Quick Stir Fry

This is my "grab all leftover veggies and make a one-bowl meal" stir fry. So this week my leftover veggies happened to ALL be green, so it's not a rainbow of color but still tasted really good. I'll add some suggestions of other vegetables that would work well if you're looking for more variety. :) 

One of the ingredients used in the stir fry sauce may not be one you already have in your pantry. But it is so worth having for this sauce alone since it makes for such a quick, easy meal. It is called mirin and it is a Japanese rice cooking wine. It adds some sweetness to the salty soy sauce and the nutty sesame oil. It's a really good balance. And did I mention easy? 

This will become a theme on this blog I'm sure, but one thing I love about this recipe is that I can chop all the veggies and protein and mix up the sauce earlier in the day and just stir fry it up right at dinner time. Enjoy!

Quick Stir Fry

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. hard tofu, cut into long strips or cubes OR chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1/4 c. vegetable oil
• 1 c. broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 c. broccoli stem, peeled and sliced into thin 2-3 in. long pieces
• 1 c. string beans, cut into bite-sized pieces 
• (other great stir fry veggies: red bell pepper, corn kernels, edamame, bamboo, water chestnuts, carrots, etc.)
  
• 2 c. white rice, cooked with package instructions
• Stir fry sauce (recipe below)
• Salt/Pepper

Stir Fry Sauce Ingredients:
Mix together in a bowl. Set aside.

• 2 T. sesame oil
• 4 T. mirin
• 4 T. soy sauce
• 1-2 pinches of red pepper flakes

Directions:

1. Make rice according the package directions.
2. Heat oil in 12 in non-stick skillet or a wok, if you have one, over med-hi heat.
3. Prep your protein. I used tofu this week, but chicken is great too. Cut tofu to desired size, pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 
4. When oil is shimmering but not smoking, place tofu in the pan. Do not stir until one side is browned. Once browned, flip all pieces to the other side. Continue until all sides are browned. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Set aside. (Brown chicken the same way until cooked through)
   
   
   
   
5. Add more oil, if needed, to cover the bottom of the pan. When oil is heated to med-hi again, add firmer veggies to the pan such as broccoli and carrots. Cook until brightly colored and slightly less firm. 
6. Push those veggies to the edges of the pan, making a circle in the middle. Add softer veggies, such as bamboo, bell pepper, corn, etc. Fry in the middle for a 1-2 min., then stir all veggies together until they have reached the desired firmness/softness. We like ours to still have a tiny crunch, definitely not mushy and overcooked.
7. Add your protein back to the pan and mix in until all is heated through. 
8. Pour sauce into the pan and mix until incorporated. 
9. Remove from heat. 
10. Place a scoop of rice into each bowl. Spoon stir fry and sauce over rice. Serve hot. 

Salsa Verde Cruda (by Pati Jinich)

Once upon a time, I lived in Mexico and loved, loved, loved homemade green salsas. Then I moved back to the States, bought jarred green salsas, hated them, and gave up on green salsa in general. What a MISTAKE!

 

First let me say how much I adore Pati Jinich, both her show on PBS and her recipes. This recipe is barely even adapted by me because I just love it the way it is.

Secondly, this is the easiest salsa recipe I have ever made. No cooking required...just ingredients and a food processor or blender! The flavors are fresh, bright/tangy, spicy, and creamy. We put this stuff on everything: tacos, eggs, salads, chips, nachos, etc. I pretty much keep it in my fridge at all times. Enjoy!

Salsa Verde Cruda  

from Pati's Mexican Table

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. tomatillos, husked, rinsed, quartered (they have sticky skin once husks are removed, so be sure to rinse)
  
• 1 avocado, pit removed
• 1-2 T white onion, in rough chunks
• 1-2 serrano or jalapeno chiles, depending on desired heat
• 3/4 tsp. coarse kosher salt

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine the tomatillos, avocado meat, onion, chiles, and salt. I usually add one chile, run the food processor, taste for heat, then add more chiles if I want.
2. Cover and pulse the food processor 4-5 times, then run until smooth.
3. Enjoy on everything!

Spicy Pork Congee

First let me say, sometimes it's a miracle when I remember to snap pictures of the different steps of cooking recipes. The number of times I need to leave the cook top to grab a snack, find a toy, break up a fight, wipe some tears, or look at the amazing milk puddle that looks like an elephant (true story)...there's too many to count. All that to say, just getting the meal made and on a plate is a feat. Just know that I understand that if you are cooking with small children around, I get that the struggle is real. 

So today's dish is a kind of rice porridge. There are endless variations of this across countries, and I have been making this particular recipe for a couple of years now. Congee is SO satisfying on cold winter days, not that we have many of those here in South Texas. So if you're looking for an alternative to soup but still want comfort food, this is it. It is a mixture of rich and bright flavors- and bonus! you can make it as spicy (or not so spicy) as you want, depending on your audience. AND it's easy. Can't go wrong with this one. As an aside, this is only the beginning of showcasing my love of all things pork shoulder. Enjoy!

Spicy Pork Congee
Adapted from Food and Wine Magazine

Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 c long grain, white rice (rinsed)
• 7 c chicken stock
• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt, plus more for seasoning at the end
• 1 in of ginger, peeled and chopped fine
• 2 T vegetable oil
• 1 lb pork shoulder, trimmed of thick layers of fat (there will still be fat marbling left behind, also known as deliciousness), cut into 1/2 in cubes
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 T fish sauce (or soy sauce, if preferred)
• Chili garlic sauce, to taste
• Cilantro for garnish, if desired (my husband is among those that think cilantro tastes like soap, so you'll rarely see me actually use this herb. But it is tasty to many of us, so I suggest trying it. :))

Directions:

1. Make sure cubing the pork shoulder and prepping the ginger are the first things you do. This will make the rest of the meal prep easy and quick!
   
2. Start preheating the oil in a non-stick 12in skillet to med-hi heat.
3. While the oil is heating, place rinsed rice, stock, salt and ginger in a stockpot on a separate burner from skillet. Heat on high until boiling, then reduce to a simmer, uncovered.
4. While you wait for the rice to boil, place the pork shoulder cubes and garlic in the preheated oil. Be careful not to crowd the pan, and don't stir the pork until the first side is browned. This seals in flavor and moisture. Then stir to allow other sides to brown. This will take about 10 min. 
   
5. Remove pan from heat and stir in fish sauce. 
   
6. By now your rice should be at a simmer. Now you can add the pork shoulder, drippings/sauce and all to the stockpot with the rice. 
   
7. Allow to simmer, stirring periodically, for 30-45 min. Rice will want to stick to the bottom if you forget to stir every once in a while. 
8. Once the congee has thickened to almost a thick, stew-like consistency and rice is beginning to break up a bit when you stir it, it's ready to remove from the heat. Stir in as little or as much chili garlic sauce as you like. About 2 T worth. We love bold flavors, so I add a lot. Season with extra salt to taste. 

   

   I've used up most of this one, but this gives you an
    idea of what to look for in the Asian foods aisle

9. Serve hot.
10. Optional: Garnish bowls of congee with sprigs of cilantro.

*Congee thickens A LOT once it has cooled. When eating left overs the next day, just mix in a little water until it's as soupy as you want it again. 

Roasted Beets with Blue Cheese and Pecans

I've never been a huge fan of beets. My mom used to make apple beet juice and all I tasted was dirt. Sorry, Mom! The earthiness of the beets didn't appeal to me, but I love these beets. No dirt flavor to be found! This recipe makes the stained red fingertips worth it. The balance of salty, nutty, tangy, and a sweet finish is so delicious. The cook time may seem a bit long, but it is mostly hands-off time. The bulk of the work is the peeling and slicing at the end. Enjoy!

Roasted Beets with Blue Cheese and Pecans
Adapted from America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients:

• 4 medium beets, scrubbed and green removed
• 1-2 T vegetable oil
• salt and pepper for sprinkling
• 1/4 c pecans (or walnuts, if desired), chopped and toasted
• 2 T red wine vinegar
• 1/4 c blue cheese

Directions:

1. With oven rack in middle position, preheat to 400 degrees. Individually wrap each beet in foil. Place them on a foil lined baking sheet. 
   
2. Roast in foil packages for about 50-60 min. (My beets were on the larger size, so I ended up leaving them in for about 70 min.) When a skewer inserts easily into the beets, they are cooked through. 
   
3. While beets are roasting, place chopped pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast for 5 min, stirring frequently. Set in a bowl to the side for later. 
   
4. After removing from the oven, allow the beets to cool in the foil for 10 minutes or more. Then unwrap carefully, letting steam escape. 
5. Rub off the skin using paper towels. They should slip off pretty easily. Slice the beets into 1/4in rounds and brush with oil. Arrange the slices on a serving dish. 
   
6. Season with salt/pepper to taste. Sprinkle red wine vinegar over all the beets and top with blue cheese and pecans. (I served these room temperature to warmish. They could also be served chilled.)

Beef Pho

Pho is my husband's favorite dish, which makes it super intimidating. Mostly because I love when he loves the food I make. And who wants to screw up the dish your husband grew up eating and you only tried for the first time in your twenties? So I've shied away from attempting to make it for a long time, plus some of my in-laws make awesome bowls of Pho themselves so I haven't needed to really step up to the plate.  

Then I saw a recipe for a slow-cooker Pho on a Lucky Peach blog post. Sold! Something in me just needed to make this. It didn't hurt that when I mentioned I would be making it to my 4 year old, he started jumping up and down. This kid loves him some Pho.

I took this recipe and tweaked it based on some things I've learned from my husband's family about the dish and just having been around the ingredients for the past ten years or so. Enjoy!

Pho Tai (Beef Noodle Soup)

adapted from Lucky Peach

Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 large yellow onion, sliced into ½” rounds
• 1 piece (2") fresh ginger, peeled and halved lengthwise
• 1 t vegetable oil
• 2 lbs chuck short ribs
• 1 lb sirloin, sliced very thin
• kosher salt for sprinkling
• 2 whole star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick (3")
• 4 whole cloves
• 8 C beef broth (low-sodium)
• 1-2 small pieces rock candy
• 1–2 T fish sauce
• flat rice noodles (banh pho noodles) I used rice vermicelli because I was in a bind and couldn't find the correct kind locally. Definitely not as good, but you do what you can.

Garnishes:

• mung bean sprouts
• white onion, sliced thin
• scallion, sliced thin, green part only
• thai basil
• cilantro
• thai chilis, sliced in thin rounds
• lime quarters
• sriracha and hoisin sauce   

Directions:

• Heat the broiler and place sliced onions and ginger on a foil lined baking sheet. Brush foil and onion and ginger with oil. Broil until slightly charred, about 8-10 minutes.
• Season the short ribs with some salt and add to the slow cooker. Add the cinnamon, star anise, cloves, onions, ginger, and beef broth on top. 
  
• Cover and cook on high for 4 hrs. Turn off slow cooker and let meat rest for about 10 minutes. Remove the ribs and take meat off the bone. Set aside. Pour broth through a strainer into a stock pot. Discard solids. Let broth sit and skim fat from the surface. 
• Return broth to a simmer and add fish sauce and rock candy slowly, tasting until there is a good balance of salty and a slight sweetness. 
• Prepare the rice noodles according to package directions. Drain and place in bowls. 
• Slice meat into bite-size pieces. Add rib meat to the bowls with noodles. You can also add raw sirloin on top. Ladle boiling broth over meat and noodles until sirloin in cooked through. Serve with garnishes. Don't forget the lime! You'll thank me later. :) The added acidity takes the broth to the next level.
  

*This pic is of my husband's bowl.  He doesn't opt to add all the "greens".