Asian Green Beans, Soyaki Pork Tenderloin & Grilled Pineapple-- Very easy!

Here's another recipe that I posted over a year ago.  It's no big surprise that I never got a comment on it-- the photo... it's dark, and it's just not pretty-- and I deleted them, forever!  I decided to to take new photos by making these green beans, along with a grilled pork tenderloin that I marinated in Soyaki Sauce (from Trader Joe's) and some grilled pineapple spears.  I'm cooking in real time, folks!  I'm still digesting this dinner, as I type!

Cook the green beans in a pot of boiling salted water until JUST crisp-tender (about 3 minutes) plunge into an ice water bath to cool completely.  You'll want to drain the green beans, and pat them dry.  You can this in advance, by the way.  The ingredients you need are rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce and garlic (or, I use Chili Garlic Sauce for extra kick) and brown sugar.  You might want cornstarch and water, whisked together, in case you like a thicker sauce.  Oh, sesame seeds are nice as a garnish...or not.

Heat sesame oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat; add in garlic and chili flakes (if using-- or Chili Garlic Sauce) and stir-fry 1 minute. Add in beans and stir-fry for about 2 minutes. Add in soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar and black pepper; cook until the sauce reduces slightly and coats the beans (about 1-1/2-2 minutes longer).If you want a thick sauce mix a small amount of cornstarch with a small amount of cold water and add in towards the end.

Add in the almonds or sesame seeds; toss to coat and transfer to a bowl.  Easy and so good!  The chili peppers definitely give this a bite... leave it out, if you don't like food to be really spicy!  I like this recipe a lot, so I might vary using snow peas or even broccoli. 

The main course was a pork tenderloin that I marinated with Soyaki Sauce.  I buy this at Trader Joe's and it's an excellent marinade-- it has soy sauce, ginger, garlic, pineapple, garlic, sesame... it's just great stuff, and I hope you can get your hands on it.  I marinate this last night.  I also had some pineapple spears that I grilled, and lightly sprinkled some fine sugar over, so it would caramelize.  Pork & pineapple goes great together!

The pork was grilled to 155F (about 20-25 minutes) and left to rest for about 15 minutes.  If it looks a little too pink for you, figure 30 minutes to about 165F. This was a fast week night meal. The whole meal cost less than $10.00 for four people.  Loved it!

Who says you can only grill outdoors?  My cast iron stovetop griddle does a nice job, as long as the fan is running at full speed!  I'm including this recipe for my son's beginner recipe cookbook I'm putting together. The green beans are one of his many favorite dishes.  I have to admit, we like it a lot, too.

Off to sleep and onto the rest of the work week!  Pssssssssssst, the printable recipe is at the bottom of this page.

Goodnight,

Jaden's Broccoli Beef, from The Pioneer Woman

My quest to post recipes that I've made weeks ago, continues-- and this recipe, is no exception.  I've finally accepted that I can only  post recipes 1-2 times a week, only because my work and other obligations don't allow enough time for me to blog on a daily basis.  How so many of you manage to post, daily,  leaves me feeling in awe and a bit envious-- in a good way!  The beauty of blogging meals that have been enjoyed, long ago, is that I can make "repeats" of my favorite recipes-- and to take a break from photographing each step. I think my husband appreciates my "foodography" hiatus, because dinner can be ready in half the time and he doesn't have to wait for me to photograph his dinner.  Many of you must certainly relate to this!

About this recipe-- it comes from The Pioneer Woman's blog, but it's really Jaden, from Steamy Kitchen's Recipe Blog and her new cookbook.  Truthfully, I wasn't thrilled with my photographs-- hence, my reluctance to post this. I was in a hurry to get dinner on the table, and I had run out of natural light. So much for excuses-- I'm going to post the recipe, anyway, because it was super fast to make and I liked it.  Let's begin:

Ree used flank steak, but I had just purchased some Carne Asada think sliced beef. It was very inexpensive. The ingredients are staples that I keep on hand. While I'm very much a beginner with Asian recipes, I am wanting to learn how to make simple dishes like this. I used mirin, oyster sauce and soy sauce.

The sauce is simple to make-- but I strongly suggest that you double...even triple...the stir fry sauce-- which is made with rice wine (or Mirin), balsamic vinegar (I didn't have Chinese Black vinegar) and oyster sauce.

For the record-- I don't care for oysters.  My oyster sauce is labeled "Oyster Flavored Sauce". It's inexpensive, easy to find and it really gives great flavor to Asian dishes. Try it! It's really good in sauces. You also need to make a beef marinade, which consists of cornstarch, soy sauce and cooking oil.  The beef is marinated, with this sauce, for about 10 minutes...

... like that.

The rest is easy-- I have a non-stick wok (one day I'll invest in a real one). Using a high heat oil, the garlic is quickly sauteed,  for 15-20 seconds. Then the beef is cooked, which goes quickly. Since I didn't use flank steak, it was hard to get a great sear.  Last, the stir fry sauce is added-- and I had to quickly make more sauce. I really felt that I wanted a lot more stir-fry sauce, and I do highly recommend increasing it. Your decision....

The broccoli florets were steamed in a little bit of water, with a lid on the pot. This goes really fast. Last, add the broccoli to the beef and...

...dinner is ready.  This is a super fast weeknight meal.  I think kids would actually eat their broccoli, with this meal.  I would make this recipe again, but I'd invest in a little extra money and make it with flank steak. That way I could cut the meat strips a little wider and get a better "brown" on them.

If you want to see Ree's gorgeous photos of how to make this dish-- and they are much better than mine-- please visit her blog!  I'm going to include this dish for my bi-weekly roundup of food bloggers who have made The Pioneer Woman's recipes.  So far, it's been a quiet week for submissions.  My partner-in-crime, Muneeba, had her baby delivered via C-Section. I've not heard a peep from her for days, but I assume that she is at home and adjusting to being a first-time mom.  I'll carry on, and post a roundup on Monday. If you've made a recipe from the Pioneer Woman, in the last week, please visit "Foodie Fans of the Pioneer Woman" for details.

Enjoying my weekend,

My Amateur Iron Chef Meals-Pork, 3 Ways

Pork tenderloin is one of my favorite cuts of meat. Like the name implies, I love how tender the meat is. I feel like pork tenderloin is a blank canvas, where I can create so many variations of meals. I've made Korean Style pork, Asian pork, Teriyaki, Balsamic and on and on...

My favorite way to make pork tenderloin is to bring it to room temperature, sear it in an oven-proof skillet and then roast it for about 20 minutes. It's perfect every time.

I have been faithful my mission to "declutter" my freezer, pantry and refrigerator-- in an effort to save money and to make room. I had a package of pork tenderloin (they comes in two's) for less than $13.00. I got three meals out of it, for three hungry people.

The first meal was simple-- Grilled pork tenderloin. I had leftover BBQ sauce from Tyler Florence's Ultimate Ribs. It was a late work night, so I didn't photograph anything more than the plated dinner. My husband started the charcoal as I drove home. Dinner #1 was juicy and delicious. I peeled and cut some yams and roasted them with olive oil, salt and pepper.



Dinner #2 was Pork Fried Rice, from the leftover pork tenderloin. Now, that recipe I will share with you. I need to give a shout to "Dishing up Delights" for posting a recipe for shrimp and pork fried rice. I adapted it, slightly. I really liked the results!

I cut up the leftover pork, spring garlic, scallions, frozen peas, pepper, tamari (soy) sauce, oyster sauce, and some fish sauce (my improvisation).

With a little oil, heat the pork (shrimp would have been lovely, but my hubby doesn't care of it).


Remove the pork, and add the scallions and garlic (I used spring garlic) till just tender and fragrant...

Add the scrambled egg and cook quickly...

Add the soy, oyster sauce (and I added a dash of fish sauce), then return the pork and veggies back and combine. Ready!

It was delicious and made more than one meal for us.


Dinner #3, made with the second pork tenderloin is one of my favorites of all time (and one of my first blog postings)-- Sauteed Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Sage Cream Pork Sauce , from Cook's Illustrated. The flavor of the pan sauce (and I do double it) makes my taste buds hum-- apples, sage, Golden Sherry and shallots (instead on onion). Yum! I appreciate my sage plant that generously gives me beautiful leaves. The sage gives the sauce such a wonderful flavor. You could use tarragon, or even parsley. Still, sage is my first choice.

I shot new photos of this recipe, but I can't find them on my hard drive! You can see how I made it by clicking here:

I feel a sense of accomplishment when I can stretch the dollars, by cooking from looking at what ingredients I have, and using them up. So far, I'm keeping my grocery and "eating out" (by eating "in" and brown bagging lunches) to less than $100.00 a week-- for three people! The best part is, we all feel blessed to eat so well.

Now, if only I could have a private chef cook for me, once a week. While I love cooking (and my family helps with cleanup), there are days when I wish I could come home and be "served". I wonder, do any of you foodies feel that way, at times? End of pity party.

I don't have that luxury, since I don't live with aspiring cooks. Still, I feel very blessed. I know that my family appreciates my culinary adventures. It's the nods of satisfaction, and their second helpings (that I avoid) that makes all the effort worthwhile.

Quick Meal Fix-- Sesame Noodles with Chicken & Asparagus, from Cook's Country

Who knew that a magazine titled "Cook's Country" would have some pretty tasty recipes with an Asian influence?! We love Thai food, so this recipe caught my eye, as I was looking for the lemon pudding cake recipe I made a couple of weeks ago.

I am still eating from what's in my pantry and refrigerator, so I was pleased that I had every ingredient on hand! I had asparagus that really needed to be cooked, so "Asian" was tonight's dinner.
You'll need chili garlic sauce, rice vinegar, oyster sauce, toasted sesame oil, peanut butter, fresh ginger, asparagus, linguine (or rice noodles, which I'll use next time) and cut-up chicken breasts (or shrimp would work well).

I keep oyster sauce, fish sauce and chili garlic sauce, on hand, because I enjoy making meals with an Asian infuence. By the way-- do not be afraid of oyster or fish sauce! Please! I hate oysters. Truth be told, I've read that what I buy is oyster-flavored sauce. I like the thickness it gives to sauce, and it has a very subtle flavor. Fish sauce stinks, okay? Somehow, it doesn't both me because it also gives a subtle (in my opinion) flavor to Thai and Asian dishes.


You'll want to cook the linguine a little less than al dente (about 7 minutes) and then toss in cut up asparagus for about 3 minutes, then drain. While the pasta is cooking, I cooked cut up chicken until just pink-- about 2-3 minutes per side and then I set that aside.

Here's a tip when I make pasta-- I place a measuring cup into my colander. That reminds me to reserve pasta water. With this recipe, the pasta water helps to blend the sauce (which I didn't photograph, silly me).


Once the pasta is drained, you put it back into the pot, add the chicken and then pour the sauce and blend.


This made a lot of food! From start to setting the plate onto the table, it took less than 30 minutes.


If I had some fresh cilantro, that would have made a pretty garnish. Pretend there is some on this plate, okay?

The sauce has a little "bite" to it from the fresh ginger and chili garlic sauce. My husband loves heat. Me? I'm a little whimpy, but I could handle it.

The next time I make this dish-- and I will-- I'll definitely try making this with shrimp and rice noodles. The sauce is a winner!

Cashew Chicken

I'm pretty new to the world of "Asian Cooking". The prep work is what's so labor intensive! I found this recipe from Blog Chef, but I made a couple of changes. I love snow peas, and I thought that they would add a lot of color. I also added garlic because I thought that it would give a nice flavor enhancement. I also think there was a typo in Blog Chef's recipe when he wrote down to put 4 Tablespoons of cornstarch into the sauce. Hmmm, I think I would've had concrete. So, I went with 4 teaspoons and the sauce thickened beautifully. The link for Blog Chef's recipe does provide step-by-step photos, for those of you who are visual (like me).

I have to admit, that dipping chicken into a flour mixture two times got to be a messy disaster that had me grumbling to myself "never again"! I ended up dipping the chicken only once, and that worked out just fine. Deep frying food isn't something I do often. In this case, it took three batches to cook the chicken to a golden brown-- and it was also messy and time-consuming. Yes, the chicken tasted good, but I think that the star of this recipe is the sauce. It's delicious! So, next time, I'll stir-fry the chicken to cut fat grams and to spare me the hard work and mess.

Still, this recipe was unanimously given four out of five stars by eveyrone. Just so you know-- five stars isn't given out very easily. I cook for a tough audience, but they are worth the effort.





Cashew Chicken
(Click here for printable recipe)

Ingredients: 2lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1” chunks) 1 large green pepper (sliced) 1 large onion (sliced) 2 cloves garlic, minced 3 cups snow peas (trimmed of string on the top edge) 1 can sliced water chestnuts (optional) 2 cups flour 5 teaspoons cornstarch (divided) 2 teaspoons baking soda 3 eggs (beaten) oil (for frying) Sauce- 2 cups chicken broth 2 tablespoons oyster sauce 1 tablespoon sugar 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 teaspoon pepper Garnish: 2 cups cashews 1/3 cup green onions (chopped) Option 1 is the way that I cooked the chicken. It's delicious but a messy and labor intensive). If you don't want go through that amount of work-- and you prefer not to deep fry your foods, then see my Option 2 way to cook the chicken). 1 Step 1: To make the sauce- in a bowl mix chicken broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, pepper, and 4 teaspoons of cornstarch. Set aside. 2 Step 2: In a bowl mix flour, baking soda and 1 teaspoon of cornstarch. In another bowl beat the eggs. Dip chicken pieces first then the flour mixture, then in the egg mixture and then again in the flour mixture. 3 Step 3: Fry in oil in a wok or in a deep fryer at 350 degrees in batches until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. (Option 2 way to cook the chicken) 1 Step 3: (alternate) Stir fry the chicken in a wok with a little hot oil until no longer pink (3-5 minutes) 2 Step 4: Heat a tiny bit of oil in the wok and stir fry green pepper and onions, garlic and (optional) water chestnuts for 2-3 minutes. Remove from wok and set aside. 3 Step 5: Stir-Fry the snow peas for 2-3 minutes, retaining bright green color and do not overcook! 4 Step 5: Pour sauce into wok and cook over medium heat stirring until well blended and sauce thickens. In a bowl pour sauce over chicken pieces, add green peppers and onions. 5 Step 6: Mix well and garnish with cashews and green onions. Serve with white rice.

Servings: 6

Preparation time: 45 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes (including rice and deep frying the chicken)

Ready in: 1 hour and 15 minutes (Click here for printable recipe)

Comfort Food: Shrimp Fried Rice

NOTE: This is an awful picture, I admit it. This is the beginning of my food blogging journey. My photos have come a long way.  Don't let the underexposed photo deter you from trying this recipe. It really is a good one! Someday, I will re-shoot the photo. I really need to.

For some reason, I've been on an Asian kick. It's a phase, that should turn into a craving for Italian or Mexican food. But, for now, I'm focusing on Thai and other Asian food. I made rice just two days ago. I wanted to think of a way to use leftover rice. I love rice pudding, but that's one of the few things my husband doesn't like-- so that wasn't an option.

Today, I'm home trying to get better. I have bronchitis, and I can't talk beyond a very hoarse (and sometimes squeaky) whisper. I wanted something quick for dinner-- fried rice! The only time I've made this was with the assistance of a packet mix. There once was a time when I relied on packaged mixes, but that has changed. I'm always on a quest to learn how to make things from scratch. So, I googled "how to make fried rice". Since I was home, sick (and bored), I watched a few videos. There are a lot of variations and techniques, so I decided to try my own version based on what sounded good. One thing I know, for certain, is to NOT use freshly cooked rice. There's too much moisture in it, and you'll end up with mush. Trust me. I also read that it's best to cook a lot of the ingredients, separately, to distinguish the flavors. One recipe used garlic and ginger, which I usually keep on hand. So, I went to my pantry and got started. Dinner was ready in less than 15 minutes.

I bought a wok years ago-- a non-stick version by Circulon. So far, it's worked great. Maybe, someday, I'll buy an authentic steel wok, but I didn't measure, so I'm going to give "approximate measures". It was a fast and delicious meal. It's all gone, too.

Ingredients:
Sesame Oil (I used toasted sesame oil from Trader Joe's)
Vegetable oil (for the wok)
4 cups of cooked rice (I used Jasmine rice, 2 days old)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 tsp fresh minced garlic (optional)
1 Tbsp. Oyster Sauce
1 Tbsp. Fish sauce
Dash low-sodium soy sauce (optional)
1/2 lb. cooked shrimp (you can use anything-- pork, chicken, beef, tofu)
2-3 Scallions, diced on the bias
Frozen peas, thawed (about 1/2- 1 cup)
Shredded carrots (about 1/2 cup)
2 eggs, beaten

You want to heat the wok at hot as you can get it and have all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go. You also want to break up any clumps in the rice with your hands.
Using about 2 tsp of sesame oil, cook the meat for 1-2 minutes. Empty onto a plate and set aside. Add some vegetable oil (I don't want to overdo the sesame oil) and add vegetables, garlic and ginger. Stir and cook for about a minute, being careful not to burn the garlic. Remove and set aside and wipe the wok.
Add a little more oil (about 1 tsp) and cook the eggs until just cooked but not dry.
Add the rice and stir for about a minute.
Add the oyster sauce*, fish sauce** and soy (if desired)
Return shrimp and vegetables to the rice.
Add the thawed peas.
Stir and serve. Yields about 4 servings.

Oyster Sauce and fish sauce horrify a lot of people (as it did me, in the beginning). I can assure you that these ingredients give so much authentic and good flavor in Asian cooking. Please, try it! If you can't handle the thought of either ingredient (and you'll miss out) then use soy sauce all by itself.

Click here for printable recipe