Black Pepper Beef with Green Beans

For my 24th birthday, my mom got me a carbon-steel wok and a stir-fry book (easy chinese stir-fries, helen chen). I really like cooking with the wok because everything cooks so fast.  So far, I've cooked six stir-fry dishes and they were all very tasty. Another great thing about chinese stir-fries is that many of the dishes use the same ingredients (sherry, fermented black beans, ginger, soy sauce..) so it's not expensive to cook.  I like this dish in particular because the black pepper gives it a nice kick.

                               Black Pepper Beef with Green Beans

The Ingredients...

• 1 pound green beans, ends snapped off and strings removed
• 3/4 pound flank steak, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 slices unpeeled fresh ginger
• 1 cup sliced onion

Directions...

1. Snap the green beans in half or thirds to make pieces about 2 1/2 inches long. Rinse in cold water and drain thoroughly.
2. Slice the steak with the grain into 2-inch wide long strips. Then slice the strips against the grain into  1/8-inch slices. In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, cornstarch, wine, sugar, and black pepper. Add the beef and mix well.
3. In a wok or stir-fry pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over high heat until the oil is hot, but not smoking. Test by dipping the spatula into the beef mixture and then into the oil; it should sizzle. Add the green beans and stir  for about 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup water and reduce the  heat to medium. Cover and cook until tender-crisp, 6 to 9 minutes. Transfer the beans and any liquid to a shallow dish.
4. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the same pan and raise the heat to high. Add the ginger and stir until the oil is hot and the ginger sizzles. Add the onion and stir constantly for 1 minute. Stir up the beef mixture and add it to the pan. Cook, stirring, until the beef is no longer pink, about 2 minutes.
5. Return the beans and any liquid to the pan and stir until thoroughly mixed and heated, about 30 seconds. Remove and discard the ginger, if desired, and serve immediately.

Note: Sometimes I substitute minced ginger for fresh ginger in these recipes. 

Thanksgiving

During the Thanksgiving holiday, instead of relaxing, I was working on a dozen graduate school applications. So stressful! Anyway, I did find some time to make a white bolognese pasta dish for the holiday, and I was very excited about it.  However, the dish didn't turn out as good as I thought it would... thank you rehydrated dried porcini mushrooms. I have no idea why the mushrooms tasted so weird, but they did.  And I am a mushroom lover. I still believe that the recipe has a lot of potential, so I'm going to try this dish again with some changes. I will report back after trial number 2!

Lemon Baked Cod

This recipe was one of the first dishes I made. Actually, it was probably my first fish fillet experiment. It is one of the simplest (and yummy) dishes I have made, and that is why I continue to make it. Great for a weeknight dinner. I would strongly advise using fresh fish - fresh always tastes better.  (I found this recipe online at food.com.)

The Ingredients...

• 1 lb cod fish fillet
• 1/4 cup butter or 1/4 cup margarine, melted
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• Paprika

Directions...

1. If fish fillets are large, cut into serving pieces.
2. Mix butter and lemon juice.
3. In another bowl, mix flour, salt and white pepper.
4. Dip fish into butter mixture; coat fish with flour mixture.
5. Place fish in ungreased square baking dish, 8x8x2 inches.
6. Pour remaining butter mixture over fish; sprinkle with paprika.
7. Cook uncovered in 350 degree oven until fish flakes easily with fork, 25-30 minutes. Garnish with parsley sprigs and lemon slices if desired.

Meat and Spinach Loaf with Mashed Potatoes Anna

I feel like everyone should know how to make a decent meatloaf at some point in their life, right? Or, maybe I just wanted to shout "Ma, the meatloaf!" at my mom when cooking last week.  If you don't get this reference, that's okay. Anyways, my bible, the Essential NYTimes Cookbook, said this "it's the only meat I would serve to guests." So,  I decided to make this meat and spinach loaf with a side of mashed potatoes.

 Meat and Spinach Loaf
(Serves 4)

The Ingredients...

• 1 pound loose fresh spinach
• 1 1/4 pounds ground veal, pork, o r beef, or combination of three
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• Salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped celery
• 1/2 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 slices bacon

Directions...

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Pick over the spinach to remove any tough stems or slimy leaves. Rinse spinach in cold water, drain, place in a saucepan, and cover. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring once or twice, until wilted
2. Transfer the spinach  to a colander and douse with cold water to chill. Drain and press with your hands to extract most of the moisture. Chop the spinach.
3. Put the meat in a bowl and add the chopped spinach, bread crumbs, salt to taste, the pepper, and nutmeg.
4. Put the celery, parsley, and milk in a blender. Blend well, and add to the meat mixture. Add the garlic.
5. Heat the butter in a small skillet. Add the onion and cook until wilted. Add to the meat mixture. Add the eggs and blend well with your hands. Shape and fit into a baking dish. Cover with the bacon.
6. Bake until just cooked through, 1 to 1 1/4 hours, turning the pan 180 degrees halfway through. Pour off the fat and let the loaf stand for 20 minutes before serving. 

Mashed Potatoes Anna
(Serves 4)

The Ingredients...

• 2 pounds baking or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
• 1 cup whole milk
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions...

1. Place the potatoes in a saucepan, add enough cold salted water to cover, and bring to a boil. Partially cover the pan, lower the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
2. Meanwhile, place the milk in a saucepan over medium-low heat and heat until bubbles just form around the edges of the pan. Remove from the heat, cover, and set aside.
3. Drain the potatoes and put them through a ricer or mash with a potato masher. Return them to the pan and place over low heat. Gradually whisk in the hot milk, butter, cream, salt, and a few grinds of pepper.

Thoughts...
I enjoyed this meal, even if it was just a meatloaf. Spinach is an interesting twist to the recipe. To save money, I only used ground beef to make the loaf. The mashed potatoes were good too. Though I don't see myself making meatloaf often,  it's a good recipe to have on hand.

Sole Grenobloise (Sauteed Sole with Capers and Lemons) wtih Jean Yves Legarve's Spaghetti with Lemon and Asparagus Sauce

Oops, made these dishes last Thursday night, and I'm just writing the blog now. I saw the pasta recipe while flipping through my cookbook, and I knew it was going to be delicious. I've been really stressed out lately so I wanted some comfort food. I picked the fish because it seemed to complement the flavors in the pasta dish. Both recipes are from The Essential New York Times Cookbook. I substituted flounder for sole in the fish recipe. The store I went to didn't have sole despite the fact that the person at the seafood counter told me he had plenty of soul... Anyways, I suspected substituting the flounder wouldn't make a big difference.

Jean Yves Legarve's Spaghetti with Lemon and Asparagus Sauce

The Ingredients...

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 8 thick asparagus spears, stalks peeled and cut into 1-inch lengths
• Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan  cheese
• 4 gratings of nutmeg
• 3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Salt
• 1/2 pound spaghetti
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions...

1. Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the asparagus and cook until just tender, about 6 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, combine the lemon zest, half of the lemon juice, the eggs, cream, Parmesan cheese, nutmug, and parsley in a bowl and blend well. Taste the sauce. The lemon flavor should be subtle, but not overpowering. Add more lemon juice if needed.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Stir in enough salt that the water tastes salty. Add the spaghetti, stir and cook, stirring often, until al dente, 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Drain the spaghetti well. Immediately return it to the pot, and add the asparagus, with the butter, and lemon sauce. Toss well.
5. Turn the heat to low and gently toss the pasta over the heat for about 30 seconds, until the sauce thickens slightly and adheres to the pasta. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Sole Grenobloise (Sauteed Sole with Capers and Lemons)

Ingredients...

• 4 small sole fillets (about 1 1/4 pounds total)
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small lemon
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup peanut, vegetable, or corn oil
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon drained capers
• Coarse salt
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions...

1. Place the fillets in a dish large enough to hold them in one layer. Pour the milk over them and add salt and pepper to taste. Turn the fillets in the milk so that they are coated on all sides.
2. While they stand, peel the lemon with a paring knife, cutting away and discarding all the white pith as well as the yellow skin. Cut the lemon into thin slices and discard the seeds. Cut the slices into small cubes. Set aside.
3. Scatter the flour over a large plate and add salt and pepper to taste. Blend well.
4. Heat the oil with 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet. As the oil heats, remove the fillets from the milk, but do not drain, and coat the fish on all sides in the seasoned flour, shaking to rid the fillets of excess flour.
5. When the oil is quite hot but not smoking, add the fillets (this might have to be done in 2 steps) and cook until nicely browned on one side. The total cooking time for each fillet should be from 2 to 5 minutes. As the fillets are cooked, transfer them to a warm platter.
6. Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a small skillet and cook, shaking the skillet, until the butter foams up and takes on an appetizing hazelnut-brown color. Remove from the heat. Add the cubed lemon and capers. 
7. Pour the sauce evenly over the fillets. Sprinkle with coarse salt and the chopped parsley.

Thoughts...
As suspected, the spaghetti was indeed awesome. How could you go wrong with a creamy lemon sauce with asparagus? The fish was good too, but not my favorite fish recipe. This doesn't mean that I wouldn't do the dish again. I'm curious if using sole instead of flounder would change the outcome. All in all, the two dishes went together great.

Note: It probably wasn't necessary to peel the asparagus stalks. I have no idea why that was necessary...

Scallops with Pea Purée and Pancetta

I decided I wanted to make a scallops recipe, so I found this one in my New York Times cookbook. I was a  little iffy about the "pea purée" part, so I googled similar recipes online. I read some good reviews, so I forged ahead. I noticed that other recipes had bacon or ham, so I added pancetta to the recipe.

Side note: this is my favorite photo I've taken of my cooking thus far (it's the background of the site!).  I got a digital SLR camera at the beginning of fall, and now I try to take pretty pictures of all my dishes.

Ingredients...

• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1 6-inch sprig fresh rosemary
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 4 cups frozen peas
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 6 to 8 large sea scallops, each one halved to make two slim disks
• 3-4 slices pancetta

Directions...

1. In a small saucepan, combine the garlic, rosemary and oil. Place over medium-low heat until the oil starts to bubble. Turn off the heat and leave the mixture to infuse.
2. Place peas in a large pan of lightly salted water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until peas are tender but still bright green, cooked slightly longer than usual. Drain, and transfer to a food processor. Add 1/4 cup of the infused oil (discard garlic and rosemary). Process until puréed, then return to the pan, cover, and keep warm.
3. In separate saucepan, cook pancetta on greased pan (I used olive oil spray) to desired crispness. After cooking, set aside on paper towels. Break into pieces.
4. Season the cornstarch with salt and pepper to taste. Place a heavy skillet over medium heat and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the remaining oil. When the oil is hot, lightly dust the scallop halves with seasoned cornstarch, and add to the pan. Cook until browned, about 2 minutes each side.
5. To serve, divide pea purée between two plates and add scallops and pancetta. Serve immediately.

My Thoughts...
I was happy with the result. The scallops were very easy to cook. I definitely recommend keeping the pancetta. The dish was much more flavorful with this extra ingredient. If you want to try this recipe, you must like peas!

Shrimp and Asparagus Risotto

So, this is where it all started, my first dish of many! As you'll come to notice, I like cooking seafood, especially shrimp. I found this recipe on epicurious (www.epicurious.com). Back when I started my weekly cooking, I didn't have my own cookbooks, so I found the first couple of recipes online.

I added asparagus to the original recipe. I love asparagus, and I thought the dish could use a vegetable. I've made this recipe three times... you could say that I like it. I've heard that risotto can be a tricky dish, but I found this dish easy to make and very tasty.

Though I think this dish is easy to make, it does require some time since you are slowly adding the broth to the rice. What I like to do (if I'm cooking alone) is bring my laptop into the kitchen. This way I can catch up on my TV shows while cooking. Just a thought...

 The Ingredients...

• 5 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• 1/2 pound uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Asparagus (however much you like!)
• 3/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions...

1. Bring broth and 1/4 cup wine to simmer in medium saucepan. Reduce heat; keep hot. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon garlic and crushed red pepper, then asparagus.  Sauté the asparagus until almost done (will finish cooking with the shrimp) then add in the shrimp. Sauté until shrimp begin to turn pink, about 2 minutes. Add remaining 1/2 cup wine. Simmer until shrimp are just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Drain shrimp, reserving cooking liquid.
2. Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and remaining 1 teaspoon garlic; sauté until onion is pale golden, about 4 minutes. Add rice and stir to coat, about 2 minutes. Add 2 cups broth mixture. Simmer until liquid is absorbed, stirring often. Continue adding broth mixture 1 cup at a time, stirring often and simmering until liquid is absorbed before adding more, about 20 minutes. Stir in reserved shrimp cooking liquid. Cook until rice is just tender and mixture is creamy, about 5 minutes longer. Remove from heat.
3. Stir shrimp and 2 tablespoons parsley into risotto. Season risotto to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowls. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons parsley. 

Note: My stove top gets very hot, so it actually only took about 10-15 for liquid to absorb each time. Just make sure that you are only simmering the mixture. If it takes less time for the liquid to absorb (like in my case), then lucky you! 


My Thoughts...
For an online recipe, I was impressed with this dish. If you like risotto, then try it out yourself. The key ingredient in this recipe is the crushed red pepper. DO NOT skip out on this ingredient. If you do, I would imagine that the recipe will be bland. If you don't have the red pepper flakes, you could try cayenne pepper.

Past Recipes...

My brother's fiance (shout out to Kathy!) requested that I post some of the recipes I've already done.  By my count, I've done at least 28 recipes since March! That's quite a few, so I'll just post some of my favorites for now in addition to my weekly adventure. Enjoy, Kathy. 

Wok-Seared Spicy Calamari Salad

Tonight's dish is Wok-Seared Spicy Calamari Salad. My mom is on a diet for my brother's wedding (Go Mom!), so I picked the calamari salad for her. Plus, I love calamari and I've never cooked it before. This dish is from Amanda Hesser's The Essential New York Times Cookbook.  This looked like a relatively simple recipe compared to some of my other endeavors, so I was hopeful for a good outcome!

                            Wok-Seared Spicy Calamari Salad
The Ingredients...

•  1 pound cleaned calamari, sliced into thin rings, tentacles included
• 20 roasted salted cashews, chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced cilantro
• 1 tablespoon mint leaves
• 2 to 4 teaspoons Sriracha sauce
• Salt and black pepper
• 4 cups baby arugula (or tatsoi, or other spicy greens)
• 1 endive, cored and slivered
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (two limes)

Directions...

1. Place the calamari in a bowl, add the cashews, cilantro, mint, and Sriracha to taste, and toss. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
2. Mix the greens and endive and divide among four shallow bowls.
3. Place a wok or large skilled over high heat and add the oil. When it is smoking hot, add the calamari and seasonings and stir-fry about 20 seconds, until the calamari rings start to turn opaque. Add the lime juice, toss, and remove from the heat. Taste the sauce and adjust the salt and Sriracha if necessary. Pour the mixture over the greens.

The Results...
Very pleased with this dish for several reason. First, it was delicious! My mom really liked it. The flavor was really good, a perfect amount of spicy flavor. This is a dish that tastes great and doesn't make you feel guilty afterwards... which is always nice.  Second, very easy to make and easy to clean up! I only used my wok to cook this dish so I was very happy not to deal  with the usual 3+ pots/pans to clean. The most time intensive part of this dish is slicing the calamari and chopping the other ingredients. Third, squid is cheaper than I thought! I bought the squid fresh at a Whole Foods and it only cost about $7.00. Half as cheap as a pound of cod.

The Verdict...
Make this dish if you love spices and calamari!