, scraping bottom of the pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then simmer 10 minutes. While it's simmering...
Fake Rice
1 head of cauliflower
2 T butter
1/2 t salt
Quarter the head of cauliflower, then wash it with cold water. Using the largest holes in a box grater, shred the cauliflower completely. Put it in a microwavale bowl with the salt and butter. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid, and microwave for 3-4 minutes, depending on how soft you want your "rice". Toss to coat everything with butter. Serve with any dish you'd normally serve with rice. You will be surprised at the texture and the taste. You won't miss rice at all!
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