Gung Hay Fat Choy
40 years ago, today, I was in Hong Kong for Chinese New Year. I was a 20 year old sailor living it up. And I do mean living it up...
Hong Kong was magical. It was foreign, exotic, and strangely familiar at the same time. It was Chinatown in San Francisco on an immense - and I do mean immense - scale. I had a blast.
The food, the bars, the drugs... It's kinda difficult to actually explain what it was like. The freedom to do just what I wanted to do, see what I wanted to see, experience just what I wanted to experience in Hong-Freakin-Kong! I had dress blues in gabardine hand-made for me. They were the most form-fitting clothes I have ever owned - and at 20, my 6' frame barely held 150 pounds. They were hot.
I had a solid week off and money in my pocket. Three of us got a room at The Excelsior Hotel. It was pretty grand.
It was so grand, that it had the outrageous cost of HKD 119 per night! $27.00/night US with taxes. Split between three of us was $9.00 each, per night. 40 years later, The Excelsior rate is HKD 1,680/per night. Just a tad more... It was the newest hotel in Hong Kong, with a revolving rooftop restaurant and a disco in the basement. A full-blown English Pub on one of the floors and a gourmet Chinese restaurant with views to die for. When I pulled out a cigarette in the lobby, a half-dozen people were there with butane lighters to light it for me.
We played the rich American tourists for a week, and trust me when I say we had a blast. Heading out to the Wan Chai district for all sorts of illicit things, playing tourist and riding the tram to the top of Victoria Peak, and eating the most spectacular foods in high-end restaurants and carts on the street, we immersed ourselves into the city. It was such a city of contrasts. Glorious high-rises and 2-story ramshackle buildings. And neon. OMG the neon. The bright lights were everywhere. While the daytime views were spectacular - just stunning beauty - the nightlife was something I have never experienced since. Which, in retrospect, is probably a good thing! The city came alive when the sun went down and the lights came on...
In our role as Rich American Tourists, we decided we wanted to go out to the Red China border and the hotel concierge recommenced a tour. We said, no - we wanted to out there like the locals. He was aghast, but finally relented and gave us directions.
On the train, we could only book 1st class. Although we tried to book lower, they would not allow it. We took the ferry, we caught the train, and then - literally out in the middle of nowhere in The New Territories - we caught a rickety old bus. The New Territories stretch from the end of Kowloon to the Red China border. It was mostly small villages and farmland in 1973. We were now out where no one spoke or understood a word of English.
We got off the train, walked about a half-mile, and waited for the bus.
Our directions from the concierge had our destination written in Chinese so when the bus arrived, all we had to do was show it to the driver who would understand where to drop us off.
The bus... It was the type of ancient vehicle one would expect to see out in the middle of Nowhere, China. Chickens in bamboo cages were on the roof. It was crowded but an elderly Chinese couple got up to offer us their seats. I was raised that youngsters offer their seats to their elders, so, without being able to speak the language, we politely declined.
They were crestfallen. They seriously looked stricken. It took a moment to realize that they were offering us their hospitality and the only thing they had to give us. They were losing face by us refusing their gift. So... we accepted and sat. They stood by us and beamed with delight as we sat there totally uncomfortable. Smiling and shaking their heads, bursting with pride.
We got off the bus with a lot of bowing and smiles, and wishes for prosperity. I can still see them, today. It was one of those moments one never forgets.
Magic, indeed.
So tonight I thought I should probably pay respect to those thrilling days of yesteryear with a noodle pancake. One of the easiest things to make, it is merely cooked thin Chinese noodles mixed with oil, a few vegetables, soy sauce, and rice wine, and then fried in a skillet until crispy, flipped, and fried, some more. You can make them as complex or simple as you like, make them the main course or a side-dish.
The chicken was cubed, dredged in cornstarch, fried, and then baked with broccoli. I then made a quick sauce of soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sambal oeleck, orange marmalade, garlic, and sesame oil.
The meal may not have been the most authentic or even close to anything I had in Hong Kong all those years ago, but it was enough to bring out some really grand memories.
Pasta Bake
I just love coming home from work and finding Victor in the kitchen! Since I had to work late, Victor said he would take care of dinner - and after 17 years and 352 days, I still marvel at what a great cook he is. This was a throw-together, clean-out-the-'fridge dish that had me going back for more.
It was pasta and meat sauce with roasted butternut squash and fresh mozzarella. And under all that were two boneless pork chops that were fall-apart tender.
It rocked.
No big recipe secret. It was like a standard baked ziti with chunks of fresh mozzarella and roasted squash added for fun. I almost had it for dinner again, tonight, but decided it would make a couple of great lunches, instead.
We both pretty much work under the same premise - if you put things together that you like, it's bound to come out good.
And it did.
Orange Chicken and Figs
When ya bring home two pounds of fresh figs, you really need to be prepared to eat two pounds of fresh figs. It's a lot of figs.
The first thing I did when I got home today was make a fig dessert. I do have my priorities, after all. The second thing was come up with a savory idea for dinner.
I really do love figs and they really are a great savory dinner treat. They work well with beef, chicken, or pork, and can balance a lot of spice. And I do like my spice.
Tonight's dinner was based on a recipe I saw in Bon Appetit years ago. My version was pretty much nothing like the original recipe, but it did come out good. We both cleaned our plates!
Orange Chicken and Figs
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 large potato, peeled and cubed
- 2 chicken breasts, cubed
- 1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 12 mission figs, halved
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp hot curry powder (or to your liking)
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- S&P to taste
Saute onion in large skillet with lid. Add potatoes, then chicken and cook until chicken is mostly done. Add spices and cook until fragrant. Add orange juice, worcestershire, and soy sauces. Stir well, getting all the goodies from the bottom of the pan. Add figs and raisins. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer about 20 minutes.
Serve over couscous or rice.
This came out good. I have a really hot curry powder, so 1/2 tsp worked and was not overpowering. Use what you like. Your millage may vary.
As I was eating it I kept thinking a chopped apple probably would have gone well in it, also.
Maybe next time.
Bruschetta Burgers
One thing I don't recall seeing on any menus in Italy was hamburgers. Actually, ground beef of any sort. I know it's there - they have beef, after all - but it wasn't something being featured on any menus I remember.
So here I was at home - pining for Italy and hoping our dinnerware gets here soon - when I decided a Bruschetta Burger was just what the dottore ordered.
We ate a lot of bruschetta in Italy. The toppings were as varied as the places we ate them, although one we had a couple of times stands out - a chicken liver bruschetta that was out of this world good. It actually had chicken livers and hearts in it. Both were slightly different but had similar qualities. I'm working on replicating it.
But that's in the future. I needed tonight. I grabbed an eggplant and started work.
My thought process was a caponata of sorts topping a burger topped with asiago - all sitting on a thick slice of toasted Italian bread.
My thought process was right-on.
This was a wing-it recipe. If you have a favorite caponata recipe, go for it.
Eggplant Caponata
- 1 med eggplant, peeled and diced
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 3 ribs celery, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup red wine
- 1 can diced tomatoes in juice
- 1 can tomato paste
- 1/2 cup chopped roasted red pepper
- 1 tbsp capers
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 10 basil leaves, minced
- 6 mint leaves, minced
- 1/2 cup Locatelli (pecorinio Romano) cheese, shredded
- salt and pepper, to taste
Saute onion, celery, and garlic in a bit of olive oil. When onion is translucent, add wine and cook down.
Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and 1 can water.
Add eggplant, roasted red peppers, capers and vinegar.
Bring to a boil, then lower heat, cover, and simmer about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Stir in basil and mint. Add cheese and then check for seasoning, adding S&P, as desired.
Serve as bruschetta topping, pasta sauce, pizza sauce, or just stand there and eat with a spoon right out of the pot.
This really was a fun spin on your basic cheeseburger. Thick slices of bread liberally doused with olive oil and grilled is a great start to anything. Burgers topped with asiago is another great idea on its own. But the two together with the caponata?!? Total fun.
There is a lot of the caponata left over. I see a pasta dish in our future...
Missed Meals
We don't miss meals in our house. But, occasionally, I do miss getting them posted. Here are a few of the gastronomic delights we feasted on this week!
First off is a Spinach Pasta with a quick sauce of fresh tomatoes, bacon, langostinos, garlic, and olive oil. Freshly-grated parmesan cheese on the top. And it really was that simple. A couple of good ingredients in the skillet makes for a powerful taste sensation. This is one of those use what you have dinners. It was absolutely great and the odds of us having exactly these ingredients together again are slim. But it's okay, because we'll always have some variation of them - along with other fun things.
Next was a Tomato and Asparagus Salad. Asparagus, tomato, red onion, garlic, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.
It doesn't get any easier - and it doesn't get any better - especially since Victor was doing the cooking. Again, it's a few simple ingredients that just explode with flavor.
The salad accompanied Grilled Tuna Steaks.
A quick marinade of red wine, olive oil, and fresh herbs from the garden. It went great with the salad.
And then we had Stuffed Peppers.
These are a favorite. Victor usually makes them and makes extra for his mom. I'll bring a couple over tomorrow when I do her shopping.
These were a simple ground beef filling with garlic, Italian seasoning, bread crumbs, some cheese... Nothing fancy - just really tasty.
Victor made Strawberry Shortcakes for dessert last night. I was too busy drooling to take pictures, but rest assured they were good - albeit a bit messy. the recipe he used said to place the shortcake dough into an ungreased 8"x8" pan. UNgreased. It stuck. Go figure.
It broke apart but was still really yummy. Strawberries, cake, and whipped cream. How could it be bad?!?
Beef and Mushroom Crêpes
One of my favorite restaurants back in San Francisco was a place called CREPEVINE. It was on 9th and Irving - a block from my house - and just funky enough. Great food, great atmosphere, excellent staff... And reasonably priced. They have grown over the years but the focus is still on really good, fun food.
So it was with great joy that I received the latest copy of Fine Cooking magazine and see a whole section on crêpes. I looked at the recipes but mentally went back to Irving Street and started plotting a recipe.
One recipe that caught my eye in the magazine was for a chicken cacciatore crêpe with a cheese sauce. Looked really good - but I had taken cubed steak out of the freezer last night thinking I'd do a swiss steak of sorts for dinner. In just a few minutes the swiss steak morphed into crêpes with a chopped steak and mushroom filling and a mushroom sauce.
I got to work.
I sauteed onion and garlic then added chopped carrots, and chopped mushrooms to the pan. I cooked it all down and added a splash of red wine and some salt and pepper. When the wine cooked down, I put everything into a bowl. Next - in the same pan - I cooked off the beef that I had chopped into pretty small pieces. When it was cooked, I added some beef broth. cooked it down a bit, and then thickened it with a bit of cornstarch. I then mixed it all in with the vegetables and set it aside while I made the crêpes.
These really are easy to make. I should make them more often.
My complaint with this magazine - and a lot of cooking magazines , lately - is putting measurements in as weights. I know that weighing is a much more precise measurement, but, c'mon... they give half the measurements in weight, half in volume, and then give you a range with an ingredient, telling you that you're going to probably have to tweak something, anyway. So much for their precision. It's pretentious and annoying. It also annoys me when the recipes are overly-detailed. Yes, I realize that many folks are not as confident in the kitchen as others, but I don't need to be told I have to use a folded paper towel to butter my crêpe pan. Really.
But I digress...
Basic Brown-Butter Crêpes Recipe
Fine Cooking Magazine
Yields about fourteen 8-inch crêpes
- 3-1/2 oz. (7 Tbs.) unsalted butter; more softened for the pan
- 1-3/4 cups whole milk; more as needed
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 6-3/4 oz. (1-1/2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
Tip: As with pancakes, the first crêpe you make is usually a flop, so count on sacrificing it as you experiment with the heat of the burner and the amount of butter in the pan.
In a 1- to 2-quart saucepan, cook the butter over medium heat, swirling it every few seconds, until melted and the milk solids at the bottom of the pan turn golden-brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Immediately pour the brown butter into a small bowl and let cool almost to room temperature.
Combine the milk, eggs, and salt in a blender. Blend for a few seconds to combine. Add the flour and blend until very smooth, about 20 seconds. Add the brown butter and blend for another 10 seconds.
Pour the batter into a large bowl and let rest for at least 5 minutes and up to 24 hours. (If resting for more than 30 minutes, cover and refrigerate.)
When ready to cook the crêpes, check the batter; it should be as thick as heavy cream, not as thick as pancake batter. If it feels too thick, whisk in up to 1/2 cup more milk.
Heat a crêpe pan with an 8-inch base or a 10-inch nonstick skillet with an 8-inch base over medium-high heat until it’s hot enough for a drop of water to sizzle. Using a folded paper towel, grease the pan with about 1/4 tsp. butter. The butter should sizzle upon contact but not instantly turn brown. If it does, reduce the heat as necessary.
Using a ladle or measuring cup, pour 1/4 cup of the batter into the center of the pan while simultaneously lifting the pan from the heat and tilting and turning it in all directions so the batter spreads evenly across the bottom in a thin circle. If the crêpe has any holes in it, quickly add a few drops of batter to fill them in.
Cook until the edges begin to dry and lift from the sides of the pan and the bottom is nicely browned (lift up an edge with a small silicone spatula or your fingers to check), about 1 minute. Use the spatula or your fingers to flip the crêpe over. Cook until the second side is browned, about 20 seconds more.
Slide the crêpe from the pan onto a large plate or cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining batter, adjusting the heat and spreading more butter in the pan every two or three crêpes, or whenever the pan begins to look a bit dry. You can stack the crêpes on the plate as they’re done; they won’t stick. The crêpes will soften as they cool.
I made a quick mushroom sauce and poured it over them and baked them at 350° for about 20 minutes.
They were really good. REALLY good.
And coming up is Lemon Meringue Pie from the same issue!
新年好 - Gung Hay Fat Choy - Happy New Year
It is the Year of the Dragon. An auspicious year, indeed, for those of us born in the year of the Dragon. The Dragon is the only mythical animal in the Chinese zodiac. People born in the Year of the Dragon are healthy, energetic, excitable, short-tempered, and stubborn. They are also honest, sensitive, brave, and they inspire confidence and trust in others. They are the most eccentric of any in the eastern zodiac. They never borrow money, are very straight forwarded and tend to be soft hearted which sometimes gives others an advantage over them.
Stubborn?!? Eccentric?!? MOI?!?
39 years ago I was in Hong Kong celebrating the Year of the Ox. It was February, 1973. You want to experience Chinese New Year?!? Go to China! I've seen many a Chinese New Year in San Francisco, but they pale in comparison. It was one of the most fun 2 weeks I have ever had. I think. We stayed at The Excelsior Hotel, I had a set of gabardine Navy Blues handmade for me, perfectly fitting my 155 pound 19-year old body, we traveled by train and local bus to the Red China border just to say we were there. I bought a dozen of Mao's Little Red Books and the best harmonica I have ever played. And ate and drank and took copious amounts of illicit substances.
What a fabulous time.
Right now, this very minute, my brother and niece are in Viet Nam, celebrating Tết Nguyên Đán - the Vietnamese Lunar New Year. Katie is studying in Viet Nam for a while and Mike went over with her for a couple of weeks to travel the country. I hate them both.
But 39 years after that Hong Kong New Year, here I sit after cooking up a pretty good Chinese dinner to mark the occasion. I've said many time before that Chinese cooking has never been a strong point for me. I grew up with Chinese restaurants on every other corner. Even bad restaurants were good. Why cook when I could pick up the phone and have fabulous and ridiculously inexpensive Chinese Food Delivered?
But fabulous (and ridiculously inexpensive) Chinese restaurants are in short supply in our present neighborhood.
Victor had mentioned earlier that he wouldn't mind having fish for dinner so I thought a simple steamed fish would be good. We had Shu Mai in the freezer. All I needed was a noodle dish.
I found a recipe for a fried noodle pancake. I didn't have all of the ingredients listed, but I liked the concept. I decided to see if I could wing it.
The one thing I did have were actual Chinese noodles. Far too many times I've tried to use spaghetti in place of Asian noodles. They don't work. These worked!
It did not easily slip out of the pan so I could easily flip it over. Oh well. It tasted good.
Crispy Noodle Pancake
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp cold water
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tablespoon oriental sesame oil
- 1 16 oz can bean sprouts, rinsed and drained
- 8 ounces Asian noodles
- 4 tbsp neutral oil, divided
- 2 tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 leek, sliced
- 1 carrot, cut into matchstick-sized strips
- 1 stalk celery, sliced thin
- 8 oz ground pork
- 4 oz bottled Szechuan sauce
Mix cornstarch,m water, soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil. Set aside.
Cook noodles according to package instructions. Drain, rinse in cold water, and set aside.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in large skillet. Add pork and cook until no longer pink. Add leeks, carrots, garlic, ginger, and celery and cook a few minutes. Add noodles and bean sprouts and heat through. Add soy sauce mixture and Sezchuan sauce and heat through.
Cool.
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a heavy skillet. Add noodle mixture and cook, pressing down on noodles to compress, until bottom is browned - about 5 minutes. Flip out of pan, browned side up, add 2 tbsp oil to pan, and slide back into pan, Continue cooking another 5 minutes.
Slide onto platter, cut, and serve.
For the fish, I marinated cod fillets in rice wine for about 5 minutes and then layered it in a steamer basket. Meanwhile, I sauteed carrot matchsticks, julienne ginger, leeks, and black sesame seeds. When it was all barely-wilted, I added Sambal Oelek - chili paste. I steamed the fish and the thawed Shu Mai for about 6 minutes.
It may not have quite equaled one of those legendary meals in Hong Kong (and there were some legendary meals in Hong Kong!) but it served its purpose well - and there's enough for a good lunch tomorrow!
Beef and Peppers
The poor stove. It takes such a beating day-in-and-day-out. As do the ovens. We just cleaned the ovens and already there's a spill causing billowing clouds of smoke in the kitchen.
We are just destined to never having a pristine kitchen.
Oh well.
We eat well - and that's really all that matters.
And speaking of eating well... the backyard pepper plants are still producing peppers. It's amazing.
And they're really good, too! The bell peppers are sweet, crisp, and full of flavor. Unfortunately, while they have nice flavor, the red peppers have absolutely no heat, at all. None. Zero. Zip.
I'm thinking they just needed more heat, less water, and less humidity to really develop, but flavor-wise, they're okay.
With still more peppers growing, a pepper steak stir-fry seemed to be in order.
I marinated strips from a couple of sirloin steaks in 2 tbsp sriracha sauce (Thai hot sauce), 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp rice wine, and 1 tsp ground ginger. Into the hot skillet they went with a bit of sesame oil. Onions and peppers followed. I drizzled in a bit of the marinade, brought it all to a boil, and served over the red rice.
I really, really like the whole grain red rice I get from Lundberg. Actually, I get several of their rices and blends. Since our local stores stopped carrying it, I now buy it online. Helping to keep the United States Postal Service in operation, one package at a time!
It had just enough heat to be interesting, and the rice added a great textural balance.
And there's even more peppers to come!
Babalu
Yes, we're singing Babalu along with Ricky, tonight!
I decided something different was in order tonight. Something vaguely Cuban. I had sampled a pre-made Pork Masitas and thought I could come up with something that would probably not be really authentic - but would probably taste okay. The two flavors I knew I needed were citrus and garlic. Cumin was another logical choice and after doing a quick Google-search to see if I was on the right path, I added Mexican oregano, as well.
The seasonings were done. I needed citrus. I decided to go for it and used oranges, lemons, limes. Can't have too much citrus, right? And Cuba and Bacardi go hand-in-hand, so I added a bit of Bacardi rum. And then, because I like spice, I added a bit of Matouk's Calypso Sauce. I know, I know... Calypso Sauce is from Trinidad and Tobago. That's why I said "vaguely Cuban."
I started off with about a pound and a half of cubed pork from the end of a loin. It was fairly fatty. I marinated it over night in the following:
Marinade
- Juice of:
- 2 oranges
- 2 limes
- 2 lemons
- 2 tbsp Bacardi Rum
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tbsp Matouk's Calypso Sauce
- salt and pepper, to taste
I removed it from the marinade and heated some olive oil in a heavy skillet with a lid.
The pork went in and I covered it, turned the heat way down, and let it braise for about an hour. It created almost a cup of liquid that I (eventually) pulled out and used to cook the rice and beans.
When the pork was tender, I drained it and put it back into he skillet with some olive oil. I then browned the meat while making the rice.
The rice was 1 can of black beans, drained, 1 cup of white rice, and 2 cups of liquid - the liquid from the pork and the remainder tap water. And a pinch of cumin, oregano, and salt. Cooked for 20 minutes.
Plantains would have been more authentic, but I didn't have plantains, so I used a couple of slightly-green starchy bananas. I fried them in the same pan as the pork. Real plantains would have been better. These worked.
The flavors all worked well together. It was just off-beat enough. Not exactly an authentic family dish, but close enough that I have Babalu echoing in my head.
And speaking of Babalu... I had to look it up. Who knew that it was a tribute to a god?!? " Millions of Americanos tuned into I Love Lucy, and most of them probably didn't realize that Ricky Ricardo's signature song was a tribute to an Afro-Cuban god. "Babalu," written by Cuban composer Margarita Lecuona, is about Babalu-Aye, one of the seven main gods of the Afro-Cuban religion Santeria. It was first recorded by Cuban vocalist Miguelito Valdes in 1941."
I love it!
The Indian Subcontinent
I suppose one of the nice things about having never been to India is having no idea how Indian food would be traditionally served. If one doesn't know what the rules are, one doesn't have to worry about breaking them!
Tonight's dinner is a perfect case in point. It was paratha - an Indian flat-bread - topped with an eggplant curry, grilled chicken breast rubbed with garam masala, a yogurt, honey, garlic, lemon, and mint sauce, and finally a few pistachios.
I have no idea if the flat-bread is used as a plate with everything on it, as a scoop or eating utensil, rolled, buttered, dipped, torn... You get the idea. So...
I made an Indian Tostada of sorts.
I don't know if these foods and flavors would traditionally be served together, but it doesn't matter. It's what we had for dinner.
I've always said that I would love to go to another country for a couple of weeks and have my own kitchen and a market within walking distance. I'm not interested in taking cooking lessons. I'm more interested in just wandering the markets, buying the local foods, and making what I feel like making. I think that would be a blast. (I would especially like a villa in Sicily overlooking the sea...)
Some people go to museums. I go to cheese shops. What can I say?!?
I bought the paratha and the curry, but grilled the chicken and made the yogurt sauce. I mean, really... I couldn't buy the whole dinner! What would the neighbors think?!?
This really was fun. Definitely not your basic Friday chicken. It had lots of spice and lots of flavor and the yogurt and cucumber cooled everything down. The perfect ending to the week.
And it took so little time to prepare, I made a strawberry cake for dessert!
More on that, later.....
Grilled Lemongrass Beef
Opening kitchen cupboards is always a bit of a thrill at our house. You never quite know what you're going to find.
I'm pretty good at going through and actually using things, but when I do those wild and crazy shopping treks at places like Assi, there can be a lot of things lurking in the corners...
Like Lee Kum Kee Lemongrass Sauce.
I don't use a lot of jarred sauces, but as I have said before, Asian cooking slightly eludes me. These have definitely come in handy! Asian cooking just isn't as intuitive to me as other cultures can be. And growing up in San Francisco didn't help matters. Bad Chinese restaurants are better than most restaurants elsewhere. Why cook it when you can get it down the street at a great price? When I lived at 9th and Judah, there was a Chinese bakery 3 doors down from me that had BBQ Pork Buns at 3/$1.00. There's no incentive to learn to cook!
10 years away from it has me buying jarred sauces. One of these days I may have to think about honing my skills a bit better.
In the meantime, Lee Kum Kee will have to do!
I had the steak from yesterday all ready to go, so I just sliced thin strips and marinated them in a few tablespoons of the sauce. Onto a hot grill for a few minutes and Instant BBQ! White rice and broccoli steamed with Asian Mushroom Stew Sauce. (Sorta like a mushroom soy sauce!)
A really quick and easy - and quite tasty - meal.
Asian-Inspired Flank Steak
I have a recipe for flank steak that I have been making for years... It's double-marinated and, served cold, is a great hors d'oeuvre or salad topper, and makes a great sandwich.
I was kinda thinking of that recipe when I picked up this flank steak yesterday, but decide today to streamline the process and just do a simpler single marinade.
Rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, black pepper, and chili paste (sambal oelek.)
And it worked quite well! Lots of oomph and lots of flavor.
An Asian-inspired flank steak needs an Asian-inspired vegetable to go along with it. I had green beans and peas in the freezer - the green beans won. I sauteed a bit of onion in sesame oil, added the beans and a splash of rice wine and soy sauce and a sprinkling of black sesame seeds.
And white rice. Yes, I know that brown rice is better for you, yada yada, yada, but white rice works so much better with Asian flavors.
I just used up the last of my favorite rice - Lundberg - and none of the local stores carry it, anymore. It's whole-grain rice with a really rich, nutty flavor and chewy texture. I bought up the last of it when the local PathMark stopped selling it.
However... the internet and free shipping means I'll be having more delivered next week right to the door. Every now and again, technology really makes me smile.
C'mon Spring! I'm seeing some nice rice salads in my (warmer-weather) future!