Spicy Beef and String Bean Stir Fry [Recipes]

I always crave hot, spicy food on cold days like this so I want to spread the gospel of this recipe. I would eat this anytime, anywhere.  Love it! It’s also versatile.  I like string beans the best, but you can substitute Chinese broccoli, snow peas, snap peas, or bok choy. The possibilities are endless!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of lean beef, cut into 1/4 inch  strips
• ½ cup of Soy Sauce
• 1 tablespoon of Rice Wine Vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of Sesame Oil
• 1 tablespoon of Sriracha Sauce
• 2 tablespoons of Ponzu sauce
• 4 cloves or garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons Sugar
• 2 tablespoons Cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon of ginger, minced
• 1 big bunch of string beans
• 1 bunch of scallions diced
• Rice, for serving
• 2 tablespoons of toasted sesame seeds
• Red pepper flakes and some more Sriracha for garnish

1.  Okay, first combine your soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, sriracha sauce,  Ponzu,  garlic, sugar, cornstarch, and ginger in bowl. Whisk for a few minutes. This is the marinade.

2. Cut your beef into thin strips and toss it in the marinade and set aside.

3. Next, thinly slice your scallions and set aside.  Then rinse your string beans and trim the ends. (I don’t know why I do this, that’s just what my Mama taught me to do!)

4. Pour a tablespoon of oil in a wok (a wide pan works too) and on very high heat stir fry the string beans, and then remove from heat set aside. (I made the recipe with sugar snap peas when I took these pictures).

5.  Add the beef (without the marinade) and the scallions and stir-fry over high heat (you may have to heat up half the meat at a time depending on the size of your wok).

6. When the beef has browned add the marinade and string beans. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

7. Serve over jasmine rice, with sriracha sauce for a kick, and dumplings as a side.

Go ahead, time to spice up your life!

Adapted from the New York Times.

Feast of Love: Steak and Potatoes [Recipes]

In case you didn’t know, I went to seven weddings this summer…yes, seven weddings….just this summer.  I was actually invited to 9 but only went to 7, so sorry random two couples that I didn’t know that well.  I’m exhausted and my feet hurt, but I’m so happy for all of the beautiful and happy couples!

When I was trying to think of a recipe that would be perfect for the newly-weds, I thought of steak because I know the fastest way to my heart is red meat.  This meal is really easy and requires very few ingredients and perfect for couples to make together.

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Ingredients:

Sirloin Steak

• 2 cuts of sirloin steak – about 1 inch thick
• Pre-packaged steak rub (try McCormick’s)
• Kosher Salt
• Multi-color peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil

Carmelized Vidalia Onions

• 1 Medium Vidalia Onion
• 1 tablespoon of Butter
• Salt and Pepper

Mashed Red Potatoes

• 3/4 pound small red potatoes
• 5 roasted garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon of dried parsley
• salt and pepper

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1. First the potatoes.  Put the unpeeled red potatoes in a pot and cover them with cold water, and bring to a boil.  Cook potatoes until tender (check by trying to pierce them with a fork). Turn off the heat and drain the water from the pot.  Take your masher or a big fork and break up the potatoes and garlic. Pour in cream, butter, salt and pepper, and parsley and combine until smooth.

2. Next, the steaks. In small bowl, mix the steak rub with freshly crushed peppercorns and kosher salt. Rub it all over both pieces of steak.  I mean, actually get up in that steak’s business and get your rub on. Don’t be shy!

3. Take a pan and heat it on high. Put about a tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of butter, and wait for it to heat up.  Place the steak on the pan and cook for about 7-8 minutes and then flip and cook for 5 minutes [this gives you a medium steak].  The trick here is to have a really good cut of steak (I’d go to a good butcher rather than the grocery store) and really high heat.

4. Now, on to the Vidalia onion.  Peel and thinly slice the onion.  Using the same pan as you did for the steaks, reduce the heat to medium and put about another tablespoon of butter into the pan.  Use a wooden spoon to scrape the steak pieces off the bottom and mix it in with the butter, the butter should turn into a nice brown color.  Add onions into the butter mixture and cook it until it is caramelized [about 15-25 minutes].

I served this meal with some steamed asparagus and sliced up Roma tomatoes.  Serve the onions on top of the steak, and the potatoes on the side.  Get a good steak sauce, Peter Luger’s is great, as is A1.  Pop open a bottle of bubbly and get your love on!  😉

Congratulations to all the newlyweds! 🙂 And a special congratulations to my lovely sister and brother-in-law who are celebrating there one year wedding anniversary today!

Ahn Nyeoung Korean Food! [Reviews]

I have a secret:  I’ve lived in New York my entire life and . . . I’ve never had Korean Food. There I said it!

Do you remember your first time tasting Thai food?  How about Vietnamese? I vividly remember my first experiences with both. Oh, that breathtaking first mouthful of Pad Thai!  Or the beauty that is the first sip of Pho!  Tasting those cuisines for the first time was truly a life/mouth changing experience for me!

So needless to say when I planned on trying Korean food for the first time, I expected that same level of delicious, life-shattering awesomeness. Maybe I had my hopes up too high, because although I had a wonderfully delicious meal . . . it just wasn’t an experience.

My loyal and fearless dining companion introduced me to K-town in Manhattan, which is roughly in the area of 31st and 36th streets between Fifth and Sixth Avenues.  Because neither of us was Asian (or in my case, the real kind of Asian) we decided to venture into Kun Jip Restaurant, which seemed to be the most crowded with actual Korean people.

So to start:

starters

They gave us all these small plate type dishes that you don’t order, they just bring it to your table.  It included kimchi, a kimchi radish, soybean sprouts, bean, tiny fishes and this steamed egg, among other things.

We ordered two dishes to share:

Beef Bibimbob

This was as delicious as it looked. I believe it was called Yul-Mon Bibimbob, which is a sliced beef over a vegetable stir-fry, an egg, and rice served in a stone pot.  It came with this spicy tofu stew on the side.

Seafood Scallion Pancake

This was the seafood and scallion pancake, known as Hae Mool Pan Jun. It was yummy (what fried thing isn’t?), especially with a little bit of the spicy chili sauce on the side.  It wouldn’t be particularly adventurous for most people, but it was for me! I could see the octopus tentacles when I bit into it!

Okay, so the consensus is that I thoroughly enjoyed my meal, BUT I wasn’t in love.  I’m making plans to go again so hopefully it will be better the second time around!

Yo, Korean food, I’m really happy for you and I’mma let you finish but I definitely loved Thai food and Vietnamese food better the first time!

Kunjip Restaurant, 9 West 32nd Street, New York, NY – (212) 216-9487