Beef and Tofu Stir-Fry

Let me start off by saying that this picture doesn’t look very appetizing, but it does taste good. I hate it when something tastes so good, but looks so disgusting. Well, don’t let the picture fool you. This is a great way to use up tofu.

The recipe called for firm tofu, but I had some silken tofu I needed to use up so I used that. I recommend using the firm tofu so it keeps it’s shape better.

Beef and Tofu Stir Fry
Adapted from: Martin Yan Quick and Easy

Ingredients:
Marinade:
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
2 Tbsp cornstarch

3/4 lb flank steak (I cut into slices)

Sauce:
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp chili garlic sauce

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp minced ginger
1/2 onion, chopped
1 (14oz) package firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2" cubes (I used silken tofu)
1 tsp cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tsp water

Directions:
1. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl, add beef and stir to coat evenly. Let stand for 10 minutes.

2. Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.

3. Heat a stir fry pan or wok on high heat. Add the oil, swirl to coat the sides. Add ginger and onion, cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the beef and stir fry until it is no longer pink in the center, about 2 minutes. Add the tofu and sauce and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add the cornstarch solution and cook, stir until the sauce thickens, about 20 seconds.

3. Transfer to plate and serve. We ate this over rice.

Hearty Beef Stew

I’ve been wanting to make beef stew for a while now. Gary and I don’t usually eat too much beef, so a whole pot for the 2 of use would not work very well when we only need a small taste. When a bunch of friends came over for a dinner party, it was a great opportunity to try the stew I saw on Good Things Catered. This was a great stew for a cold night, even though it was pretty warm in my apartment! This was a great comfort meal to have with company.

I originally wanted to use the California Zinfandel I had, however when it came time to pour the wine, I couldn’t find my corkscrew, so I used red cooking wine in place of it. It still came out wonderful. I also didn’t use chicken stock, I didn’t have any in the pantry at the time. I had some beef bouillon that I used with 2 cups water to make the beef broth.

Hearty Beef Stew
Adapted from: Good Things Catered, originally from America’s Test Kitchen

Ingredients:
3 lbs. beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 in. cubes
salt and ground pepper
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped coarse (about 2 c.)
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
1 c. full-bodied dry red wine
2 c. beef broth
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried thyme
4 medium red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-in. cubes
4 large carrots (about 1 lb.), peeled and sliced 1/4 in. thick
1 c. frozen peas
1/4 c. minced parsley

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 300° F.

Dry beef thoroughly and season generously with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 Tbsp oil in Dutch oven over medium high heat.

Add half the meat so that pieces are not touching and cook not moving until brown (about 2-3 min)Use tongs and rotate pieces until all sides are browned (about 5 additional min.)

Transfer beef to medium bowl and add another 1 Tbsp oil to pan, repeating previous steps with other half of beef.

Reduce heat to medium and add additional 1 Tbsp oil to now empty pan and swirl to coat bottom.

Add onions and 1/4 tsp salt and cook, scraping bottom of pan for brown bits until softened (about 5 mins).

Add garlic and continue to cook for 30 sec.

Stir in the flour and cook until lightly colored (1-2 min.)

Add wine, scraping the bottom and stirring until thick and flour is dissolved.

Gradually add the beef stock, stirring constantly scraping up the remaining browned bits on bottom of pan.

Add bay leaves and thyme and return to simmer.

Add beef, return to simmer, and place the pot in the oven.

Cook for 1 hour.

Add potatoes and carrots cover and return to the oven to cook for additional hour.

Remove the pot from oven (here you can cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.)

Add the peas, cover and allow to stand for 5 min.

Stir in the parsley, discard bay leaves, adjust seasoning and serve immediately.

Highlights of a Dinner Party

Our friend Jason will be leaving for culinary school in Italy next week. He came over to join me in the kitchen to cook for our friends. Here’s some highlights of what we made:

Mango Guacamole
(made by Jason)

4 avocados
1 mango, cubed
cilantro
1 red onion, finely diced
lime juice
salt to taste

I think those were all the ingredients. I liked this even though I’m not a huge fan of mangos.

 

Spinach Artichoke Dip
click here for link to post

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bowtie Pasta with Asparagus Pesto
(made by Jason)

Sorry, I don’t know what the ingredients are. It was very tasty though.

The leftover pesto also made a great dip.

 

 

 

 

 

Mac and Cheese
(made by Jason)

Again, I don’t know what’s in it. All I know is that he added lots of cheese!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beef Stew
click here for link to post

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fried Chicken Wings
(made by Jason)

Season wings with salt and pepper. Fry in about 2 inches of oil.

Hot sauce (optional):
Add melted butter and hot sauce in a zip top bag. Add chicken and toss to coat.

I have a deep fryer, however when I opened the box, the cord was missing. It was left at my parent’s place. We had to make do with the pot on the oven.

Linguine in Clam Sauce
(made by Jason)

1 lb of linguine
2 15 oz cans of clams with juice
olive oil
red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare pasta as directed. Transfer to a pan. Add 2 cans clams with juice. Toss to coat. Add seasonings and olive oil to taste.
Jason, let me know if I forgot anything!

Carrot Cake Cupcakes
(made by me)

I made these the night before using an existing recipe. I let it cool overnight and let my guests have fun frosting their own designs. Some of them got a little carried away, so I can’t show those ;).

To make this, pour a scant 1/4 cup of batter into cupcake liners (about 3/4 full). Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

 

Espresso Chip Walnut Brownies
click here for link to post

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other dishes that were made but were camera shy:
Ragu – Homemade meat sauce (made by Jason)

Thanks to Allen for the photos!

Thanks to everyone who came over to eat!

Thanks to Jason for coming over and showing me new techniques. I’ll definitely work on my knife skills!

Can’t wait until next time!

Shrimp and Steak Skewers

Made by: Cathy

Part 2 of our anniversary dinner. I made shrimp and beef skewers with pineapples.

Using a fresh pineapple and juice, I created this.

Ingredients:
1 dozen shrimp
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce and marinade
1 teaspoon sliced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon brown sugar
pineapple wedges
juice from fresh pineapple
1/2 lb steak cut into cubes
Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Peel and devein the shrimp. Combine the shrimp with the teriyaki sauce, pineapple juice, ginger, sugar. Marinate in the fridge for half hour.
2. Cut the steak into cubes. Season with salt and pepper. Add a couple of dashes of Worcestershire sauce. Mix well.
3. Soak some wooden skewers with water. Assemble with pineapple, steak and shrimp.


4. Grill on the George Foreman Grill for 3-4 min depending on the desired doneness of the steak. You can also grill under the broiler.


The steak and pineapple were good. The shrimp was so so. I may have to marinate a little longer to get a better flavor next time.