Spicy Tangerine Beef

So tonight for dinner the husband decided he wanted to make this asian beef dish.  It can be fun to cook together, so I got on sauce mixing detail while he handled the slicing and chopping.  I like trying recipes from my favorite Food Network chefs like Tyler Florence or Bobby Flay, but I've never made anything by Guy Fieri.  I figured this was as good a time as ever.

A couple of modifications:
*The grocery store didn't have tangerines, so I used half an orange.
*We like things a bit spicy, so I used 1.5 tablespoons Sriracha chile sauce.
*I wanted some vegetables, so I added some nice springtime asparagus tips.
*Flank steak has gotten really expensive in my neighborhood, so I just bought some cheap, grainy meat - I think a think sliced chuck steak.
*Next time, I would cook the sauce separately, then add it to the dish in the amount you want.  This made a LOT of sauce, and took longer than expected to cook down. 


Spicy Tangerine Beef
By Guy Fieri

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 pound flank steak or tri-tip, cut in thin strips on the bias
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon chili sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup freshly squeezed tangerine juice
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
3 scallions, chopped
1/4 tangerine, zested
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Directions:

1)  In a resealable plastic bag combine the soy sauce and cornstarch and mix well. Add beef, cover, and let marinate for 20 minutes in the refrigerator.

2) Whisk together the sherry, hoisin, honey, chili sauce, soy sauce, and tangerine juice until completely combined.

3) In large pan or wok, heat oil on high. Add the ginger and beef and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Then add sauce mixture and cook for another 2 minutes on medium heat until sauce thickens. Serve on warm platter, garnish with scallions, tangerine zest and sesame seeds.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/guy-fieri/spicy-tangerine-beef-recipe/index.html

Vegetable Breakfast Hash

A few weeks ago, a friend and I went to this great Mexican restaurant in Manhattan, Crema.  I had a chayote cream soup that was out of this world.  Ever since, I've been thinking about chayotes. 

The only other time I could remember eating them was on vacation in Costa Rica, where they were an ingredient in our breakfast "hash browns."  When I saw some in my grocery store on my last shopping trip, I went ahead and picked one up.  I've never cooked with one before, but I figured I'd try to recreate my Costa Rican breakfast, which couldn't be too difficult.

If you're unfamiliar with them, chayotes are a type of squash, with a mild flavor, crisp texture. They're also a good source of vitamin C.

Chayote Vegetable Hash

Ingredients:
1/3 cup diced chayote squash
1/4 cup diced potato
1/4 cup diced onion
1-2 cloves chopped garlic
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground cumin
salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp oil
1 egg

1) Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat.
2) Add vegetables and seasonings, saute for 5-10 minutes
3) Gather vegetables into a mound in the center of the skillet.  Crack the egg onto the vegetable mound.
4) Cover, cook until egg is at desired doneness.

Serves 1

Passover snack

I was invited to my first Passover Seder tonight.  I wanted to bring something, but I  wasn't sure what would be approriate.  I went to foodnetwork.com, as they are a reliable source of holiday menus.  One caveat: check with your host about kosher requirements.  Even if you use kosher ingredients, if the dish is prepared in a kitchen that isn't kosher, your host and the other guests might not be able to eat it.

Chocolate-Dipped Apricots

Ingredients
1/3 cup sugar
2 strips lemon zest
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
24 dried apricots (about 1/4 pound)
2 ounces kosher for Passover bittersweet (not unsweetened) chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped peeled pistachios

Directions

1) Line a baking sheet with wax paper and place a wire rack on top.

2) Combine sugar, lemon zest, cinnamon stick and water in a small saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 3 minutes. Add apricots and gently simmer just until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the apricots with a slotted spoon to the rack. Let cool completely.

3) Melt chocolate in a small metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Dip half of a poached apricot in the chocolate, letting excess drip off. Sprinkle some chopped pistachios over the chocolate half and return the apricot to the rack. Repeat with the remaining apricots.

4)Refrigerate until the chocolate has set, about 20 minutes.

Find the recipe here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/eating-well/chocolate-dipped-apricots-recipe/index.html

Hot Chocolate and Homemade Marshmallows

It’s been a cold winter here in New York. One of my favorite ways to warm up is to snuggle in a blanket on the couch with a mug of hot chocolate. My husband likes hot chocolate, too, but he wants to go all out and have it topped with marshmallows. He asked me about making homemade marshmallows, and I figured I’d give it a try. I had been intrigued by the idea since watching an episode of “Good Eats” a couple years ago. I decided to look up Alton Brown’s recipe and give it a whirl. My notes are in [brackets].  The recipe can also be found here.  If you prefer something a bit less sweet, add a dash or two of chili powder to the hot chocolate.  Delicious!

Ingredients

3 packages unflavored gelatin [the box I bought contained 4 packets. Don’t buy 3 boxes!]
1 cup ice cold water, divided
12 ounces granulated sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
Nonstick spray

Directions

1) Place the gelatin into the bowl of a stand mixer along with 1/2 cup of the water. Have the whisk attachment standing by.

2) In a small saucepan combine the remaining 1/2 cup water, granulated sugar, corn syrup and salt. Place over medium high heat, cover and allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover, clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Once the mixture reaches this temperature, immediately remove from the heat.

3) Turn the mixer on low speed and, while running, slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture. Once you have added all of the syrup, increase the speed to high. Continue to whip until the mixture becomes very thick and is lukewarm, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. [this seems like a long time, but you really need to whip the air into this mixture.] Add the vanilla during the last minute of whipping. While the mixture is whipping prepare the pans as follows:

4) Combine the confectioners' sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Lightly spray a 13 by 9-inch metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add the sugar and cornstarch mixture and move around to completely coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Return the remaining mixture to the bowl for later use.

5) When ready, pour the mixture into the prepared pan, using a lightly oiled spatula for spreading evenly into the pan. Dust the top with enough of the remaining sugar and cornstarch mixture to lightly cover. Reserve the rest for later. Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

6) Turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board and cut into 1-inch squares using a pizza wheel dusted with the confectioners' sugar mixture. [I just used a chef’s knife, as I don’t have a pizza cutter. Make sure you keep the blade dusted, or you’re going to have a sticky mess. Actually, you’ll still probably have a sticky mess.] Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining mixture, using additional if necessary. [An easy way to do this is all the marshmallows, alternating a few at a time with the cornstarch mix, to a large freezer bag. Seal it and shake until they’re covered.]

7) Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

Dijon Ham Braid

This is a quick recipe that I’ve been making since I started cooking at about 14. I think it came from my mom’s Better Homes & Gardens cookbook, but I really can’t be sure.  I served it with just a green salad for a light meal.  If you want something a bit heartier, add a simple baked potato.  I love it because it looks kinda fancy, but is so simple!  Puff pastry is your friend - tell us how you like to use it best.


Dijon Ham Braid

Ingredients:
½ package (17.5 oz. size) frozen puff pastry
3 oz. cream cheese
1 tbsp milk
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 cups chopped ham
1 cup frozen peas
1 egg yolk

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2) Lay pastry out on ungreased cookie sheet
3) Make 2 inch cuts at 1 inch intervals along the two long sides of the pastry
4) Heat cream cheese, milk, and mustard over medium heat until smooth
5) Add ham and peas to cheese mixture
6) Spoon onto pastry, and fold sides over in a criss-cross pattern
7) Mix egg yolk with water and brush over top.  This will give it a nice golden brown top when it's done.
8) Crack some black pepper on top, if desired
9) Bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

A Yummy Taste Of Fall

Yesterday I was attending a meeting here on Fort Knox. I asked if I can bring anything. They said I could bring a dessert if I want, so I looked for one that fits the season. I found a really good recipe for a Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting in one of my cookbooks.

It turned out really tasty, though I made some changes. I used a 15-oz can of pumpkin. Somehow recipes always call for 16-oz cans but I've never seen those at a store. Also I used 2 cups and 2 tablespoons of cake flour instead of regular flour. It just makes cakes lighter.

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting:

4 eggs
1 c. canola or vegetable oil
1 2/3 c. sugar
1 (16oz) can solid pack pumpkin (not the pie filling)
2 c. flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda

For Frosting:

1 (3 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. butter, softened
2 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Beat eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin. Stir dry ingredients - flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and baking soda, Add to the beaten mixture a little at a time. Beat until smooth. Bake 25 to 30 minutes in ungreased 13x9x2 inch pan. Let cool before frosting.

Frosting: Cream butter, vanilla and cream cheese. Add powdered sugar a little at a time. Beat until smooth.

Couscous Salad

Well, it's been a while since I posted recipes. Either I didn't have the time to do so, or I got my post ready and the computer decided to sabotage me. But now I'm hopefully back on track to give you some tasty recipes.

My husband and I love couscous. We like it just cooked and with some olive oil as a side, but I wanted to try something new. So I searched recipes and found the following recipe for a salad on www.foodnetwork.com. I hope you're gonna enjoy it as much as we did.

Curried Couscous Salad with Dried Sweet Cranberries (Recipe courtesy Dave Lieberman)

1 (5.8-ounce) box instant couscous
3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 orange, juiced
2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 to 4 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced on an angle
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1/2 lemon, juiced
3/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (I used almonds)
Freshly ground pepper

Directions
Stir the couscous, cranberries, curry powder, salt, and sugar together in a heatproof bowl. Bring water (amount will be listed on package directions) to a boil and pour it over the couscous. Add the orange juice. Give it a big stir, cover the bowl tightly and let it stand, giving it a big stir once or twice, until the water is absorbed and the couscous is tender, about 5 minutes.

Fluff up the couscous with a fork. Add the olive oil, scallions, parsley, lemon juice, and walnuts. Stir around until everything is distributed evenly throughout the couscous. Make up to 2 hours ahead of time and keep at room temperature until you're ready to serve. Check the seasonings just before you serve the salad and add salt and pepper, to taste.

Note: To toast the walnuts, spread them out on a baking sheet and bake in a 400 degree F oven until they turn a shade darker, about 8 minutes.