Crispy Orange Beef

Adapted from the Shun Lee Cookbook by Michael Tong & Elaine Louie. The original recipe calls for about half of the amount of sauce I made, and I don't think it came out too saucy... So I say go for it!

Ingredients:

• 8 oz flank steak, cut into pieces 1"x1/2"x1/4" (very thinly sliced...)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 orange
• 4 Tbs sugar
• 4 Tbs red wine vinegar
• 2 Tbs rice wine
• 2 Tbs soy sauce
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 1 c cornstarch
• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
• 3 scallions, white part only, sliced
• 1 tsp dark sesame oil
• juice of 1 orange
• 1/4 tsp hot chile paste

1. Mix steak, baking soda and 3 Tbs water in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours (to tenderize the meat)

2. Remove the peel of the orange with a veggie pealer. Cut the zest into thin strips. Slice the rest of the orange in half and set aside.

3. To begin the sauce, mix sugar, vinegar, rice wine, soy sauce and 2 tsp cornstarch in a bowl. Set aside.

4. Heat a large wok over high heat with about 1 1/2" of vegetable oil in it. Bring oil to 375 degrees.

5. Combine beef, 1 c cornstarch, and lightly beaten eggwhite. It will be kind of dry, but coat the meat.

6. Add the steak to the oil one piece at a time so it doesn't splash or stick together. Stir gently until it begins to look crispy (this happens quickly). Remove steak from oil and put in a colander to drain. Fry the rest of the beef in batches.

7. Remove most of the oil, leave 1-2 Tbs in the wok. Add sauce mixture, orange zest, scallions, sesame oil, orange juice, chile paste, and beef. Stir-fry until all of the ingredients are blended, about 30 seconds.

Bourbon Peppered Steak

A take-out classic brought home. Joe Barbutes on sauce, ladies and gentlemen.

Ingredients:

• 1/2-3/4 lb sliced steak
• 1 c dry long grain rice
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped into 3/4" squares
• 8 oz mushrooms (I used miatake. Use whatever...)
• 1 sweet onion, chopped into 3/4" squares
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3 T canola oil
• 1/4 c soy sauce
• 1/4 c brown sugar, loose
• 1/4 c Jack Daniels
• 1/2 beef stock
• crushed black pepper

Directions:
1. Combine 1 c rice and 2 c water in a pan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to LOW, cover, and let simmer untouched for 15 minutes.

2. Chop onion and garlic, add to a frying pan over medium heat with canola oil. Saute 5-8 minutes until onions soften. Add mushrooms and bell peppers. Saute another 5-8 minutes until veggies are al dente. Set aside in a medium bowl.

3. Meanwhile, pat dry beef with paper towel. Season with black pepper. Increase heat in frying pan to Med-High and add beef. Brown for 5-6 minutes, turning occasionally so it browns on all sides. Remove from heat.

4. In a mixing bowl, combine soy, sugar, and bourbon.

5. Add beef stock to frying pan to deglaze the pan. Add bourbon sauce mixture to pan and boil on high for 10 minutes, stirring constantly.


6. Reduce heat to low, add beef and vegetables. Let simmer for 8-10 minutes. Serve over rice.

Won Ton Soup

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb ground sausage
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped green onion
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger root
• 24 (3.5 inch square) wonton wrappers
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1/8 cup finely chopped green onion

Directions:

1. In a large bowl combine sausage, sugar, wine, soy sauce, 1 teaspoon chopped green onion and ginger. Blend well, and let stand for 25 to 30 minutes.







2. Place about one teaspoon of the filling at the center of each wonton skin. Moisten all 4 edges of wonton wrapper with water, then pull the top corner down to the bottom, folding the wrapper over the filling to make a triangle. Press edges firmly to make a seal. Bring left and right corners together above the filling. Overlap the tips of these corners, moisten with water and press together. Continue until all wrappers are used.





 





3. Bring the chicken stock to a rolling boil. Drop wontons in, and cook for 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped green onion, and serve.

Chron-Tons

I've been holding onto this recipe for weeks because I couldn't think of a name for this odd and delightful creation that evolved in my kitchen one evening. I know this combo sounds a little odd, but you're going to be sorry if you miss out on these scrumptious little wontons!!


Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb fresh mozzarella
• 2 T pesto
• 1 avocado, split in half, seed removed, and removed from the peel
• 15 wonton squares
• 1 egg, beaten

Directions:
1. In a bowl, combine a hunk of mozzarella, the avocado and pesto. Squish them all together with your hands until it's a little chunky, but mostly creamy. I suppose you could do this with a food processor, but I don't have one :(   [There is one on my wedding registry at Macys.com, along with many other wonderful kitchen gadgets. I hope for my kitchen to be renovated in any style but "dark ages" after the wedding!]

2. Lay out wonton squares and place 1 T of filling in just off center in each one. You then line two edges of the wonton with egg wash and fold it in half diagonally. Take the two ends of the hypotenuse (I don't know how else to describe this...) / aka don't grab the right angle, grab the two smaller angles, and pull them together away from the right angle.  And in case my genius geometric description didn't make that perfectly clear (I never liked geometry...), here's a photograph from the wonton wrapper!



3. Fry them at 350 for 1-2 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Move from heat onto a paper towel lined plate, and let cool for a few minutes.










NOTE: These don't reheat very well, as most fried items do not. So, get'em while the gettin's good!

Spring Roll Stir Fry

I recreated a greasy Chinese food favorite as a healthy summer dish :)

Ingredients:
1 c long grain rice
2 c water

Blurry picture- sorry!

Ginger dressing/ Some type of sweet Asian sauce from the grocery store.
1/4 of a cabbage, coarsely chopped
1/3 c shredded carrots
1/4 of a large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped or smashed
1 T olive oil

1/4 lb raw peeled shrimp
1 T olive oil
1/2 c panko break crumbs
1/3 c canola oil


Directions:
Combine rice and water, bring to a rolling boil, reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes. Then just turn it off until the stir fry is done.

Heat a frying pan or wok with medium heat. Combine olive oil, garlic and onion in pan, saute 3 minutes. Increase heat to high and immediately add cabbage. Let the cabbage cook down, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. It should be warm throughout but still crunchy. Add the carrots just at the end, so they stay crunchy. Toss in the sauce and let sit until your shrimp is done.

Heat canola oil in a pan over medium high heat. Cover the shrimp in olive oil, then bread with panko crumbs. Fry until golden brown and crispy, about 2 minutes on each side.

Layer these ingredients and enjoy this crunchy, tasty stir fry.