spicy beef with broccoli

Spicy Beef with Broccoli

1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 tablespoon salt
black pepper
12oz thin sliced eye of round steak
2 T oil for frying
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 tablespoon white cooking wine
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
7 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 tablespoon chile paste
3 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger root
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup sliced onion
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1-2 heads broccoli, cut up

DIRECTIONS
Combine cornstarch, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Toss the steak slices in the cornstarch mixture and coat well. Warm the 2 T oil in a wok or frying pan and cook the steak on high until done.

In another mixing bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, rice wine and honey. Add sugar, chili paste, and ginger. Mix well and set aside. Steam broccoli in a separate pan until just beginning to be tender (do not overcook, because you want some of the crispiness to remain).

Heat a wok or deep frying pan over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil, and quickly saute the onion, garlic and red pepper for 30 seconds. Add the sauce mixture, and cook another 30 seconds. Finally, add the strips of steak and toss to heat through and coat with sauce.

homemade lasagna

Ever since my summer stint with insomia when I was 16, I have loved making homemade pasta. Nothing beats the taste of homemade noodles, the amazing texture, and just how fresh they taste. So last night when we got home from church and I had my heart set on lasagna, I decided to make homemade lasagna noodles since that is one ingredient that I almost never have on hand. (Unlike ricotta cheese, which I always have in the fridge.)

So while Ben threw together the cottage cheese, ricotta, mozarella and spices, I made homemade pasta dough and rolled it out with my pasta maker. (Kim, if you are reading this, the pasta recipe in the Better Homes and Garden cookbook is amazing. Simple, and makes the best pasta.) I rolled the pasta to the level 6 and then cut each into a 3 inch wide strip and dumped into boiling water. The great thing about fresh pasta is that they only have to cook a few minutes for them to be perfectly done. Plus, homemade pasta keeps the chewy texture better, so the noodles don't rip or fall apart when you are trying to layer your lasagna.

After sauting 1/2 of an onion, we added 1 pound of ground beef and then a jar of spagetti sauce. Layer the lasanga noodles, cheese mixture, and then meat and redsauce, and repeat about 4-5 times. After baking at 435 for 15 minutes, the cheese was melted and the edges were bubbling. Sometimes lasanga comes out too runny or really dry, but last night's was perfect. The homemade noodles don't get too soft from the baking and the texture is unbeatable.

fresh mozarella, butternut squash, carmelized onions pizza

Ever since I first tasted this pizza, I've wanted to recreate it in all its delicious glory. But it wasn't until last night that I really got the flavor right. Thanks so my obsession with squash (and having some pre-baked squash leftover in the fridge), I was able to throw together this pizza in a matter of minutes.

And if you have a favorite pizza recipe, please do share!

Fresh mozarella, butternut squash, carmelized onion pizza

pizza dough
corn meal (to keep the dough from sticking)
olive oil
gound sea salt
1/2 c fresh mozarella
1/2 c butternut squash, baked or roasted
1/4 onion, carmelized
1/4 c ricotta cheese

You can use any pizza dough recipe, but my favorite pizza dough recipe is a classic white european bread that I roll out very thin. The bread recipe (3 c water, 1.5 T yeast, 1 T salt, 6.5 c flour) is quickly stired together, covered and left to sit on the counter for 2 hours to rise. Then you stick it in your fridge in a container with a lid until read to use. I pulled off a grapefruit size portion, generously covered it in flour while rolling out and then placed it on my pizza peel covered in corn meal to keep it from sticking.

Preheat oven to 550 with a baking stone inside. If you dont' have a baking stone, use a baking sheet, although don't preheat. Or better yet, go out and buy a baking stone.

Drizzle olive oil on the dough and use a pastry brush to get it all over, including the edges (which will make the best crust). Next, sprinkle on either the grated or freshly cut mozarella. I like to cut mine in slices and then rip them apart in smaller pieces and spread on the dough. Then spoon little spoonfuls of the squash and ricotta all over the pizza. Sprinkle the carmelized onions (I sauted mine with a little bit of olive oil for 7-10 minutes over medium high heat). Lastly, sprinkle with salt (which the squash definitely needs and will taste amazing on the olive oil crust). Do not let the pizza rise. Put directly into the oven.

Gently slide the pizza off the peel onto the baking stone (this is why I put tons of corn meal on the pizza peel, because is you don't the pizza will stick). Bake for 15-17 minutes or until the cheese is starting to brown. If you are using a baking sheet, you may need to bake it longer to make sure the crust is done. Remove from the stone using the peel.

Enjoy!

creamy tomato soup

I love eating soups in the fall when the weather turns cold and you just want something warm for dinner. Last night I made one of my favorite soup recipes while throwing together some carrot cake cupcakes for next week. This soup is my absolute favorite tomato soup recipe and very simple to make. Enjoy!

Creamy Tomato Soup

⅓ c red onion, diced (you can also use a yellow onion)
1-2 T olive oil
1 T garlic, minced
4 c chicken broth (you can also use chicken bouillon and water)
2 cans peeled, diced tomatoes
8 oz tomato sauce
8 oz cream
fresh basil
fresh parmesan

Sauté onion in oil for 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil. Add cream and cook for 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with fresh basil (cut into strips) and parmesan cheese (grated on top).

homemade cheese ravioli

This weekend I decided to finally attempt something I have long wanted to make: homemade cheese ravioli. I've made homemade pasta since I was 16 and has insomnia for a summer, which lead to lots of late night cooking adventures. I didn't have a ravioli extension on my pasta maker, but I thought I could just make them by hand. Hey, I've made hundreds of pot stickers and crab rangoons by hand, so how hard could it be?

First, I made a normal batch of pasta dough from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. This is your standard recipe, which is very basic but my favorite recipe. You can also add dried basil or other herbs to make a really delicious herbed pasta. I let the dough sit for ten minutes (part of the recipe) while I put together the cheese filling: 1 c ricotta cheese, 1/3 c Parmesan, and a sprinkle of basil and oregano. Please note that I really don't measure anytime, so this is just a guess. I added the Parmesan to make the filling a little drier, so it wouldn't get runny and then I just sprinkled in some herbs for a little color and flavor.

Then I divided the dough into four parts and rolled each through the pasta machine several times on the lowest setting, adding flour so that it wouldn't stick. Once each part was looking uniform, I took one part at a time and rolled it through each setting until it was pretty thin (setting 6) and then placed it on the counter. Once all four parts were rolled out, I took a pasta cutter that looks like a pizza cutter, but has a zigzag edge and cut each long piece of dough lengthwise, so now I had a top and bottom of the ravioli.

Using my hands I placed a small amount of cheese filling every two inches long one side of the dough and then placed the other half on top. Then I sealed off one ravioli and moved down the line, until I had little pockets of cheese in a long strip of dough. This was actually really easy to do and just required you to push around the cheese and the dough would stick to the other side. Then I used the zigzag cutter to cut apart each ravioli, so now I had square ravioli.

I placed these on my non-stick baking mat, but wax paper would also work. I put them in the freezer for a bit and then moved them to a zip lock bag once frozen. They cooked great (only one lost its filling) and tasted amazing! I might make the pasta a little thinner next time, since once you put the two layers together it was a bit thick, but overall amazing.

herbs de provence

A few years ago my sister Rixa bought some much beloved herbs de provence while she was in France for the summer and mailed it to me. I had been using this a lot in my cooking, and I needed more for my supply. I can't remember which mix I preferred more, but here are the two kinds she gave to me. I am on my last bit, so pretty soon I will need to make my own mix.

But for anyone who loves herbs de provence, here are the ingredients to make it at home:

Mix 1:

26% Oregano

26% Rosemary

26% Sariette (Winter Savory)

19% Thyme

3% Basil

Mix 2: (package that says "for grilling")

37% Rosemary

18.5% Sarriette (Winter Savory)

18.5% Serpolet (wild thyme)

6.5% Oregano

6.5% Marjoram

6.5% Basil

6.5% Thyme

I put herbs de provence on grilled zucchini and yellow squash, grilled salmon with mustard and tomatoes, pasta with a little bit of Parmesan, fresh french bread with olive oil, roasted potatoes with mustard and pepper....the list goes on and on.

tortillas

Last night I finally decided to tackle a food that I have long wanted to make from scratch, but usually found a reason to just buy it at the store: tortillas. Since we were out of tortillas and I really wanted to eat enchiladas for dinner, I finally bit the bullet. I looked up a few recipes online to get a feel for the recipe. I was surprised at how easy they were to make (the dough took a matter of minutes to mix together) and how easy they were to roll out. I was expecting the dough to be really sticky and want to stick to the counter, but it was really easy to handle. I've still got some work making the tortillas round, but I will consider this a great success.

Tortillas

3 c flour

1 t salt

2 t baking powder

4 T butter (or shortening)

1 c warm water

Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. Cut in the butter with a fork or pastry cutter. Pour in half of the warm water and mix with a fork, then pour in a small amount at a time (1/4 c, then the other 1/4 c), stirring as you go. You want to add just enough water for the dough to stick and be really soft, but not too much. Feel free to add another few tablespoons of water if you need.

Once the dough is sticking together, kneed on a slightly floured surface for just a few minutes until dough is uniform (I did this for only 2-3 minutes, if that). Let the dough rest for 10 minutes, then divide into 10-12 parts. Roll out each bit of dough on a floured surface with a rolling pin and then cook on a medium-hot frying pan (no oil or butter). Shells cook around 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown with a few spots.

A special thank you goes out to my mother for the wonderful tortilla warmer she gave me that kept these tortillas perfectly warm and moist while I rolled out and cooked each one. I just heated up a stone in the microwave for 1 minute, placed it in the container, and then put each tortilla in when it was done cooking. 20 minutes later when we were ready to eat, the tortillas were still perfect.

For you readers out there (which is approximately 3 people) who are skeptical that you can actually make homemade tortillas WHILE making dinner, it was easy. I started the dough while the chicken was cooking in the pan. Then while the dough was resting for a few minutes, I finished the chicken, grated the cheese, and set the table. Then I rolled out one tortilla and while it was cooking, I rolled out the second, all while occasionally cooking the veggies.

wild mushroom risotto

I received this recipe for a coworker who raved about it. Since I love both mushrooms and risotto, I thought I would post it for all to enjoy. I obviously won't be using dry sherry, so I'll probably substitute with a juice or something else. Now I am on the hunt for some wild mushrooms so that I can make this risotto.

Ingredients
35 ounces chicken broth
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
1 pound assorted wild mushrooms (such as oyster, crimini and stemmed shiitake), sliced
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup dry Sherry
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Bring broth to simmer in medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low; cover and keep broth hot.
Melt 3 tablespoons butter with olive oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped shallots; sauté 1 minute. Add wild mushrooms; cook until mushrooms are tender and juices are released, about 8 minutes. Add rice and stir to coat. Add Sherry and simmer until liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high. Add 3/4 cup hot broth and simmer until absorbed, stirring frequently. Add remaining hot broth 3/4 cup at a time, allowing broth to be absorbed before adding more and stirring frequently until rice is just tender and mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes. Stir in Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh thyme.

kabob palace

For anyone who has lived in Pentagon City, you know just how good the Kabob Palace is. Yes, it is scary and filled with cab drivers at night, but you just can't beat their kabobs. As I was scanning our pantry on Sunday morning deciding what to make for dinner before heading off to church, I noticed some Indian seasonings that I haven't touched in awhile. Of course I had chick peas, tomatoes, and onions, so I was good to go. I got the chick peas cooking and then started rummaging around the kitchen for something to go with the chick peas.

I flipped through the Betty Crocker Indian cookbook that I got as a gift a few years back and found this fantastic recipe for ground lamb kabobs. I obviously don't keep ground lamb in the freezer, so I substituted ground beef and in a few minutes had that marinating in the fridge to grill after church. Next up, I found a great recipe for naan. I was pretty excited about how the meal was turning out, all from random ingredients in my kitchen.

After church, Ben and I finished cooking the chick peas, grilled the beef, and made naan, which was incredible. I brushed the naan with butter once it came off the pan and sprinkled it with sea salt. Since Kabob Palace is famous for its sauce, I put together the closest imitation using cumin and cayenne to make it spicy. It wasn't the same, but it had the same effect of making the meat and naan more flavorful. Overall, it was an incredible meal.

Below are the recipes so that everyone can enjoy the goodness.

Seekh Kabob

1 lb ground beef (or lamb)

1/2 c finely chopped onion

1 t salt

1 t ground cardamom

1 t ground cumin

3/4 t ground black pepper

5 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Mix all ingredients together. (I let the meat and spices marinate in the fridge for a few hours before grilling.) Divide the meat into 12 parts and press around a skewer so that half of the skewer is covered. Grill 12-15 minutes on medium high heat, turning occassionally so that meat browns evenly. (I broiled the kabobs in the oven.) Serve with cutney or fresh lime.

Naan

3 c flour

1 T sugar

1 t salt

2 t baking powder

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 c milk, slightly warmed

2 T oil

1/4 c water, warmed

melted butter for brushing

Mix together the dry ingredients. Mix milk and oil; stir into flour mixture (it will be crumbly). Stir in water. Dough should form a ball, but not be sticky or dry. (I added a little more than 1/4 c.) Knead dough 2-3 minutes or until dough becomes smooth and pliable. Brush with butter, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit for 30 minutes. Divide dough into 4 equal parts. Shape into a ball and let sit for another 30 minutes. Roll out each piece of dough into a circle, 1/4 inch thick, on a lightly floured surface. Cook on a HOT frying pan (no oil) for 1-2 minutes each side. The pan needs to be hot so that the bread gets air bubbles while cooking. Once cooked, immediately brush with butter and sprinkle with salt.

German Curried Chicken

In honor of my German grandmother Brigitta, I'm going to share one of my favorite dinner recipes, German Curried Chicken. You are probably asking yourself how can curried chicken be German, but I assure you, this is not like any curry you have had before.

Please note that I never measure anything when I cook, so all the directions below are estimates. Adjust as you see fit.

German Curried Chicken
1 medium onion, diced
1 T olive oil
1-2 t curry powder (any generic kind will do)
2 chicken breasts, thawed, cut into bite size pieces
2 large spoonfuls of flour
1-2 c milk
1-2 spoonfuls of sugar
1/2 c lemon juice
salt to taste

Saute the onions in the olive oil for 5-7 minutes until they are tender. Add the curry part way through. If you aren't sure how much curry you like, add just a little bit at a time (you can always add more once you make the sauce to taste it). Add the chicken and continue to saute until the chicken is cooked through. Add the flour and quickly stir until the oil has combined with the flour (this is crucial, because otherwise you will get a lumpy sauce). Add the milk and stir on medium heat until it thickens. You need to stir constantly so that the bottom doesn't burn. At this point add some salt and additional curry to taste. The sauce should be a warm yellow color. I Once the sauce thickens, add the sugar and the lemon juice. This will give it the German kick (they love anything sour). I usually add more lemon juice until it really has a kick.

Serve over rice and top with any of the following toppings: coconut, pineapple, diced tomatoes, sunflower seeds, or raisins.

If your sauce is not thickening, then you either didn't add enough flour or too much milk. I would suggest blending some flour in a little bit of milk until the lumps are all gone (this is important) and then adding that mixture to the curried chicken and cook until it thickens. If you've made any sauces before, then this should be easy.

how to make a wedding cake

Step 1: Have your best friend get married to another close friend for the perfect weekend wedding. Have said best friend bake the cake a few days earlier and put it in the freezer (which makes it easier to cut and frost).

Step 2: Arrive on the scene a day early, which is apparently enough time to make a wedding cake. For a 10-inch and 6-inch two tier cake, make two large batches of frosting. You want to have extra frosting, which makes it easier to frost and make the frosting smooth.

Step 3: After you are sufficiently covered in powdered sugar, pull out the two 10-inch layers. Cut the tops off so they are completely flat. Frost the top of one layer, add a little bit of raspberry filling (aka raspberry jam) and then put the second layer on top. Push down so the layers stick together. Now cover this in a TON of frosting; adding a lot of frosting helps you avoid crumbs (which happen when the frosting is too thin and you pull at the cake) and makes it easier to smooth because you can just take off extra frosting. To get really smooth frosting, wipe frosting tool completely clean after each stroke. A damp frosting tool will help the frosting become completely smooth.

Step 4: Repeat with 6-inch cake. You will want to cut a small circle of cardboard (covered in tin foil) to put the smaller cake on while you frost and decorate.

Step 5: Get a friend. Preferably someone who is quick on their feet. Roll out fondant big enough for larger layer and as quickly as possible pick up the fondant (this is where the friend comes in handy). With four hands you can easily pick it up without make any holes in it, center over the cake, and then proceed to work with the fondant to make it perfect. This also involves working incredible fast (fondant gets hard after 10 or more minutes) to make the fondant fit the cake and be completely smooth. You can rub the fondant with the palm of your hand to make it shine. Repeat with remaining fondant to cover smaller cake.

Step 6: Once the fondant is fitting cake and smooth, carefully cut the excess fondant off (whatever is longer than the stand) and let the cakes sit, undisturbed until the wedding. I suggest doing this the night before, because the fondant will harden a little, which makes it easier to transport. If the fondant is really soft, then any kind of tiny touch will leave a mark. If the fondant is a little harder, then you won't end up with little marks in the cake.

Step 7: Transport to the reception location. Cut straws (the normal drinking kind, I got mine at the nearest McDonald's) the exact height of the bottom layer. Stick into the cake below where the smaller layer will be to hold up the cake. If you don't use a support, then the cake will smoosh the bottom layer (I'm not kidding about this). Putting in just 8 straws will easily support a quite heavy 6-inch cake, plus no one can see them! Carefully (again with the help of a friend), place the smaller layer on top of the bottom layer, making sure that it is centered. Decorate with ribbon and flowers, for a perfect cake.

baking success

This past weekend I baked my first turkey by myself. I learned how to make a turkey this past summer at our cabin, with my mom giving me directions since I had never before had a reason or chance to venture into the large bird baking world. I was so surprised at how incredibly easy it was to make a turkey, seeing as how everyone is so scared of them.

So when it came time to sign up to cook something for the ward Thanksgiving dinner, I confidently put my name down under turkey. My bird arrived early on Saturday morning, ready to be rinsed, covered in butter and sage, and then very gingerly placed in a baking bag and into my oven for the next 4 hours.

I have to admit that baking bags are brilliant. No mess and your bird is incredibly moist and golden brown. I also took the time to make my homemade stuffing, since I am not one to cut corners. If anyone is looking for a great stuffing recipe, here you go:

4 T butter
1 onion, diced
5 stalks celery, diced
ground sage
curry powder
2 c water
1 bag of stuffing mix
1 c craisins

Saute the onions and celery in the butter for about 5 minutes until soft.
Add the water and sprinkle ground sage into mixture. Add 1-2 t curry powder and
bring to a boil. Once boiling, add stuffing, remove from heat, and fluff with a
fork. At this point, taste for seasoning. I tend to add a few more shakes of
curry powder to give it a bit of a kick. Add craisins once seasoned.

The curry gives the stuffing a great "warm" flavor, especially with the craisins. I know it sounds crazy, but you really need to give it a try.

My turkey looked beautiful when I pulled it out, all golden brown. Sadly we didn't get to eat it warm since the drive to the church took an hour longer than usual due to an accident in the road. But luckily I am dating the most incredible guy, who is brilliant and knows to play Enrique to make me happy. And it worked. Thanks Ben.

Sadly, I will not get to test my turkey ability until next year, since we are headed out to the Virgin Islands on Thursday to spend six marvelous days snorkeling, relaxing on the beach, and watching movies on my personal DVD player while laying in bed.

pumpkin ravioli

For those of you who frequent the side bars of this bar, you have noticed that I have updated my latest favorite recipe, pumpkin ravioli. Let me just give one more shoutout to this brilliant recipe, which was very easy to make and tasted incredible. I was actually surprised at how healthy it was (only a tiny bit of butter) and yet how great the flavor was.

Ben and I tried out this recipe last night, since I am always looking for a new dinner idea. I really enjoy making new dishes and getting a sense of what combinations taste good together.

I love that I grew up cooking and that some things are just automatic for me. I never blink an eye when making a cream sauce since I have done it hundreds of times. Making bread dough takes me about 10 minutes flat. I still get a little nervous when trying to create something for the first time, mainly because I want it to taste great and sometimes have a hard time trusting a recipe. This often leads to extremely spicy foods (sorry Kim, this often affects you the most), since I think in my head, "a little more can't hurt, right?"

Any recent successes in your kitchen that you want to share? Favorite holiday recipes you want to post? Let's hear it.

egg rolls

I was probably 12 when my mom first started making egg rolls. I think we just curious one day and guessed what was in them and went from there. I started making them on my own since I was 15, and my love of the roll has only increased. A few years ago I discovered a great way to broil them (instead of frying) which significantly cuts down on the heart attack factor and actually produces a quite tasty egg roll. Enjoy:

1 lb sausage
1 yellow onion
1 head cabbage
3 carrots
1 tsp hot chili sauce (I'm not exactly sure what this is called but it is PIPING hot and you get it in the Chinese food section of the grocery store.)
2 tbs hoison sauce
1 tbs soy sauce
1 pkg egg roll wrappers
1 egg white
dipping sauce

Brown sausage in large stock pot. Dice onion and add when sausage is mostly cooked. Cook sausage and onion until done. Finely chop cabbage. Peel and grate carrots. Add cabbage, carrots, and sauces to the sausage and cook on medium for 4-7 minutes, stirring constantly. Cabbage should cook down, but NOT be soggy. Liquid should be minimal.

Remove from heat. Wrap in egg roll wrappers as directed on package and place on GREASED cookie sheet. Beat egg white and brush on top of rolls. Broil for approximately 2 minutes per side, watching carefully because they will burn easily. Flip eggs rolls (hence the greased cookie sheet), brush with egg white, and broil for another 2 minutes. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

This is dedicated to Julie and her love of egg rolls.