Beef and Asparagus Stir Fry – #TuesdayTip

One of the things I love about an Asian-inspired stir fry is that you can do it as simply or as complicated as you’d like. I often use it to clean out the fridge of veggies that need to be cooked. The most important thing to do before you start cooking is what chef’s call mise en place (which literally means “putting in place” in French). Why is it important? Well not all veggies and meats cook in the same amount of time and you don’t want one thing overdone and another raw. You also don’t want to be scrambling to chop, etc. In this dish I do the meat first to keep the crispy coating crispier and then start cooking all the other veggies in order of how long it takes to cook them before finishing up with the addition of the sauce. Hope you enjoy today’s recipe!

Sauce

1/2 teaspoon gochu-jang (red chili paste)(and if you haven’t gathered this is my new go-to seasoning!)
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce (low sodium preferably)
1 tablespoon sesame seed oil
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger

Ingredients

2 tablespoons corn starch or flour or Wondra flour
1 cup thinly sliced strips of beef (a tender cut or one which needs to cook fast, like flank or skirt steak)
10 asparagus spears cut on the bias into one inch pieces
2 cloves garlic finely minced
1/4 cup red pepper in thin strips
1/4 cup sliced scallions (and include some of the green tops too!)
1/4 chopped walnuts (or peanuts or cashews)

Directions

Toss the beef with the corn starch and/or flour to lightly dust it. You don’t want a lot of flour/corn starch on the meat.

In a large skillet and/or wok heat 1 tablespoon peanut oil. Once it is shimmering and very hot, toss in the meat. Cook for a minute or so until the outside is light brown and flip. When the other side is light brown, remove from the pan and set to the side.

Add another tablespoon of peanut oil and heat until shimmering. Toss in the red pepper and asparagus. Cook for about 3 minutes and then add a 1/2 cup water and let the veggies steam until almost all the water has evaporated. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute. Add back the meat and add the sauce. Stir for another minute or two before adding the scallions and walnuts. Shut off the heat and serve.

The nice thing is you can also mix things up by adding other vegetables. Mushrooms, but cook them first after the meat at high heat since they release a lot of moisture. Baby corn. Thinly sliced carrots. Broccoli. You name it. Make this recipe your own!
Beef and Asparagus Stir Fry

June 11, 2019

Asian Chicken Salad – #TuesdayTip

I debated whether to do a Transformation Tuesday today or this Tuesday Tip and you know how that turned out! But in a way, today’s post is tied to my transformation because it’s about meal prep and mixing things up so that you don’t get bored while you’re trying to adopt a new lifestyle. While my hubby could eat your basic lettuce and tomato salad everyday, it drives me crazy! So for lunch today I’m changing things up with my version of an Asian Chicken Salad. I prepped all the chopped ingredients and dressing last night and I always cook a little extra protein during our dinner prep to have for lunch. Makes it easier overall and to date my meal prep and exercise has helped me lose 18.2 pounds! So excited. Goal for this month is to have lost 20 and so I think I’m well on the way. For now, here’s the recipe for my take on an Asian Chicken Salad.

Salad Ingredients

3 cups shredded Savoy Cabbage
1 cup shredded red cabbage
1 cup shredded carrots
3 scallions chopped (include some of the green parts also!)
1/4 cup thinly sliced red pepper

Dressing

1 heaping tablespoon peanut butter (I used chunky for the texture of the bits, but you can smooth if you’d like)
1/2 teaspoon Gochujang (red chili paste)(Find it at Korean markets like H-Mart. Great addition to BBQ sauce also for some kick)
2 tablespoons sesame oil
4 tablespoons rice vinager
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Mix all ingredients together in a small jar and store in fridge.

The above will make enough for 2 to 3 servings. I’m adding about 2 ounces of chopped chicken once the salad is dressed. You can substitute other proteins like shrimp or salmon if you’d like. For some extra crunch, top with shopped peanuts, French’s fried onions, or crispy noodles.

As for the dressing, I noticed other recipes that included a few tablespoons of sugar as well as vegetable oil, but I decided to slim it down by substituting the peanut butter. It’s still a fat, but it has a lot more taste than plain vegetable oil and it also acts as an emulsifier for the dressing which gives it more body and mouth feel.

asian_chicken_Salad

May 28, 2019April 28, 2021

Hibiscus Lemonade

The first time I had anything with hibiscus was in a margarita while I was visiting Mexico. It was tasty and tart and who knew hibiscus was so good for you! Those colorful flowers are loaded with anti-oxidants and polyphenols which can help with lowering your blood pressure, losing weight, lowering bad cholesterol, and even boosting your immune system. So why not try this Hibiscus Lemonade recipe for a refreshing summer drink?

Hibiscus Lemonade

3 cups boiling water
3 hibiscus tea bags
2 cups cold water
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
sugar/honey to taste

Directions

Boil water and then add hibiscus tea bags and let the tea steep for at least 15 minutes (or even until the water is at room temperature). If you’re going to use sugar, add at this stage so it will dissolve in the warmer water.

Add cold water and lemon juice. Chill and serve. You can also add some sliced strawberries for some additional color and flavor! Change things up by using lime juice!

April 23, 2019February 17, 2021

Tasty Tacos – #TacoTuesday #TuesdayTip

I love tacos and Mexican food in general. I just crave the combination of spices, vegetables, cheeses, and sour cream. So tasty! So today I’m sharing links to some awesome taco recipes.

If you make some tonight, please let me know which recipe and how you liked it! For party time, check out my layered taco dip at https://www.caridad.com/2006/12/13/caridads-tex-mex-dip/.
Taco Tuesday

Original Taco Image by ALFONSO CHARLES from Pixabay

April 16, 2019October 10, 2019

Cuban Coffee How-To #TuesdayTip

I love Cuban coffee. It’s sweet and strong and I usually drink mine either with milk (cafe con leche) or with condensed milk (one of the variations of a cortadito). When my daughter asked me how to make “Cuban coffee” it turned out that I knew nothing about how to make it without milk. I especially didn’t know about the whole beating the coffee with sugar in order to get the forth that you find when you drink it straight. I guess I’m not a “real Cuban” that way. LOL! So today, a lesson on how to make “real Cuban coffee.” Thanks to SAVEUR Magazine for the video.

A Video How-To

How to make Cuban Coffee

April 9, 2019February 17, 2021

Easy Prep Breakfast – #TuesdayTip

You’ve heard it said time and time again that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Eating a healthy breakfast helps kick-start your metabolism, but if you’re like me, getting up super early to rush to work, making breakfast can be tough and eating out usually does not involve healthy items. What’s a girl to do? Thanks to my daughter for her suggestions on meal prep in order to eat healthy. That has me sharing with you today two easy prep breakfast items that are truly healthy and tasty as well! Plus you can mix them up to add whatever fruit you happen to love. I usually eat mine with strawberries and/or blueberries which are both excellent sources of vitamins and fiber.

Overnight Oats

Ingredients

1 cup unsweetened Almond Milk (or substitute other nut milk, soy milk or milk of your choice)
1 cup rolled oats (Not steel cut as these are too tough)
1 tbsp honey (or sweetener of your choice, like agave syrup or raw sugar)

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a container and let sit for at least 6 hours, but preferable overnight. In the morning top with fruit of your choice, nuts, cinnamon, or any topping of your choice. You can also mix this up by adding some yogurt to the oats or cocoa powder, peanut butter, you name it. You can also toss some chia seeds in there as well for extra protein. It’s very versatile!

Chia Seed Pudding

Your first question may be “What are chia seeds?” Chia seeds are what some are calling a “superfood.” They are a plant seed packed with fiber, anti-oxidants, protein and more. For more info, please see https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/truth-about-chia#1. Besides using them in this pudding, you can also add them to salads, etc. for some extra nutrition.

Ingredients

1 cup unsweetened Almond Milk (or substitute other nut milk, soy milk or milk of your choice)
1/4 cup chia seeds
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Mix liquid ingredients and then add chia seeds and mix. Place in a container and refrigerate, preferably overnight. The seeds tend to clump on the bottom of the container so shake after an hour or so. Like the rolled oats, you can mix in a number of other ingredients or change out part of the almond milk with coconut milk, etc. It’s all up to your own personal preferences. If you don’t like the feel of the seeds (kind of like poppy seeds), then zap everything in a blender before allowing to set overnight.

Original Chia Seed Image by Milada Vigerova from Pixabay

Overnight Oats Image by Depositphotos

March 5, 2019February 17, 2021

Guava Basted Spare Ribs #TuesdayTip

I love ribs! They are one of my favorite foods. I also love guava, usually as a jelly or paste. Not so much as a fresh fruit. This spare rib recipe calls for a dry rub the night before, a slow bake in the oven, and basting with the guava jelly once you’ve got the ribs on the grill. I hope you enjoy it.

Ingredients

For the Dry Rub
(FYI – This will make enough rub for more than one day depending on how many ribs you are making)

2 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup onion powder*
1/8 cup garlic powder*
1/8 cup chili powder
1/8 cup paprika
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp black pepper

*Please be sure you are using powder and not onion salt or garlic salt!

Whisk together all of the above.

For the Guava Basting Sauce

One 17 ounce jar Guava Jelly (look for it in the Ethnic/Spanish aisle)
2 shots Worcestershire sauce

If you’d like a little kick and smokiness in your baste, add a spoon of Korean Gochujang sauce (available at Korean/Asian markets) or a some more paprika with a shot of Tabasco.

Cooking Directions

Rub your ribs with the dry rub, both top and bottom. Let sit overnight preferably to allow those flavors to work into the meat.

In the morning, drain off all the juice from the night before and place the ribs in a baking pan. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 325 for about an hour.

While you are doing that, please guava jelly basting mix in pan and melt jelly at low heat.

Once you remove the ribs from the oven, place on a grill at low and baste with the guava jelly mixture. Start with basting the top, flip in about 10 minutes and baste the bottom. Continue flipping and basting for about another thirty minutes. Cut and serve the ribs! I usually love some cole slaw on the side for mine.

Image by RitaE on Pixabay