Korean Beef

Hi,

This was a request from K. It's a great way to use a piece of beef.

1 1/2 pounds boneless beef (sirloin, top round or chuck)

Cut the beef across the grain in thin strips. "Across the grain" means, think of the beef like fabric and you can see the main way the beef is striped, cut across it, it'll make the meat more tender. Set aside.

6 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 green onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced (I think you can add more for 3-4 cloves total)
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoons crushed red pepper
Few turns of fresh black pepper

Mix the above ingredients in a bowl, add beef. Marinate for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, if you can.

2 tablespoons cooking oil

Heat a heavy frying pan over medium/high heat. When hot add the oil and wait a few minutes, when the oil is shimmering add the beef and marinade. Cook, stirring, until the beef is just browned.

The beef is delicious served over rice and with steamed veggies.

I hope you like this recipe, it's how I make bimbimbop. I'll give the recipe for the marinated veggies in another post.

Hugs,
Mameekosan

Pumpkin Scones

Hi,

Here's another scone recipe for you to try. I use canned pumpkin. You don't need to use the whole can, so I freeze the extra pumpkin in a small ziplock bag.

This recipe can me made in a food processor, but you can make it by hand as well.

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix the above ingredients in a bowl.

1/2 cup butter, cut into chunks

Add the butter and with a pastry blender or your fingers, cut the butter in until the mixture turns into coarse crumbs. This is the part that is quicker using a food processor.

3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup milk

Mix the pumpkin and the milk in a measuring cup until well blended. Add to the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until just mixed. Scrape unto lightly floured counter and lightly knead, just a few times, until the dough comes together. Separate into 2 balls and pat the balls into 1 1/2 inch thick rounds. Cut each round into 6 wedges. Place wedges on a parchment covered baking sheet.

1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon milk
Granulated sugar

Mix egg yolk and milk together. Brush over scones and sprinkle with sugar. Bake in 375 degree oven until scones are golden brown, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.

This is another delicious scone recipe. It's not too heavy and because they are small, you won't be tempted to eat too much. They are great for breakfast or for a not too sweet snack.

Hugs,
Mameekosan 

Coconut Scones

Hi,

J and I made these last night. If you are looking for a super sweet scone or something that will sit in your stomach like a rock, these aren't for you. But if you want a scone that would be perfect with a cup of tea and that is moist and fluffy, try these. I made them in a food processor, but you can make them with a pastry cutter or just a butter knife to cut in the butter. It'll just take a bit long by hand.

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup rolled oats
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix the ingredients above in a large bowl.

1/3 cup cold butter, cut into chunks

Add the butter. With your fingers, pastry cutter, or butter knife cut in the butter until the butter forms coarse crumbs. (If you have a food processor, pulse until the butter forms coarse crumbs.)

1/2 cup milk
2 eggs

Mix the milk and eggs. I like to do it in a mixing cup. Reserve about 1 tablespoons of the egg and milk mixture for later. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just evenly moist.
Scape mixture onto a lightly floured counter and lightly knead one or two times. Divide the dough into 3 even balls. Place the balls on a parchment covered baking sheet and pat the balls into 5 inch diameter rounds. Cut the rounds into 6 pieces each, but leave the wedges together. Brush the top with the reserved milk and egg mixture and sprinkle lightly with sugar.

1/4 cup raspberry jam

Make a 1-inch diameter depression on the top of the wide end of each wedge and fill the hole with about 2 teaspoons of jam.

Bake at 375 degrees until golden brown, about 18 to 20 minutes. Recut scones to seperate and transfer to a rack to cool completely.

I hope you enjoy the scones. I have another recipe for pumpkins scones that I'll post soon. Hope you enjoy the scones!

Hugs and happy cooking,
Mameekosan

Asian Broccoli Salad

Hi,

I made this broccoli salad on Saturday night when I had about a dozen people over. One of the guest commented that, "it's not anyone who can do raw brocolli" after seeing a seven year old take seconds on the broccoli salad.

The original recipe came from a Sunset pasta book. In its current form it's probably not recognizable from the original recipe which called for cooked chicken, spinach and no broccoli. The most recent change I made to the recipe was reducing the pasta, since we have been avoiding pasta, and adding eggplant instead. It's a bit more fussy to make the eggplant, but I think the balance is actually better. Hope you enjoy it as much as the seven year old did!

2 cups uncooked pasta (I like the kind that looks like flowers, but any kind will work.)

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, which means not mushy but still with a bit of firmness. When done, drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

1 regular eggplant, sliced length wise into 3/4 inch slices
4 Tablespoons Olive oil

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour about 2 tablespoons olive oil onto parchment paper. Dip the slices into the olive oil to cover bottom of the  eggplant and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with the additional olive oil. Salt and pepper. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes until slices start to brown, but aren't mushy. You can test by gently poking with your finger. While the eggplant bakes continue with recipe.

1/2 cup sesame seeds (If you can find these in an asian store they are cheaper than at the grocery store)
1/4 cup oil (I used coconut oil, although canola or olive oil would work too)

In a small frying pan, combine sesame seeds and oil and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until seeds are golden. Set aside to cool.

2/3 cup soy sauce
2/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Mix the above ingredients in a large bowl, add the cooled sesame seeds and oil. Add the drained pasta and mix. Check the eggplant. When lightly brown, remove from oven and cool. In the meantime prepare the brocolli.

4 or 5 large brocolli heads
1 cup parsley chopped

Cut the brocolli florets off with a bit of stem into larger bit sized pieces. I sometimes also peel and chop the stem bit. You should have about 8 cups of broccoli. Add the brocolli and parsley to the other ingredients. When the eggplant has cooled enough to handle, cut slices into 1 inch cubes and add to the bowl and mix

1 cup thinly sliced green onions

I like to sprinkle the green onions on top for a final touch. Wow, typing up the directions for this recipe make it seem like a lot of work. But, I think you'll find it delicious. It's great for a summer meal with chicken and watermelon. Let me know what you think?

Hugs and happy cooking,
Mameekosan

Chocolate Coconut Bars

Hi,

I just made these last night and they are super easy. You don't need a mixer, as there is no butter and sugar to cream, just melt the butter and chocolate.

1 cup butter (2 sticks)
4 squares (1 ounce each) unsweetened baking chocolate coarsely chopped

Melt the butter and chocolate in a large bowl in a microwave at half power. It'll take about 2 minutes. If you don't have a microwave you can melt the butter and chocolate in a small pot on the stove.

1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Stir in the above items to the chocolate and butter mixture. Mix until well combined. Pour into an 13 x 9 inch baking pan lined with foil or parchment paper. If you use foil you'll have to grease the foil to prevent sticking. Smooth the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool on rack.

While the bars cool prepare the topping.

2 cups sweetened coconut

Spread the coconut on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Shake the pan and stir the coconut to prevent burning. When the coconut is lightly brown remove and cool.

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon water

Combine the butter and confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth. Add the vanilla and water and continue mixing until smooth.

Wait until the bars are cool and top with frosting and toasted coconut.

Last night when I made these because it was so warm the bars took a long time to cool. So when I applied the frosting it melted a bit, but it was okay. Also the coconut was a bit warm as well. I guess I'm just impatient. (The same problem I have when I fence.) Anyway, wait as long as you can to make sure the bars and coconut are cool. Hope you enjoy these as much as we did.

Hugs,
Mameekosan

Setting up for a summer kitchen 2

Hi all,

This is a continuation from the basic summer kitchen. These spices and ingredients will give an Asian flavor to your kitchen.

Soy sauce
Sesame oil
Rice Vinegar
Oyster sauce
Crushed red pepper
Sesame seeds
Nori sheets

Perishables:
Tofu (I like the firm)
Green onions
Steaming greens (spinach, chinese brocolli or any thing that looks fresh)
Ginger
Garlic

With these new ingredients you can make the Thai Basil or the Mapo Tofu. You can also make a simple stir fry with chicken, garlic, ginger, crushed red pepper, and some veggies.

Have fun cooking!

Hugs,
Mammekosan

Chop Chop Salad

Hi all,

This is a wonderful salad that has been the go to salad of recent. As the title suggests there is a lot of chopping to do. It's a fun salad to make with several people who can help with all the chopping. The ingredients are flexible and can be substituted freely. I'll list a few variations. This recipe was adapted from the Boston Globe.

1 cup nuts (We've used pecans or walnuts, but I think peanuts could also be used)

Toast nuts in a frying pan over medium heat. The pan will somehow get very hot and the nuts will be slow to toast. When the nuts become fragrant and lightly brown remove them from the heat and chop.

1 small head savoy, napa, or green cabbage.

Very thinly slice the cabbage. You'll need a sharp knife or a mandoline if you have one around. You should have about 8 cups of cabbage. Place cabbage in a large bowl.

2 large tart apples cut into match stick pieces (I've also used mango)
1 cup chopped pitted dates (craisins or golden raisins would work, although I really like the dates)
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup green onions or shallots (very thinly sliced red onions are good too, although I would use less)

Place all the above chop chop items in bowl with cabbage. Mix

1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tablespoons honey

Mix the above ingredients, pour onto salad and toss. Taste.

Add salt and fresh ground pepper as needed. I like to top with the chopped nuts.

I hope you enjoy the salad. It's very pretty if you use a red apple. Let me know what you've used.

Hugs,
Mammekosan

Mapo Tofu

Hi,

I know that I just posted an asian recipe. This one is very similiar and has some of the same ingredients as the Thai basil beef. You'll need the same ground meat (beef, pork or chicken will be fine) but this one you'll need tofu.

1 Tablespoon canola oil
1/2 to 1 pound ground beef (pork or chicken are okay)

Heat a large frying pan over medium/high heat. Add the oil and ground beef and cook stirring until all the red color is gone. About 5 minutes. Transfer meat to a bowl

1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 Tablespoon chili bean paste (I used Korean chili paste or you can substitute miso)
2 Cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 - 2 inch piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped

Add the above ingredients to the frying pan, cook stirring for 1 minute.

 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 Cup chicken stock (you can use a bouillon cube and water)
1 Tablespoon sherry or dry white wine or lemon juice
1 Tablespoon soy sauce

Add the above ingredients to the frying pan, heat until bubbling.

1 block firm tofu

Add the tofu and heat through. Return the beef to the pan.

Sliced celery
butternut or kabocha  squash
Frozen spinach (optional)
Frozen green beans (optional)
4 green onions
salt and pepper to taste

I always think that you can add more vegetables to dishes. You can add the celery, spinach and green beans and it will make a nice complete dish. If you have some squash you can add it too, but add it first and let it cook a bit before you add the other vegetables. At the end add the green onions and taste to make sure you don't need to add a bit of salt and pepper. Just heat through.

Hope you have fun making this. Enjoy!

Hugs,
Mameekosan

Thai Basil Beef

Hi,

This is a quick easy dish. The only special things that you will probably need is a bunch of basil, ground beef, oyster sauce, and a lime or lemon.

3 Tablespoons oil
3 cloves garlic
1 large onion chopped

Heat the oil over medium/high heat. Add garlic and onion, stirring until pale golden.

1 - 1.5 pounds ground beef (you substitute ground pork or chicken/turkey)

Add the ground beef and cook over high heat, breaking up the pieces with a spatula. Cook until meat is browned. Lower heat to medium add:

2 Tablespoons oyster sauce (if you don't have any use extra soy sauce)
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)

Cook stirring to coat the meat.

Add:

1 1/2 cups packed basil leaved roughly chopped
Juice from one lime or lemon

You can also add:
Spinach (frozen is okay)
Green beans (frozen is okay)
Any other greens

Depending on the greens you add, cook until the greens are just heated through. If you added frozen veggies wait until they are heated before you add the basil. You don't want to wilt the basil. We ate this with a salad. Leftovers can be eaten cold over lettuce, as a fancy thai basil salad.

Hope you enjoy this dish. If you would like to add a bit of heat add the crushed red pepper.

Hugs,
Mameekosan

Do It Yourself Yogurt

Hi,

This is the simplest recipe I have found for do it yourself yogurt. R has been making it and it has been delicious. The ingredients and procedures are quite flexible. The recipe has been adapted from Sunset magazine.

1 qt. milk (full-fat, low-fat, or nonfat) We have settled out on using 2% milk
2 Tablespoons, very fresh plain regular or Greek-style live-culture yogurt (full-fat, low-fat, or nonfat) We've been using Greek style yogurt

1) Pour milk into a large, heavy pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often. When milk foams up, pour into a bowl and put bowl in a sink of cold water. Cool milk to 110 degrees.

2) Whisk 1/4 cup 110 degree milk with the yogurt in a bowl, then whisk into milk. Pour into 2 large glass jars, cover, wrap jars in towels, and put them into a cooler. Add a few more jars filled with hot water to cooler to keep the milk warm. Let the milk sit 8 to 12 hours to set (it will look and taste like yogurt when it's done). The longer it sits, the tangier it gets; chilling stops the process. Yogurt keeps, chilled, up to 1 week.

The end product is not as tangy as the Cabot's yogurt that we had been buying, but the flavor is still quite nice. Perhaps during the summer when the room temperature is higher, the yogurt will be tangier. R has been turning the yogurt into Greek style yogurt by straining the yogurt overnight in the fridge with a colander lined with cheesecloth. If the yogurt is to thick, you can just add in some of the whey that has been separated out.

DIY yogurt is delicious and is about half the price, but not nearly as much fun. I hope you have fun making your own yogurt.

Hugs,
Mammekosan