Kung Pao inspired Beef Stir-Fry

The other day I went to the Stater Bros. and walked by the meat counter on my way to the vegetables. It was pretty early in the morning and I was already thinking of what I could make for dinner. I wanted to switch it up, getting tired of chicken and turkey. So while I was walking by the little red "On Sale" sign caught my eye and it was for "Flap Meat".

It looked lean and reminded me of the pre-marinated "Carne Asada" I used to buy at Trader Joe's and apparently that's what it's used for A LOT. At least that's what the butcher told me, he informed me that it's actually a really tender and great cut of meat and great for many different preparations. Like roulade, carne asada, fajitas etc. etc. So, I got some and thought all day about what I could make.

Why not use some Asian flavors like Kung Pao Style, I love that kind of spicy, the red pepper flakes,  the peanuts, the little sweetness from Sesame Oil. YUM! So that was my inspiration!

Here's what you need for 2 people:

2 - 3 pieces of flap meat, cut in strips
1/2 large onion, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp vegetable oil and 1 tsp sesame oil, for frying
1 bunch of spring onion (scallions), cut in rings
red pepper flakes
salt & pepper
2 tsp peanut butter
1 tbsp soy sauce (low sodium works also)
crushed peanuts

Put a big wok or a big frying pan and heat the oil (mix the two above), once the oil is hot, throw in the onion and sautee until the onion is translucent, then add the garlic. Make sure you don't burn the garlic cause it's going to get bitter and ruin everything. Once the garlic is sauteed just a little, add the flap meat (if you have a large pan you can add all at once, otherwise I recommend you do it in portions).

In a wok, work with portions and move the cooked pieces up the sides of the wook to keep warm, then add more meat. Add the pepper flakes, season with salt and pepper, then add the peanut butter and the soy sauce. Stir the meat in the pan so that the peanut butter and soy sauce gets on everything.

Just before serving add the scallion and crushed peanuts. Serve over rice and maybe add some steamed edamame on the side.

Bon Apetit!

Spicy Turkey Burgers with Almonds (No Gluten)

Like I said in one of my previous posts, we eat a lot of turkey and I'm trying to play with flavors and textures to avoid getting bored with them. So this time I tried something I hadn't done before. I actually added chopped almonds to the burgers.... and it was yummy! The almonds gave the burger a little bit of a crunch and the flavor was fantastic.

And all my GF friends can make these too, because there are no breadcrumbs in this recipe.

Here is what you need:

1.5 lbs of ground turkey
3 gloves garlic, finely chopped
1 handful parsley, finely chopped
1 handful slivered almonds, chopped roughly
1 tsp hot paprika
1/4 tsp  ground cumin
1/4 tsp  onion powder
1 dash of worcestershire sauce
1 egg
2 tbsp grated parmesan
fresh ground pepper, as much as you like
salt

To start mix all your dry ingredients in a large bowl, so all the spices are well combined, then add your ground turkey and the egg, combine with your hands or a spoon so spices and egg are nicely incorporated into the turkey. Shape into patties and either fry in the pan or grill until cooked through.

Serve with a nice side salad, potato salad or whatever your heart desires! Bon Appetit!

Elsaesser Flammekuche / Tarte Flambee

Flammekuche or Tarte Flambee is a very typical dish in the Alsace region of France. The Alsace is an area that has been going going back and forth of being either the territory of Germany or France. And the dialect of Alsace reflects that strongly, by being a mix of German and French words in one sentence.

While living in Offenburg Germany, we went over to Strassbourg often, which is the main city in Alsace. Food options over there are endless and as there are many vineyards there's also a lot of vine festivals. Flammekuche is often enjoyed with "New Wine" as a snack or just as a nice light meal with some salad and a nice glass of white wine.

To make a traditional Flammekuche you will need

* 215g Flour
* 1/8tbsp Salt
* 2tsp Oil or Lard
* 125ml Water
* 200g Sour Cream or Creme Fraiche
* 200g Onion (sliced in rings)
* 100g Speck (cured/smoked bacon) thin slices cut in stripes

Making the crust

Put the flour on your work surface and make a little well in the middle, then add the salt, oil (or liquid lard) and water int he well and at the same time, using a fork, mix the water, oil and flour. After taht knead the dough so it is soft and silky and not sticky (if it feels sticky add a little flour.

Add Toppings

Separate the dough into two pieces and roll into two very thin rounds (or just roll into one big pie or square for a bigger tarte). Cover the crust generously with the Creme Fraiche (Sour Creme), distribute the thinly sliced onion and then the Speck on top if the Creme Fraiche. Season with some freshly grated black pepper and if you like with some cumin seeds.

Bake

In the very hot oven (preheated to 450 F) bake the Flammekuche until the crust is nice and crispy and the Creme Fraiche is bubbly.

Enjoy!

If you add the cumin, the onions will be easier to digest. Also you can make a sweet version of this as dessert. Just switch out the onion for thinly sliced apples and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Orange-Garlic Chicken with Almond Rice Pilaf

Not knowing what to make for dinner and refusing to cook the same old grilled chicken breast I wanted to come up with something I've never done before. And I did, at first I was a bit worried if Hubby would like it or if it would even come out good, but WOW! Delicious! Even better, it's easy as pie to make.

It was kind of hot out yesterday so I thought that I could use some citrusy flavors in our dinner. So here is what you need:

3 to 4 Chicken Breasts (skinless & boneless)
rinse and pat dry

For the Marinade:

3 large cloves of garlic (pressed through a garlic press)
1 Serrano Pepper (cut finely)
1 Orange Zest and Juice
Fresh ground Black Pepper
Red Pepper flakes
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt

Mix the ingredients in a cup or bowl well, place chicken breast in a re-sealable bag, pour in the marinade, shake so meat is covered well, and refrigerate, turning occasionally for about 1 hour or longer.

For the rice:

1/2 large Yellow Onion (or small whole Onion), finely chopped
2 tablespoons Butter
1.5 cups Rice (rinse well until water runs clear)
1.5 cups Chicken stock
1 cup Orange Juice
1/2 cup sliced or slivered Almonds

I used my rice cooker to do this, so you might have to adjust the liquids to the measurements of your rice cooker.

Melt the butter. add chopped onion, almonds and let sweat for a couple of minutes until onion looks transparent, add the rice and liquids to the measurement of your rice cooker, 3 parts stock to 2 parts orange juice, set to cook. You'll see the almonds will add a nice crunch to the rice and it's just lovely!

When your rice is almost done, start up your grill to get it nice and hot. Place your marinated Chicken on the grill, turning over once or twice while brushing with the marinate, until done.

Serve with a nice salad and a crisp white or rose wine!

DELICIOUS! Bon Apetit! Mahlzeit! En Guete!

Lemon and Dill Salmon with Caramelized Onions and Tomato Salad

Does that make you hungry? Well it should, cause that's what was for dinner yesterday. I was pretty damn tired after driving home from work for about an hour and road rage almost made me lose my temper, but then I thought the better of it and told myself, I'll just get even with an onion, slice and dice it with one of my new knives from the  Jamie Oliver Knife Block, 6-Piece Set, I got myself and that should get rid of my excess energy.

I started out by getting my ingredients ready, broke out my new knives and got going on the onion, sliced them nicely and started sweating them in a pan with some flavored olive oil and a dab of butter. Get them going on  low heat and cook them until they are nice and golden brown, stirring occasionally.

Once I got my onions in the pan, I broke out a ovensafe glass dish, lined it with foil (clean up is so much easier) greased it with a bit of butter and got a little bit of the onions on the bottom. Lay down the Salmon on the onions and season with salt and pepper, some crushed red pepper and fresh pressed garlic. Then generously top it with the zest of a lemon and put a couple of sprigs of dill on it. Splash with the lemon juice, add a little dab of butter, wrap up the foil so you have a tent over your fish, and stick in the pre-heated oven (400F) until done. The time really depends on how thick the salmon is.

Once your salmon is done, arrange it on a nice bed of the caramelized onion, add a little tomato salad on the side and

BAM, there is dinner!

C.T.A. Salad with Shrimp and Lemon Vinaigrette

  

After a long day at work and some heavy food items for lunch, my hubby requested something light and refreshing for dinner, because he wanted something more substantial than just lettuce and tomatoes, i decided to make one of my favorite dishes.

My C.T.A. Salad with Shrimp and a Lemon Vinaigrette. It's light, refreshing, healthy and balanced. Just in case you want to make it, here  is what you need:


For the Salad:
1/4 of a small onion, finely sliced
1 small cucumber, peeled and cubed
3 medium roma or regular tomatoes cubed
1 avocado, cubed
1/2 to 3/4 lbs of cooked shrimp (small or medium)

For the dressing:
4 Tbs Olive Oil
2 Tbs Vinegar (I use Apple Cider, but you can use any kind)
1 Tbs Lemon Juice
2 1/2 Tbs Mayonaise
1 Clove Garlic, finely chopped or pressed through a garlic press
Seasoning Salt and Pepper to taste

When cooking, I like to prep all my ingredients before I start mixing them together. I start with the dressing, by adding all the oil, vinegar, lemon juice and mayo to my Zyliss shaker , it has a insert that helps break down the mayo and makes the dressing really creamy, add the seasoning salt, pepper and maybe some paprika. Peel  a clove of garlic (or more if you love garlic) finely chop or press through a garlic press (I just got myself the Zyliss Susi 2 and its the best thing ever, you don't even have to peel your garlic), add to the other ingredients and give it a good shake. Taste and add salt/pepper to taste.

       

Once the dressing is ready, rinse and drain your cooked shrimp, put them in a bowl and pour the dressing over them. Cover and chill in the fridge.

After you have your shrimp nicely marinating in the fridge, get going on the other salad ingredients. Peel the cucumber, cut down the middle lengthwise and then again cut the halves down the middle, then cut in bite size cubes. Proceed the same way with your tomatoes, holdback on the peeling though. Lastly slice your onion (you can use any kind of onions, if you want some more color use purple).

In the meantime your shrimp have had a nice bath in the dressing and you can now mix in the cucumber, tomato and onions. Lastly pick a nice ripe avocado, take out the pit, remove the skin and cut avocado in bite size pieces, gently fold into the salad.

Arrange on a nice platter and serve with a nice crusty bread! Works great with a crisp cold beer or a nice Chardonnay!

Enjoy! And let me know how you liked it!

PS: Just in case you don't like onions, you can leave them out completely and if you like your dressing creamier, don't hesitate and add some mayo.