Saturday, June 30, 2012

Rolled Beef with Vegetables Inside

This is a meat dish in which colorful vegetables such as carrot, green beans and burdock root are wrapped inside slices of beef. Although served cool, the rolls are delicious and easy to eat hot! Try them for a party!
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
10 ounces (300g) lean beef, thinly sliced (ask your butcher to slice it)
  Substitution: pork, sliced as above
4 ounces (100g) carrot
4 ounces (100g) burdock root
To boil carrot and burdock root: 1/2 cup water, 1 tsp. sugar, 1 tsp. soy sauce
4 ounces (100g) green beans
Broth for cooking rolls: 1/4 cup water, 1 T. sake (rice wind) or dry white wine, 1 T. miring (sweet rice wine for cooking), 3 T. soy sauce
Cornstarch or potato starch for dusting meat
1 T. vegetable oil for sautéing
4 sprigs watercress, as garnish

Preparation:
1. Scrape carrot and cut lengthwise into strips about 6 inches long and roughly 1/4 inch square.
2. Scrape the thin, brown skin off burdock root with the back of a knife, and cut crosswise, then lengthwise, into strips of the same size as carrot. Soak in water containing 1 tsp. vinegar for 5 minutes immediately after cutting to prevent discoloring. Drain and rinse off vinegar.
3. Bring to boil 1/4 cup water containing 1 tsp. each of sugar and soy sauce, add carrot and burdock root, and boil until done, or about 5 minutes.
4. Cut off tips from green beans and remove strings. Bring 2 cups water containing 1/4 tsp. salt to a boil, and parboil beans in pot without lid until tender, or about 3 minutes, and drain. Cool quickly under running water and drain.
5. Cut beef slices into 2 inch wide strips. The length will vary according to the size of your slices.
6. Spread beef on chipboard and sift cornstarch lightly over the upturned part only.
7. Make several bunches of vegetables using 2 pieces each of burdock root, carrot strips and green beans.
8. Put one bunch of vegetables on the dusted side of each slice of beef and roll. Fix last wrap with toothpick so they will not come apart when cooked. Make several rolls. dust outside of each lightly with cornstarch or potato starch.

Cooking:
1. Heat pan with 1 T. vegetable oil over high heat, and sauté beef rolls until slightly browned all over, turning over occasionally.
2. Add broth. When it begins to simmer, reduce heat to low, and continue to sauté about 5 minutes, turning rolls over continuously until well-flavored and well-coated with sauce, then turn off heat.

Serving:
After the rolls have cooled slightly, cut each crosswise into 1 to 2 inch thick rounds. Serve several pieces on each person's plate, and pour remaining sauce on top. Watercress makes a good garnish for these rolls.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Flour less chewy chocolate cookies

3 cups powdered sugar 2/3 cup coco powder 1/4 t salt 3 egg whites 1 T vanilla 1cup chocolate chips Mix dry ingredients. Add vanilla and egg white and mix until just moist. Chill for 5 min befor baking bake at 350 for 7-8 min.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Cilantro and Lime Butter Grilled Corn


I got this recipe from my friends blog.  She posted it a couple months ago and I have been dying to try it ever since.  So did and it was AMAZING! Seriously I think I may have a hard time going back to just plain corn...
The picture of the corn from her blog wasnt working so this will do i guess... It just doesnt show the cheese.


1 cup packed chopped fresh cilantro 
1 stick unsalted butter, room temp
1/2 tsp. finely grated lime zest 
2 tsp. fresh lime juice 
Coarse salt 
12 ears of corn, husked
Grated cotija or parmesan cheese for sprinkling (I actually didnt have either when I have made it the past 2 times so next time I really want to try one.) 

Directions
Puree cilantro, butter, lime zest, lime juice & 1/2 tsp. salt in food processor (I used the blendtec and it was fine but I bet a food processor would have worked a lot better).

Heat grill to medium-high. Brush corn with some of the cilantro butter (don't be shy load it on its so good!) & season with salt. Grill corn, turning occasionally, until nicely charred and bright in color. About 12-15 minutes. Remove from grill and brush corn again with remaining cilantro butter. Sprinkle generously with cheese. Serve warm.

Delicious Soy Sauce Marinade


This marinade is SO yummy! I got the recipe from our friends Jeff and Holly.  they had us over and made some chicken for us that was just delicious!!  I just used it the other day with chicken breasts and thighs.  I did marinate it for like 24 hours and it did not disappoint! But Im sure it would still be good just over night or made in the morning.

1 Cup Olive oil
1/2 Cup Soy Sauce
Freshly Squeezed Juice of 2 Limes(1/3-1/2 Cup)
3 Cloves of Garlic, pressed ( Ijust used the bottled minced-about 1-1/14 tsp)
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
1/2-1 tsp Tobasco Sauce
2-3 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 tsp Mrs. Dash( I just used Lawrys Seasoned Salt)

Whisk all ingredients together and add your meat!

SALADS


Ok so I have really pondered about how to post these recipes because they arent really "recipes".  More of just ideas for some salads that I have done for lunch lately that I dont want to forget.  So I guess I will just get right into it.  I have four different ones.  They are pretty similar but still different enough that I will do all 4.

Most of these ideas have come from a salad that mom made about 3 months ago that was the most amazing salad I have ever had! She didnt put dressing on it and it was just so yummy with out! So I didnt put dressing on any of these salads because I like it without but you could do whatever dressing sounds good to you. So this first one is like the one Mom made but not exactly since I didnt have all of the ingredients but I will put what she did as well...


#1
Romaine Lettuce
Spring mix
Baked beets peeled and sliced
Boiled/sliced and salted red potatoes( mom did fingerling potatoes but they are more pricey... I still liked the red just as much but they arent as fun since some fingerlings are multi colored)
Gorgonzola cheese
Sautéed mushrooms and onions



-- Moms other addins
Cherry tomatoes
Steak sliced thin...I think that is everything. Mom if there is anything else please add it on :)

#2
Romaine lettuce
Spring Mix
Sautéed mushrooms and onions
Baked beets Peeled and sliced

Gorgonzola Cheese
Leftover baked asparagus(toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, italian seasoning. bake for 10-12 min 350-400 so yummy!)
Leftover sliced chicken (Marinated in Costcos Veri Veri terryaki sauce for about 6 hrs then grilled)



#3
Romaine lettuce
Spring mix
Baked beets peeled and sliced
Sauteed mushrooms and onions
Gorgonzola cheese
Leftover Salmon Grilled with Konriko Creole seasoning
Leftover Multigrain rice from Costco


#4
Spring Mix
Sauteed mushrooms and onions(Apparently I like this...and I just made a bunch of it when I did it so I       needed to use it up some how :)
Leftover grilled corn cut off the cob.  (before grilling brush on soy sauce and keep basting with soy sauce while grilling)
Leftover Chicken marinated in Delicious Soy Sauce Marinade
A couple spoonfuls of cottage cheese
A little bit of Feta Cheese