Ginger, Carrot, and Sweet Potato Soup

Last night, I came home from a work event late and had literally nothing in my fridge.  I remembered this recipe I saw at Simply Scrumptious and thought if I could make something out of nothing, it would have to be soup.  Carrots? Check. Onion? Check. Oh yea, I have a sweet potato lying in my vegetable bowl that's looking questionable, sure let's throw that in there.  Dinner was made in 30 minutes and it warmed my chilly body up thanks to this exceptionally cold weather we've been having in San Francisco.

Ginger, Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup:
Serves 1-2 people

1 shallot, minced
1/4 cup chopped lemongrass (I didn't have it but it would make a nice addition)
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 inch knob of ginger, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large sweet potato, peeled and roughly chopped
1ish cup low sodium vegetable stock
1/2 - 1 cup light coconut milk
zest and juice of 1 clementine

salt and pepper
chili powder
red pepper flakes
olive oil
cilantro or mint for garnish

Heat oil in small sauce pan.  Add the shallots, onion, garlic, ginger and lemongrass.  Add salt and pepper to sweat.  After a few minutes, add the carrots and sweet potato.  Add a touch more salt along with the chili powder and red pepper flakes.  Let cook for a minute or two and add the veggie stock.  Let simmer on medium low for 10ish minutes, until the sweet potato and the carrot are tender.

CAREFULLY transfer the mixture into a food processor or blender and puree till smooth.  You may need to add a bit more veggie stock to thin it out a bit.  Transfer puree back to stove and add the coconut milk, stir to combine.  Let cook for a few more minutes, taste for seasoning and serve with fresh herbs.  Enjoy!

Citrus Sesame Chicken

I saw this recipe on YumSugar that looked absolutely delicious, but needed some tweaking on my part.  You let the chicken marinade for at least 30 minutes (preferably 3 hours) and then bake in the oven.  It's a pretty healthy way to make some really tasty chicken.  I used drumsticks but you can use breasts or thighs as well.

Citrus Sesame Chicken:

6 chicken drumsticks

1/3 cup sherry

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper

1 tbsp. chili garlic sauce (I like Lee Kum Kee)

1 tsp. hoisin sauce (Lee Kum Kee)

zest and juice of each lime, lemon, and orange

1 1-inch knob of ginger, graded

3 garlic cloves, graded or finely minced

1/2 jalapeno, finely minced (with or without the seeds, depending on how spicy you like it)

1 tsp. garlic powder

2 tbsp. brown sugar

1 tbsp. honey

1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil

1 tbsp. peanut oil

Toasted sesame seeds and chopped scallion for garnish.

Combine everything but the chicken and stir to combine.  Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary, you want it to be sweet, salty and spicy.  Pour everything into a zip lock bag and add the chicken.  Let marinate for at least 30 minutes, better if you can let it marinate for a few hours.

Take out chicken from the fridge and preheat oven to 425 F.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (please don't forget to do this, you'll have one hell of a mess if you don't) and spray with non stick spray.  Place chicken on the sheet tray and bake in the oven.

While the chicken is baking, pour the marinade in a sauce pan and reduce the sauce till syrupy (about 7 minutes).  After the chicken has been baking for 10 minutes, take out and baste with the thickend marinade.  Put the chicken back in the oven for another 10 minutes and repeat the basting.  Take out the chicken when done, probably after 30-35 minutes of cooking. 

Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and green onion.  Serve with some brown rice and a cucumber salad.

Chinese Concoction

For some reason, I am on a serious Asian food adventure. I have been craving stir frys for breakfast, lunch, and dinner...no I'm not pregnant but I love the spicy heat and the savory sauces that come with making a stir fry. I've been fooling around with a few different stir frys and I think I've found the perfect one for beef. It's a take on Pepper Steak from and Asian cookbook. I combine peppers, green beans and beef and cook it in sherry and soy sauce. I add some chili garlic sauce and a little jalapeno for some heat. Serve with brown rice and a cucumber salad and you have yourself a nice dinner. I omit the cuke salad and enjoy it for a nice breakfast, come on, who doesn't like Chinese food for breakfast. This meal feeds a lot of people and is super easy to make, takes less than 20 minutes and you have an entire meal.

Pepper Steak:
1 lb of flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain at a bias (about 45 degrees or so)
1 heaping tbsp chili garlic sauce (recommendation Lee Kum Kee)
1 tsp-1 tbsp of mince jalapeno (depending on how spicy your mouth wants to be)
1/2-3/4 cup of amontillado sherry (eyeball this, you want the sherry and soy to coat the meat but not be drowning in it) *if you can't find amontillado, any dry sherry will work
1/4 - 1/3 cup soy sauce (eyeball this as well)
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
juice of 1/2 a lemon or lime
1-2 tbsp corn starch

Put the sliced beef in a bowl and coat with the corn starch. Add the rest of the ingredients and let marinate for at least 10 minutes, turning once in a while to make sure the beef is coated with everything.

1 red bell pepper, chopped into inch cubes
1 orange bell pepper, chopped into cubes
1 big bunch of green beans or heri covert, chopped in half
1-2 inches of ginger, pealed and sliced into discs 1/4-1/2 inch thick
3 cloves of garlic, smashed, skins removed
2 tbsp peanut oil
2 scallions chopped
5 basil leaves cut chiffonade (thin slices)

Heat a wok up with high heat. Saute peppers and green beans for 1-2 minutes till just starting to cook but still nice a crunchy. Take out with a slotted spoon and let drain on paper towels. Add more oil if needed and then the garlic and ginger and swirl to infuse the oil but making sure the garlic doesn't burn. Then add the beef and the marinade and cook on high high to medium high heat, about 3-5 minutes depending on how fast the meat cooks. About a minute before the beef is done, add back the veggies and stir to combine. The sauce should be nice and thick, if you would like it a little more saucy, add more of the sherry at the end and let cook for a minute or so. The cornstarch will thicken it up. Take off heat when done (don't overcook the meat or it will get really tough), sprinkle with scallions and basil, and serve with brown rice and a cucumber salad.

Cucumber Salad: (for 4 people)
4 Persian cucumbers, ends removed, chopped in half moon shapes (so cut hotdog wise and then thinly slice the cuke)
1 - 2 tbsp vinegar
1/4 tsp splenda or sugar
1 -2 tsp soy sauce
1 -2 tsp toasted sesame seed oil
3-4 splashes of red Tabasco sauce
1 scallion chopped

To make the dressing, put the vinegar in the bottom of your serving bowl. Add the sugar/splenda and stir to dissolve. Add the soy sauce and Tabasco and whisk in the sesame oil. Add the cucumber and scallions on top and let sit for at least 10 minutes at room temp.