Asparagus and Beef Stir-fry

Asparagus is one of my favorite vegetable. I would buy it as often as I could. I usually roast them  seasoned with salt and pepper but it gets boring after a while. This vegetable is a bit pricey. On my weekly food shopping last Sunday, price was at $0.99/lb. It was a bargain. I had to include it in my dinner menu and so I came up with this dish. It is a fuss-free healthy recipe as a roasted asparagus and the result looks better than a Chinese take-out.

INGREDIENTS :

1/2 lb thinly sliced beef sirloin

1 lb asparagus, sliced into 2 in length

1 orange bell pepper (you can also use red or yellow bell pepper, sliced into thin strips

1/2 of a medium onion, sliced thin

1 medium carrots, sliced thin

4 medium fresh shitake or white mushrooms, sliced

2 stalks of scallions (white and greens separated)

2/3 cups of water

2 tbs soy sauce

1 small (3.7 g) beef bouillon

1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 tsp of water

1 tbs olive oil

salt and pepper

1/4 tsp sriracha or sambal oelek (optional)

1. Mix water, beef bouillon and soy sauce in a bowl and set aside.

2. Heat 1/2 tbs of olive oil in a skillet at high heat. Add onion and stir-fry for a minute. Add carrots, asparagus and bell pepper. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir-fry until cooked but still crisp. Transfer stir-fried vegetables in a bowl.

3. Add the remaining olive oil in the skillet and heat. Add beef and whites of the scallions.Stir-fry until beef is just about to turn brown.

4. Add the mushrooms, soy sauce mixture and sriracha or sambal oelek . Let the sauce boil. Adjust seasoning according to taste.

5. Return the stir-fried vegetables to the pan and mix. Add the cornstarch mixture and stir constantly until sauce thickens.

6. Turn of heat. Transfer to a plate and garnish with the remaining green parts of the scallions.

7. Serve with hot steamed rice.

Enjoy!

Beef Tacos

Tacos for dinner? Why not? It is a great way to bring fun in the dining table and deviate from the usual dinners.

This is so easy and fast to make. You only need to cook the beef which will take you less than 10 minutes. Serve the beef mixture and toppings in separate bowls and let everyone build their own tacos.

INGREDIENTS :
1 lb ground sirloin beef (I use 90%lean/10% fat)
12 jumbo taco shells (corn tortillas can also be used)
1 tbs olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
shredded lettuce (I recommend using the pre-shredded ones.It will save you the trouble of slicing, rinsing and drying it)
1- 8oz light sour cream
salsa
cheddar cheese, grated
canned refried beans as a side dish (optional)
avocados, diced (optional...sprinkle with lime or lemon immediately after cutting to prevent discoloration)

1. Heat oil in medium high heat. Saute onion until it becomes translucent. Add beef and cook until no longer pink.
2. Sprinkle with oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Stir.
3. Remove from heat and transfer to a plate. Cover plate with aluminum foil to keep it warm.
4. Warm taco shells or flour tortilla according to package direction.
5. Place the rest of the ingredients in separate bowls and lay them on the table.
6. Let everyone have fun in building their own tacos.
7. Serve with refried beans on the side, if desired.

Japchae

I was food shopping when I passed by the oriental aisle. I saw this interesting sauce called Japchae sauce(see photo below). It is a Korean product. Great! I love Korean food. I went ahead and bought it and figured out what to do with it later. Luckily, the label has a recipe in fine print.

I cooked this tonight and we ate it for dinner. It was good. The sauce is sweet and not spicy at all as I would expect for a Korean dish.

INGREDIENTS :
1 lb sirloin, sliced thin
8 oz rice stick (bihon)
9 oz spinach
2 stalks green onions
2 med carrots, sliced thin
1 small onion, sliced same size as carrots
4 large shitake (if using dried, soak in warm waterfor few hours until soft)
   or white mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup Japchae sauce
olive oil
1/4 tsp kosher salt
Sesame seeds for garnishing

1. Boil water in a pot and blanch spinach for about a minute. Remove spinach and set aside. Reserve water and use to cook rice stick. Return water to a boil and add rice stick. Cook for 3-5 mins. Drain.
2. Heat oil in pan in medium high heat. Saute onions and carrots. Sprinkle with salt. Saute for about 5 mins. Remove from pan and transfer to a plate.
3. Saute beef for 3 minutes. Add green onions, mushrooms and japchae sauce. Saute for another 3 min. Add the onions-carrots mixture. Turn off the heat.
4. Mix spinach and rice sticks into the beef and vegetable mixture.
5. Transfer to a plate. Garnish with sesame seeds and thinly sliced green onions.

Nilagang Baka (Beef and Vegetable Stew)

After eating restaurant food for 3 consecutive days, I started craving for a Filipino dish. This is the perfect dish that satisfied my craving. It is a comfort food.

It needs long hours to cook but it is so easy to prepare. Throw the ingredients in the pot, let the stove do its job, wait and be patient and voila...a meal that's worth the wait!

INGREDIENTS:
2 lbs beef shank, cut into 1 1/2 cubes
1/2 lb green beans
4 med potatoes, quartered
1 bunch bokchoy
1 whole head garlic, peeled
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 tbs kosher salt
1 tsp peppercorn
1 tsp patis (fish sauce)
2 cubes (3.7 g) beef bouillon (I use wyler's)
8 cups of water

1. Combine beef, garlic, onion, peppercorn, salt and water in a big pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let it simmer for about 2 to 3 hours or until beef is tender. Skim the fat as it is simmering.
2. Return to a boil and add the patis and beef bouillon. Adjust the seasoning according to your taste.
3. Add the potatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Add the green beans and bokchoy and cook for another 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
4. Serve with hot rice.