Chinese Beef with Broccoli

Found this recipe for Beef with Broccoli on the Food Network.   It's really simple to make and it tastes great.  I used the scrap meat from a beef tenderloin that I had cleaned.  The meat is extremely tender and quite yummy.  I also marinated the meat overnight, which really allowed the meat to absorb the flavor of the marinade and made it even more tender.  It literally melted in your mouth.  I opted out of using tomatoes because my hubby doesn't like them.  But I don't think that it took away from the dish.  I served it over Basmati Brown Rice.  Give it a try, it's definitely Good Eats!!

Thai Pork and Noodles

This dish is awesome, easy to make and fairly quick, about 40 minutes.  Thai Pork and Noodles from the Food Network Kitchen. At first when I tasted it, it kind of took me by surprise. I wasn't familiar with the combination of flavors.  After each bite it got better and better and the heat was a creeper.  By the time I finished,  I was sweating and I went thru several towels for my runny nose.  If you like heat and intense flavor I would definitely suggest that you give it a try.  Oh, instead of using thin pork chops I used  a 1.5 lb pork tenderloin that I had brined over night and sliced it into thin strips that I stir fried to medium well. Good Eats!!

Beef Stir Fry

I went to Jungle Jim's over the weekend and picked up some really great veggies and really nice sized beef tenderloin.  If you've never been there you should definitely go, but be prepared to spend at least 1/2 day and lots of money when you go.  Like I said I picked up this 7 lb beef tenderloin that had to be prepared by cutting off the fat, silver skin and just misc stuff.  I watched a video on you tube to learn how to prepare it.  Anyway, after cleaning up the tenderloin, I saved the leftover pieces for my beef stir fry.  Yes, we used about 1.5 lbs of beef tenderloin in our stir fry tonight.  Mmm!!!  First thing I did when I got  home was to place the meat in the freezer for about 15 minutes (makes it easier to cut  into thin strips).  I got my medium grained rice going (I usually use basmati, but I found that the medium grain rice cooks up really starchy and really absorbs the juices of the stir fry).  I've done many stir fry's sauces, but tonight I decided to go online and try this Basic Stir Fry Sauce.  I doubled the batch and also added to it 1 1tsp of honey and 1/8 C more of the chicken broth.  The sauce becomes very thick, so you'll probably need to add some extra water or broth.  For my stir fry I used green beans, sugar snaps, onions, mushrooms, red pepper, jalapenos, celery, carrots, and broccoli.  I stir fried the veggies in 1tbs of canola oil for about 5 minutes, removed from the wok and added my beef and stir fried it for until almost cooked thru.  I drained off the juices and added the veggies back into the wok with the beef, stirred it and stirred in about 3/4 of the stir fry sauce.  I continued to stir fry for about 5 minutes, removed from the heat and served it over the rice in these really cute little bowls that were made by a local potter that we got in Yellow Springs, OH.  I love how the chop sticks rest on the bowls.  BTW, don't forget to season your beef with S&P before you stir fry.  I forgot to season it and the flavor was rather bland.  Overall, it was good, but it would've been even better if I had seasoned the beef.  Bon Appetit

Moo Goo Gai Pan

I like this dish because the flavors are simple and it falls in the line of a comfort food "chinese style". The sauce is thick and yummy and compliment the chicken and mushrooms so well.  You will need: 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into thin strips that you marinade in: 2 tbs soy sauce, 1 tbs dry sherry, a few drops of sesame oil and 1 tbs cornstarch. Be sure to mix the ingredients for the marinade in order and add your chicken, set aside for about 15 minutes.

 Meanwhile, for your veggies you will need 8 oz pkg button mushrooms sliced, 1 small can of bamboo shoots and sliced water chestnuts rinsed and drained, 1 small head of bok choy using only the green part thinly sliced, 1 tbs minced ginger, 1 garlic clove minced.

For the sauce you will need: 3/4 C chicken stock, 2 tbs oyster sauce ( found in the Asian section of your market), 1 tsp sugar, 1 tbs cornstarch- mix together & set aside.

You will also need 3 tbs of canola oil for the stir fry.

 Heat large skillet or wok over medium heat  and add 2 tablespoons oil. Add the chicken and stir-fry until it changes color and is nearly cooked through. Remove and set aside.

Add 1 tablespoon oil back to skillet or wok and add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry briefly. Add the mushrooms and bok choy and stir-fry for about 5-7 minutes until mushrooms are cooked through, then add bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts. Stir-fry briefly. Give the sauce a quick restir, then make a well in the middle of the skillet or wok and add sauce. Cook, stirring, until the sauce is thickened.
Return chicken to wok. Mix together and serve hot over rice. Bon Appetit!