Honey Soy Marinated and Grilled Flank Steak

As the heat rises, I don't know about you but the oven mitt comes off and we fire up the grill!  I like to spend more time outside with my garden instead of being cooped up in the kitchen.  I've never been a beefaholic, so a well marinated thinly sliced piece of meat is a great alternative to a hunk of steak.  And, if you're lucky enough to have leftovers, it makes for a great sandwich the next day.

I can't justify buying a marinade already bottled from the store when it's just as easy to mix up your own.  You can purchase a decent sized flank steak for less than $10.00, which would be a quarter of what you might spend for 4 steaks.  

Grilled Flank Steak

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and place the meat into a gallon plastic bag.  Pour the marinade into the bag and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.  Lay it out flat in the frig so the meat sucks up all the juice!

3/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

2 Tbsp honey

1/4 cup seasoned (or plain) rice wine vinegar

2 cloves of garlic, minced

for added flavor you can add some herbs like chopped parsley, cilantro or rosemary (optional)

Next, grill it until done and let it rest for about 10 minutes before slicing as thin as you can.  Delicious!

Turkey Pho Soup

I know this is starting to sound like a broken record, but once again, I've begun a grueling 2 week detox program.   It's only been 4 1/2 days and the food I think I miss the most is oatmeal (weird) and a good cup of coffee.  I haven't had coffee, any kind of sugar or sugar substitute, no wine,no carbs, except for 1/2 cup of brown rice, but all the veggies I can eat!  Whew...feeling okay except for a headache which diminished after a cup of green tea while popping an aleve.  I have to keep reminding myself that it's only for two weeks, then I'll re-evaluate after seeing the results and there had better be some darn good ones!

Once again, I need to be extremely inventive when it comes to preparing my meals.  The most satisfying, so far, was this Turkey Pho Soup.  Hubby even liked it!  His had noodles while mine had brown rice.  One of the helpful hints of this detox is to have plenty of roasted vegetables on hand, pre-cooked turkey or chicken and the will of a Tibetan monk!  

On the UP side, I developed a new soup recipe that anyone, including a monk would love.

Turkey Pho Soup

about 1/2 lb turkey breast meat, cooked and shredded (or about 2 cups

4 cups organic vegetable broth

2 cups water

2 garlic cloves, sliced thinly

2 Tb of fresh ginger, sliced

1-2 carrots, thinly sliced

1 large handful of spinach, bok choy or cabbage (I used spinach and bok choy)

Garnish

1 cup bean sprouts

fresh cilantro

fresh Thai or regular basil, tear pieces

1/2 cup green onions, sliced

jalapeno rings (optional)

cut up lime

rice noodles or brown rice (pre-cooked)

The ingredients look like a lot, but this is pretty simple.  In a large soup pot, add the broth, water, garlic, carrots and ginger.  Bring to a boil, then add the turkey and spinach/bok choy.  Cook for only 5-7 minutes on low heat for a "simmer".

To serve:  Place cooked noodles or brown rice in a bowl, add the soup mixture, then garnish with bean sprouts, lime, jalapeno, green onions or whatever you want.  A good Asian hot chili sauce (sriracha) really brings it all together.

Asian Cucumber Salad

I confess, I've never been a fan of cucumbers.  I tolerate them in salads, usually, but after buying some at the farmer's market a few weeks ago (because they were gorgeous) I proceeded to put them in whatever I could.   I even added them to tuna sandwiches for extra crunch and freshness!  Pretty good!  

Not to change the subject, but, I don't drink as much water as I should.  To compensate for this I've been trying to eat more foods with a high water content in them, such as melons and cucumbers.   Enter the Asian Cucumber Salad recipe.  If you've ever eaten in a Thai restaurant this is always on the menu or placed as a side dish for certain entrees.  I love all the ways it hits my taste buds, fresh, crunchy, spicy, tangy and sweet all rolled into one dish!  Try this, it may make you a fan of cucumbers.

Asian Cucumber Salad

2 cucumbers, washed and peeled, then thinly sliced (use side of a box grater)

2 green onions, chopped

1/3 cup rice vinegar (I used roasted garlic flavor, that's what I had)

1/8 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp red chili paste

salt & pepper

1 handful of chopped cilantro

In a small bowl mix the vinegar, sugar, chili paste and salt and pepper.  Whisk.   Add the cucumbers, green onions and cilantro and stir.  Refrigerate for at least an hour to blend the flavors.  Serve with your favorite soba noodles  or by itself!

Soba Noodles and Slaw

I always forget about incorporating broccoli slaw into recipes.  It's so easy to grab a bag and throw it into pastas, salads or noodle dishes like this one.  While Chinese food is not my absolute favorite, maybe because of the sodium content, I make it from time to time just to have variety.

Next time you're in the mood for Chinese, substitute broccoli slaw instead of chopping up all those veggies.

Soba Noodles and Slaw

2 eggs

1/2 - 1 Tbsp oil

2 cups cooked chicken chunks or pieces

1 pkg soba noodles

4 green onions (scallions), chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

juice from 1/2 lime

1/2 bag or about 2 cups of broccoli slaw

1 Tbsp Chinese stir fry sauce

2 Tbsp Hoisin sauce

Cook the noodles first according to direction.  I didn't use all the noodles..maybe 2/3 of them.  Set aside when done.  Don't drain them just yet.

Meanwhile, heat half of the oil in a large skillet or frying pan on medium heat.  Whip the eggs in a bowl, then add to the oil and scramble into small pieces (like scrambled eggs).  Remove from the pan.

Reduce the heat to low/medium and add a bit more oil,  the chicken, garlic, lime juice and both sauces and mix well.  Add the broccoli slaw, onions and drained noodles.  Blend well.  You can add a bit of water to loosen the sauce, if needed.  That's it!  Dinner is served.

You can garnish with chopped peanuts and cilantro, too.  Yum!

Simple Soba Noodles

I'm a sucker for any kind of Asian noodle, chow mein, lo mein, soba, pad Thai and chow fun for starters.  I admit that I've attempted to make some of these in the past, but, years  ago special ingredients weren't readily found at the store.  You usually had to go to an Asian market to seek them out.  Now there's no excuse for not being able to create these noodle dishes.

I used frozen cooked shrimp for this which made it immensely convenient instead of having to clean them myself.  They're great to have in the freezer to add to salads and pastas, too.  Fresh is always best, however, if you're pressed for time, use the frozen.  I also used packaged soba noodles called chuka soba which means Chinese noodle (I hope).  No hand pulling noodles for me.  

I like my noodles spicy hot, but not the five alarm #5 on the noodle scale.  I used sriracha sauce to add some heat.  Depending on your preference, you may want to add some to your individual plate if making for your children.  You've been warned!

Ingredients:

package of soba noodles

1 Tbsp oil

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup cooked shrimp, defrosted, cut into pieces

1/2 cup green onions, chopped

1/4 cup carrots, julienne

2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

1 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped

2 Tbsp Hoisin sauce

1 Tbsp sriracha hot sauce

1/2 cup water

Cook the noodles according to package in boiling water.  They only take 3 minutes.  Drain and rinse well and set aside.

In a large skillet (or wok -type pan)  heat the oil on medium high.  Add the eggs and immediately start to stir around like you're scrambling eggs, only quicker.  When done, remove from the pan, lower the heat to medium.  To the skillet, add the shrimp, carrots, onions, cilantro, mint, Hoisin, and sriracha sauce.  Stir until well blended.  Add the noodles, mix and add the water to give it a looser sauce.  Add the eggs at the end and serve.

Believe it or not it will take less than 10 minutes.  All the chopping (prep work) takes the longest.  Enjoy!

Forbidden Shrimp Tower

Okay, so you're not forbidden to eat this.  The dish is plated onto a bed of dark "forbidden" rice and piled high with shrimp and vegetables.  Black rice is similar in the  fiber content of brown rice with the same nutty taste.  In ancient Chinese culture it was only served to the Emperor and was off limits to his subjects, thus, "forbidden".

Treat yourself with a dinner fit for the king!

Ingredients:

Forbidden (black) rice, cook according to directions

1 Tbsp oil

1/2 large carrots, peeled and julienne (cut into strips)

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 green onions, chopped (reserve 1/4 of this portion for garnish)

1 cup sliced mushrooms

3/4 cup shredded red or green cabbage

1 Tbsp hoisin sauce

1 Tbsp soy sauce

10-12 pre-cooked shrimp, cleaned, no tail

Napa or lettuce leaves for garnish

sriracha or chili sauce for a spicy condiment

forbidden rice (Cook according to directions)


Once you've done all the chopping or prep work, this comes together quite quickly.   Cook the rice first. It will take about 45 minutes.   In a large skillet heat the oil on medium heat.  Add the carrots, onions, garlic, mushrooms and cabbage and stir while cooking until slightly limp.  Add the shrimp, stir, and add the hoisin and soy sauce.  If mixture appears dry, just add a bit of water to loosen.

Serve on a lettuce leaf and a bed of rice.  For those of you who like a little spice, by all means add some chili flakes, sriracha sauce or sweet Thai chili sauce.

Makes 2 heaping towers.

A Surprise Sidedish - Asian Eggplant

This spicy side dish was a complete surprise to me.  Pleasant surprises usually happen around here when I start throwing ingredients into the pan.  My inspiration comes  from an entree that PF Chang's has on their menu, minus most of the sodium.    My version evolved without the Thai chilies and ground chicken/pork, although next time I'll add those along with some brown rice for a complete meal.

Ingredients:

1 Japanese eggplant (those long skinny ones)  Cut into 1/2-1 inch pieces, then quarter each piece.

1/2 cup onion, large chop

1/3 cup oil

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

1/4 tsp Chinese five spice

dash of red chili flakes

1 Tbsp plum sauce (Dynasty brand)

1 Tbsp black bean garlic sauce (Dynasty brand)

garnish of green onions and sesame seeds

In a skillet place oil and eggplant and start to brown.  Eggplant soaks up ALL liquid so you can begin to add 1/2 of the chicken broth.  As the eggplant starts to soften, add the onion, five spice and chili flakes.  Continue to stir on medium heat.  Add the plum and black bean sauce, while stirring quickly to coat the pieces.  Reduce the heat to simmer as you add the remaining chicken broth.  The liquids will start to nicely thicken.  It should be done by now.  Garnish with chopped green onions and sesame seeds. 

  

Vietnamese Noodle Soup

To continue with the weekly soup theme I made a Vietnamese noodle soup.  A few weeks ago we went to a local restaurant and ordered this.  My first impression was,  "This is it?  And they get paid for this?"  I knew there was  room for improvement on this recipe.  The broth was average and the chicken was "pressed like" slabs mixed in with some rice stick noodles.   This was a candidate for "recipe redo" if I ever saw it.   I know I'm sounding judgemental but don't you want a nice presentation and an equally great tasting meal when you go out?  I do!

So, the game was on to try my hand at the Vietnamese noodle soup.  I roasted an organic chicken a day or two before and only served the thighs, drumsticks and wings.  The leftover shredded white meat from the breast would go nicely in the broth for the soup.  With the chicken out of the way, the soup went together rather quickly.

I adapted an online basic recipe and omitted the fish sauce.  This version is practically sodium free.  Did you know that fish sauce used in most Asian recipes is over 1300 mg of sodium per serving?  Yikes...  If you care about your blood pressure steer clear from this stuff.

Ingredients:

About 7 cups of fat-free, sodium reduced chicken broth
1/4 c shallots, sliced
2 1/2 T minced ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp black pepper
1-2 segments of rice sticks, uncooked
2 c shredded chicken
2 T sliced green onions
1 c bean sprouts
2 T fresh sliced basil
lime wedges for taste
2 T fresh mint, sliced
2 T cilantro, thinly sliced
Jalapeno pepper slices, about 2 depending on degree of hotness you like.
 Thai chili sauce

Condiments of choice

Combine the first 5 ingredients and bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for about 15 minutes.  Add the chicken and cook for 5 more minutes.  Cook the rice sticks or noodles in boiling water, drain and divide into 4 bowls (serves 4).  Ladle the chicken and broth over the noodles and add all the condiments on the side.

Seared Tuna Salad with Ginger Wasabi Vinaigrette

As a farewell to summer salads my ginger wasabi tuna salad was an overwhelming success. Quite the surprise! So much so that Ralph put aside his favorite dressing (blue cheese) for a drizzling of my homemade vinaigrette. I'll toot my own horn on this one. I even had visions of bottling my dressing it was that great! Any takers?

Growing up I always had an endless supply (so I thought) of tuna fish. There were several canneries in the port of LA town I was from. Most of them are now gone. Over the years I've found myself actually craving tuna for whatever reason, I'm not sure. Could it be the protein or the taste or both? Was I conditioned from living in "fish town, USA"? Was I experiencing homesick tuna syndrome? After doing a little research I suppose I could be lacking in omega fatty acids, protein, magnesium or potassium, all of which are found in abundance in tuna. Listen to those cravings, your body may be trying to tell you something!

Before I met my husband I would dine on tuna sandwiches and chocolate milk! My kitties loved me for that. Very affordable when you're living on your own. Another way I like to enjoy my tuna sandwiches is with a slice or two of jellied cranberry sauce! Pretty weird but it works for me!

As I strolled through the market the other day the tuna caught my eye. I must have had that craving again. Almost as powerful as a chocolate craving! I have to say thanks to my hubby for letting me experiment from time to time (quite often). This time the payoff was great. I only purchased a small amount but what I bought went a long way with the following recipe.

Ginger wasabi Vinaigrette:

Whisk together

1 tsp finely grated ginger root

2 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp wasabi powder

1 T minced cilantro, fresh

2 T oil, canola

1 T garlic infused rice wine vinegar

1 T honey

Season the tuna steak (1/3 -1/2 lb piece for 2) with salt and pepper. Using a grill or griddle pan on med-high heat, sear on both sides for a total of about 5 minutes. Slice thinly and add to your salad greens, tomatoes, onions, etc. Drizzle with ginger wasabi dressing. Yum! Another great addition would be orange or pineapple slices or toasted almonds! Serves 2.