All Beef Asian Feast!!!

This is an older post that I just got around to finalizing...sorry!  The lucky ingredient this time is beef.

Here are the recipes. I did not include everything that I made, though I'd be happy to tell you if you like. Also, due to the deliciousness of the meal, I only managed to take one picture at the encouragement of my friend.

Course One:   Vietnamese Beef Spring Rolls with Pickled Vegetables Dipping Sauce
Ingredients:
4 sheets     Vietnamese Rice Paper (large found ones)
1 oz           Rice Vermicelli Noodles
9 sprigs      Cilantro

4 oz          Flank Steak (thinly sliced)
3 tbsp       Brown Sugar
1/4 tsp      Dark Soy Sauce (or 1/4 tsp of regular soy sauce)
1/8 tsp      Black Pepper
1 tsp         Olive Oil

5-6          Baby Carrots (julienne or cut into small sticks) 
1/3           Cucumber (julienne or cut into small sticks without the seeds)
1/6           Yellow Onion (thinly sliced)
2 cups      White Vinegar
3/4 cup    Sugar
1/2 tsp     Vietnamese Chilli Sauce

Directions:
1)  Prepared the night before:  Heat the vinegar and sugar in a non-stick pot to boiling. Stir to dissolve sugar. Placed the carrots, cucumber and onion in a glass container. Poured the vinegar-sugar mixture on to the vegetables. Let the pickled vegetables cool to room temperature, covered and then refrigerate overnight.

2) Prepared the night before:  Cook vermicelli in boiling water according to instruction. If no instructions are given (as such is the curse of some Asian packaging), then cook them for about 5-6 minutes until al dante. Put them spread out on a plate and loosely covered with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.

3) Marinate the steak with the brown sugar, oil, soy sauce and black pepper for at least 30 minutes. Either grill the steak slices over a stove-top grill, or broil them in the oven for 4 minutes on one side and 1 minute on the other. The meat should come out almost jerky-like. Make sure you do not overlap them when you cook them. Let cool to room temperature.

4) Soak two slices of rice paper at a time in cold water for 10 seconds until it is soft enough to fold without cracking but still slightly firm to the touch. Avoid over-soaking.

5) Place the two slices of softened rice paper one on top of the other and spread out on a piece of wax paper. On one end, place half the beef slices, half the vermicelli, 4 sprigs of cilantro, and 1/3 of the pickled vegetables. Rolled up carefully like you would a burrito.

6) Repeat steps 4-5 with the second roll.

7) Wrapped both rolled loosely with wax paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hr.

8) For the dipping sauce:  Combined the last 1/3 of the pickled vegetables with 1 sprig of cilantro (broken into pieces). Mix in the chili sauce and keep chilled until use.

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Course Two:   Chinese Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry (served with white rice)
Ingredients:
1/2 lb          Broccoli Crowns (cut into pieces)

5 oz            Flank Steak (sliced into 1/4 inch thick)
1 tsp           Olive Oil
1 tbsp         Oyster Sauce
1 tsp           Sugar
1 tsp           Soy Sauce
1 tsp           Corn Starch
1/4 tsp        Black Pepper

4 cloves      Garlic (minced)
1 tsp           Sugar
1 1/2 tbsp   Oyster Sauce
1 tbsp         Olive Oil
1/4 cup       Water
1 tsp           Corn Starch

Directions:
1) May be prepared the night before:  Marinate the beef slices with the oil, oyster sauce, soy sauce, corn starch and black pepper (in the amount listed with the second set of ingredients). Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes to over night.

2) Boiled broccoli until just tender. Do not over cook!

3) Working with the third set of ingredients, heat the olive oil using high heat in a non-stick skillet or wok. Add the garlic and heat until the garlic is slightly golden (about 2 minutes). Add the beef slices and cook until the outside is brown (about 3 -4 minutes), stirring occasionally. Add the broccoli and stir to mix.

4) In a separate bowl, combine the water, corn starch and sugar. Add the mixture to the skillet/wok and mix immediately. Reduce to medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thicken. If it gets too thick, add more water (1 tsp at a time).

5) Serve immediately with jasmine rice.

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Course Three:      Korean Beef Dumplings or Gyoza with Sweet Soy Dipping Sauce
Ingredients:
1 pkg           Gyoza wrapper (round)

3 stalks        Green onion (chopped into small pieces)
1 lb              Ground beef (85% lean)
1 tsp            Black pepper
1 tbsp          Salt

1 large         Egg yolk
1/2 tsp         Water

2 tbsp         Soy Sauce
2 tbsp         Rice wine vinegar
1 tsp           Water
1 tsp           Sugar
1 stalk        Green onion (chopped into small pieces)
1/4 tsp        Crushed red pepper flakes or chili paste

Directions:
1) May be prepared the night before:  Mix the ground beef with salt, pepper, and green onion. Cover and chilled for at least 30 minutes to overnight.

2) May be prepared the night before:   Mix the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sugar, water and crushed red pepper flakes or chili paste. Heat for 20 seconds in the microwave to warm. Mix to dissolve the sugar completely. May be chilled over night. Add the chopped green onions before serving.

3) Beat the egg yolk together with the water to make an egg wash.

4) Place about 1 tbsp of ground beef mixture onto the center of the gyoza wrapper. Using your fingertip or a small spoon, moisten the edges of the top side of the wrapper with the egg wash. Fold the wrapper in half, encasing the meat. Pinch the edges to seal. (See http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2146/2130036870_3f9afee31b_o.jpg for illustration). Moisten the top of the half-moon edges with egg wash, and make several folds of the edges (See http://z.about.com/d/japanesefood/1/0/L/H/makinggyoza-step5.jpg for illustration). Place the finished produce on a lightly floured parchment paper or cookie rack.

5) Heat a pot of water to boiling. Reduce heat to medium-high. Place 5-6 gyoza at a time into the hot water and cook until it floats to the top (about 5 minutes). Remove with a slotted spoon.

6) Serve the gyoza with kimchi and the dipping sauce.

Happy Cooking!!

Easy Cake Mix Transformations!!

Here are a few easy fixes to fancy up your cake mix creations! (WARNING:  May not be diet friendly! But then again, it's getting colder outside....)

Almond Blueberry White Cake with Strawberry Swirls

Ingredients:

1 box of white cake mix
1/3 cup melted butter (in place of the 1/3 cup oil called for in the box)

1 tbsp almond extract

16 oz of fresh blueberries (frozen overnight; do not wash before freezing)

1 cup of strawberry jam (not sugar free)

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

Directions:

1. Mix strawberry jam with lemon juice and zest.
2. Combine cake mix ingredients (replacing vegetable oil with butter) and almond extract according to directions.  Using electic hand mixer, beat the batter on high for 5 minutes or until batter almost doubles in volume.
3. Rinse frozen blueberries. Fold berries into batter gently.
4. Pour batter into prepared pan. 
5. Dab the jam on top of the batter in small portions, evenly across batter.
6. Using a spatula or a spoon, gently swirl jam into batter in a zigzag fashion. Do not mix the jam into the batter fully.
7. Bake according to instructions or until toothpick comes out without wet batter. ~ 30 minues.
8. Let cool and serve! 

Milk Honey Spiced Cake

Ingredients: 

1 box yellow cake mix

1 tsp pumpkin spice

1/4 tsp chili powder

1 cup milk

3 tbsp honey

Directions:

1. Combine ingredients for cake mix, along with pumpkin spice and chili powder, according to instructions.
2. Whisk on low for 30 sections, then on medium for no more than 2 minutes.  Batter should be thick and dense.
3. Bake according to instructions in a square pan.
4. In a sauce pan, heat milk slowly until steamy but not boiling.  Turn off heat and stir in honey until evenly mixed.
5. Take cake out when done.  With a fork or a toothpick, poke holes all over the cake. 
6. Pour milk/honey mixture on cake.  
7. Let cool and serve, or refrigerate overnight. 

Easy Mint Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

1 box devil's cake mix

1 10 oz bag Andes mint chocolate chips

1/2 cup chocolate syrup

1 pint whipping cream

1 tsp mint extract

1 cup powder sugar

Directions:

1. Combine ingredients for cake mix, along with chocolate syrup, according to instructions.
2. Whisk on low for 30 sections, then on high for about 4 minutes.  Batter should be thick and but fairly light.
3. Fold in chocolate chips until evenly scattered in batter.
   
4. Bake according to instructions in round or square pan.
   
5. In a bowl, combine whipping cream, mint extract and powder sugar.  Whisk until thick and foamy (we're making whipped cream!).  It should form and hold peaks.
6. Let cake cool and serve with mint whipped cream!

Other Ideas:

Mexican Chocolate Cake - Add nutmeg, cayenne pepper powder, and cinnamon to cake mix.

Strawberry/Peach/Orange and Cream - Take one cup of strawberry/peach/orange preserve or marmalade and mix with 2 tbsp of lemon juice and 1 tsp of lemon zest.  Dab small portions evenly over white cake batter. Swirl gently into batter, but not mix or blend into batter. You should just see mostly white with ribbons of color.  Also, use whole milk or half-and-half instead of water for the batter.

Happy Cooking!!!

Summer Salads Variety

It's summertime and the fruits are in season.  I tend to like adding fruits in my salads because it gives it a healthy and tasty kick!  Here are a few good varieties with homemade dressings. (I am still working on improving the recipe for the dressing... ^_^)  All of them under 350 calories per serving!! Now that's summer lovin'!

Note:   Any of these salads can be combined with any of the dressings, if you wish.  I noted my suggestions for salad/dressing combination below. I am going to list all  the salads first, then the dressings separately.

~*~*~*~*~*~*Salads*~*~*~*~*~*~

Cantaloupe-Blueberry and Candied-Walnut Salad with Bleu Cheese Crumbles

Servings:  1
Calories per Serving:
282 cal. without dressing
349 cal. with dressing



 (best with Blueberry-Apple Vinaigrette)



Ingredients:
6 large       romaine lettuce leaves (rinsed and cut into thick strips)
1/2 med.    vine-tomato  (sliced into 8 half-slices)
1/2 cup      cucumber slices
1/6 med.    white or yellow onion (sliced thin)
7 sticks      baby carrots (cut into sticks or slices)
1/4 med.    cantaloupe (cut into chunks)
1/3 cup      fresh blueberries
1/8 cup     candied walnuts (smashed or crushed into smaller, sprinkling-sized pieces)
2 tbsp       bleu-cheese crumbles

Directions:

1. Line the plate with lettuce. 
2. Layer on the tomatoes, onions, carrots and cucumbers. Scatter evenly.
3. Top with cantaloupe chunks and blueberries.
4. Sprinkled with candied walnuts and bleu-cheese crumbles.
5. Drizzled on 1/4 cup of dressing (recommended:  Blueberry-Apple Vinaigrette) 

Turkey-Pear-Swiss Herb Salad 

Servings:  1

Calories per Serving:
        273 cal. without dressing
        341 cal. with dressing

(best with Honey-Mustard Dressing)


Ingredients:
2 cups     Spring Mix Bag Salad
4 leaves   Fresh mint leaves (cut into strips)
1/8 cup    Fresh cilantro (coarsely chopped)
1/8 cup    Fresh parsley (coarsly chopped)
3 oz         Roasted turkey breast (the real kind ... not deli-sliced....cut into small chunks)
1/2  of a  fresh pear (bosc, barlett, asian, etc.), sliced thin or into small cubes
1 slice      Sargento swiss cheese (cut in half, then into thin strips)

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, lightly toss together the spring mix salad greens, mint leaves, cilantro and parsley.
2. Place salad mix on the plate and scatter pear slices or cubes on top.
3. Add turkey cubes and then topped with cheese strips.
4. Drizzle 1/4 cup of dressing on top. (recommended with Honey-Mustard dressing)

Tropical Fruit-Yogurt Salad with Grilled Shrimp

Serving size:  1
Calories per Serving:
       285 cal. without dressing
       336 cal. with dressing

(best with Lemon-Honey Vinaigrette)




Ingredients:
1/2 cup       pineapple chunks
1/2 cup       papaya chunks
1/2 medium mango (sliced or chunks)
1 tbsp         sweet shredded coconut
4 leaves      fresh mint (cut into thin strips)
6 leaves      romaine heart lettuce (coarsely chopped into chunks)
9 large        shrimp
1 pinch       salt
1 pinch       black pepper
1/4 cup       Trader-Joe's greek-style non-fat plain yogurt
2-3 bamboo skewers
non-stick cooking spray

Directions:

1. Soak bamboo skewers in warm water for at least 2 hrs.  Preheat grill.
2. Peel and skewer shrimp (4-5 shrimp per skewer).
3. Spray non-stick spray on both sides of the shrimps.
4. Season both sides of the shrimps with salt and pepper.
5. Grill shrimps for 2-3 minutes on each side, until pink and no longer translucent. Set aside.
6. Line plate with lettuce.
7. Scattered over the lettuce with pineapple, mango, papaya, and mint leaves.
8. Remove shrimp from skewer and scatter shrimp over the salad.
9. Sprinkle the coconut on top.
10. Drizzle 1/4 cup of dressing on top of salad and serve yogurt in a small bowl on the side (to be poured over salad).  (Recommended with Lemon-Honey Vinaigrette.)

~*~*~*~*~*Dressing*~*~*~*~*~

Blueberry-Apple Vinaigrette (makes 1 cup)
      67 cal. per 1/4 cup

Ingredients:
1/4 cup     blueberry jam/preserve
1/8 cup     apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup     unsweeten apple juice
1/2 tbsp    corn starch
1/8 tsp      black pepper
1/8 tsp      salt

Directions:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Heat in a small sauce pan until clear and thicken. Stir constantly.
3. OR you can heat in  the microwave for 30 sec, stir, then heat again in 10 sec increments until thick and clear. 
4. Let cool then drizzle over salad!

Lemon-Honey Vinaigrette  (makes 1/4 cup)
 51 cal. per 1/4 cup

 Ingredients:
1 lemon (freshly squeezed all the juice)
1 tbsp       pure honey
1/4 cup     water
1/2 tbsp    corn starch 
1/2 tbsp    apple cider vinegar
1/8 tsp      black pepper
1/8 tsp      ground ginger

Directions:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Heat in a small sauce pan until clear and thicken. Stir constantly.
3. OR you can heat in  the microwave for 30 sec, stir, then heat again in 10 sec increments until thick and clear. 
4. Let cool then drizzle over salad!

Honey-Mustard Dressing (makes 1/4 cup)
       68 cal. per 1/4 cup

Ingredients:
1 tbsp         spicy mustard
1 tbsp         pure honey
1/4 cup       water
1/2 tbsp      corn starch
1/8 tsp        black pepper
1/8 tsp        salt

Directions:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Heat in a small sauce pan until clear and thicken. Stir constantly.
3. OR you can heat in  the microwave for 30 sec, stir, then heat again in 10 sec increments until thick and clear. 
4. Let cool then drizzle over salad!

Healthy Chicken Parmagiana Dinner

A healthier twist on a classic, hearty dish! I used less pasta because the main dish is the chicken. Portion control is a must!!   Do NOT expect to use up all the bread crumbs. There should be at least 1/2 the bread crumbs left at the end of breading.  I start out with more because it is easier to coat, without intending to use all of it.  Also, I used mustard instead of an egg wash. Less messy and close to no calories! Isn't life grand?

Servings:    2
Calories:  425 cal / serving

Ingredients:
2            4 oz piece of boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 cup     plain bread crumbs
1 tsp      salt
1 tsp      Italian seasoning
1/8 tsp   black pepper
1 tsp      garlic powder
1/2 tsp   crushed red pepper flakes
2 tbsp    spicy mustard
1/4 cup  low-moisture part-skimmed shredded mozzarella cheese 

1           16 oz can tomato puree
1/4         medium onion (finely chopped)
1/2 tsp   olive oil
1 tbsp    sugar
1/2 tsp   garlic powder
1/8 tsp   black pepper
1/2 tsp   crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp      Italian seasoning

1/4 box  whole wheat thin spaghetti
1/2 tsp   salt

2 cups   broccoli florets
1/4 tsp  salt

Directions:


Chicken

1. Preheat oven to BROIL.  Line a broiler-safe pan or a small metal cookie sheet (no non-stick) with foil and spray on a thin layer of cooking oil spray.
2. In a large bowl, mix bread crumbs, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes and Italian seasoning together, and set aside.
3. Brush both sides of chicken breast with spicy mustard (only a thin coat is needed).
4. Toss the chicken in the bread crumbs mixture until coated on both sides.  Discard excess bread crumbs mixture.
5. Place coated chicken on the pan or cookie sheet and broil for 7 min on each side. If the bread crumbs start to brown too quickly, either lower the rack away from the broiling element or cover lightly with foil. 
6. Top each chicken with 1/8 cup of mozzarella cheese and return to broiler for another minute.  After the first minute, heat in 30 sec increments until cheese is melted and slightly brown on top.
7. If not serving right away, lower oven temperature to 200 F and keep chicken lightly covered with foil in the oven. (Don't  forget to take it out of the broiler into the oven if your broiler is in a separate compartment!)

Pasta

1. In a large pot, heat half a pot of water till boiling.
2. Once water boils, add salt and pasta. 
3. For firm pasta, cook for 5 min.
   For medium firm pasta, cook for 6 min.
   For soft pasta, cook for 8min.
4. Drain pasta and set aside (if not used immediately).

Marinara Sauce

1. In a sauce pot/pan, heat oil in high heat for 1 min.
2. Add onions to the pan and cook for 1-2 min. until translucent and soft. 
3. Add garlic powder, black pepper, red pepper flakes and Italian seasoning, stir to mix.
4. Lower heat to medium-low.  Add tomato puree and sugar. 
5. Simmer the sauce for 10 minutes, covered. Stirring occasionally.  If the sauce gets too thick, add some water.   If it gets too bubbly, lower the heat. 
6. If not using right away, keep sauce heated covered and under the lowest heat possible. Check occasionally to make sure it is not too dry or bubbly.

Broccoli

1. Heat up 1/2 pot of water in a large pot until boiling.
2. Once boiling, add salt and broccoli florets.   Cook for 5-6 minutes for large stalks, or 3-4 minutes for small florets.
3. Drain and covered until it is ready to be served.
4. **** If using frozen florets, simply put the vegetables in a large microwavable bowl. Add water till the broccoli is just covered.   Heat for 4-5 minutes using HIGH setting.  Drain and serve. 

Serving the Dish

1. Measure out 1 cup of pasta with a liquid measuring cup. Divide into two equal portions.
2. Place a piece of chicken either next to or on top of the pasta.  
3. Pour sauce over chicken and pasta.
4. Place broccoli on the side. 
5. Serve immediately.

I hope this works for you!  Happy Cooking!!  =D

Kick the Yucky, Boring Diet Foods OUT!!

So, I've been back on a diet and exercise plan since law school has once again expanded my waistline. However, I love food too much to just be eating boring diet food. So, here's the change to my blog. I will now be  posting food with calories count.  These next few posts (unless otherwise noted) will be all diet-friendly foods. Have fun!!

Yummy Blueberry Muffins!

I made these for General Conference weekend. You can refrigerate the batter in a air tight container overnight if you want. I used fresh blueberries that I froze. I would suggest just freezing the whole box without washing them first. If you wash they, they will freeze together and will get smashed when they thaw. I prefer using frozen fresh berries instead of the frozen berries from the freezer section of the supermarket. Those tend to be tiny and smashed by the time they thaw out. Either that or they freeze into a hopeless block of ice. Anyway, enough about blueberries...on to the recipe!


Blueberry Muffins (makes 10-12 muffins)
Ingredients:
Dry Ingredients:
     1 3/4 cup      flour
     1/2 cup         granulated sugar
     1/4 tsp          salt
     2 tbsp           baking powder
     1 tbsp           lemon zest
     1 cup            frozen fresh blueberries

Wet Ingredients:
     1 large         egg
     1 tsp            vanilla
     5 tbsp          melted butter
     3/4 cup        milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F and grease a 12 muffin baking pan.
2. Mix dry ingredients together and set aside.
3. Mix wet ingredients together until blended. 
4. Add to dry ingredients all at once and mix with wooden spoon until just blended, but not overly so.
5. Let sit for 10 minutes.
6. Distribute evenly to the greased muffin pan cups. 
7. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the knife comes out clean.

Enjoy! Happy Cooking!

Let's Celebrate!

The Holidays are over. The tree is put away. The house is once again clean, but depressing and gloomy. I don't think I've ever gotten the post-holiday blues before. Somehow, this year, I felt it. So to cheer myself up, I decided to remind myself why I love living in the southern part of the country where the sun shines almost year round:  fresh, tropical fruits are always in season. Therefore, on Monday morning, I visited my neighborhood market and bought whatever they have in season. Here's what I came up with:

 Steak and Mango Salad with Lime-Honey Dressing

Ingredients:

1 ripe red mango (pitted, cut into chunks)

1 bag of Classic Romaine Salad from any brand

1 large avocado (pitted, peeled, cut into chunks)

1 large Roma Tomato (cut into chunks)

A few thin slices of yellow onion

1/4 cup Feta cheese

1/2 tsp lime zest

1 pinch of salt

1 pinch of black pepper

1/4 cup of Lo Mein noodles

1 boneless sirloin steak (6 oz)

Juice of 1 lime

1 1/2 tbsp pure honey

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/8 tsp of black pepper

1 pinch of salt

Directions:

1.Cook the steak (seasoned with salt and pepper) either on a pan or broil it in the oven. Cook to desired level. I preferred mine medium. Let steak cool for 10 minutes, and then cut into chunks.

2. Toss the tomato, avocado, mango, onion, salad mix, salt, pepper, and lime zest together.

3. In a separate bowl, combine lime juice and honey. Mix until the honey is blended into the juice. Add salt and pepper. Slowly, add the olive oil while mixing vigorously.

4. Add the dressing to the salad mix and toss.

5. Sprinkle the top of the salad with Feta cheese, Lo Mein noodles, and steak cubes.

6. Refrigerate for up to 1 hr or serve immediately.

Happy Cooking!

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Oh, and here's the birthday cake that I made myself. I will not bore you with the details of making it. Just tantalize you with the picture of it. =P

Happy Cooking!