One of the best looking pieces of produce in our first CSA box was a gorgeous head of bok choy. Usually bok choy ends up playing second fiddle in my cooking, but I knew I really wanted to showcase this great ingredient. I came up with an easy stir fry using items I had on hand, including frozen shrimp and some tasty mushrooms. I was really impressed with the simplicity of the dish. In fact, I would barely change a thing next time around, and I can’t wait to make it again.

Shrimp and Bok Choy Stir Fry
Makes 2-3 entree portions

3/4 lb shrimp (25 count), deveined and shells removed
2 tbsp dry sherry or sake
1 tbsp plus 2 tsp corn starch
1 tsp plus 1 tbsp soy sauce
1 large head of bok choy
6 oz sliced white or shitake mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chicken stock
2 tbsp mirin
1/2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp vegetable oil

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sherry, 1 tbsp cornstarch and 1 tsp soy sauce. Add the shrimp and toss to coat evenly. Set aside. In another small bowl, combine the chicken broth, mirin, sugar, the additional 1 tbsp of soy sauce and 2 tsp cornstarch and set aside.

The most important step of stir-frying is the prep work. Since the cooking happens so quickly, everything must be ready to hit the pan before you begin. Wash and prep your bok choy. I like to slice the thick white stems on the bias, and then roll up and do a large, rough chiffonade of the green leaves. Be sure to keep these separate, as they’ll hit the pan at a different time.

When everything is ready, heat your wok over the highest heat your stove top can get. When the pan is screaming hot, add 1 tbsp of the vegetable oil. Start by adding the aromatics, in this case the ginger and the garlic. Stir for only 15 seconds, as the garlic can burn quickly, then add the shrimp. Keep the shrimp moving around the pan, and when they’re still slightly translucent, about 1-2 minutes, pull them out of the pan and set aside. They’re not fully cooked through, but that’s what you’re looking for, just like in the pic below.

Allow your pan to come back to heat, then add the remaining tbsp of vegetable oil. Toss in the white bok choy stems and the mushrooms. Stir fry for about 3 minutes until the edges of the bok choy become translucent and the mushrooms soften, then add the green leaves of the bok choy and cook an additional 2 minutes.

When the greens have slightly wilted, return the shrimp to the pan. Add the broth mixture. Continue to move the ingredients around the pan until the shrimp is fully cooked and the sauce begins to thicken slightly, about 2 minutes.

Serve alongside steamed white rice and dig in!! Enjoy, my fellow foodies!

Today’s was a simple one. Beef with broccoli and onions in a sweet soy garlic sauce.

Ingredients:
1.25 pounds of beef (anywhere between 1 to 1.5 pounds should be good)
2 crowns of broccoli cut up
1 large onion roughly choppeded
3 tablespoons of garlic
1/2 cup of soy sauce
3 tablespoons of mirin, cooking sake, or 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar/white vinegar
3 tablespoons of brown sugar
3-4 tablespoons of cornstarch
sesame seed oil

This will make about 3-4 adult servings. (:

Cut the beef thinly. You can tenderize if you like! I used two top sirloin steaks.

Add the sesame seed oil to the pan and throw in the garlic. When the garlic starts to brown…

HUZZAH! The meat magically teleports into the pan!

So while the meat cooks, I set up the sauce!
1/2 cup of soysauce
3 tablespoons of mirin
3 tablespoons of sugar
can also add a little honey to add a slightly different sweet flavor
MIX!

When most of the meat has cooked/browned, who do we call?

Gastronomical busters!…
Onions?

And also the broccoli!
Does anyone else say “brock-cole-eye”? I sure do!

Now put the lid over it and let the steam cook the veggies for around 5 minutes.
I like to leave the broccoli and the onions on top of the beef so that the beef can finish cooking and the steam will cook the veggies without burning them or over cooking them. I quite dislike limp over cooked broccoli. It has such a weird bitter aftertaste. Then again, I really enjoy raw veggies most of all.. but that’s another story!

So after 5 minutes or so, the broccoli should look much greener and meaner! The richer color is how I like it, and still crisp. (: If you like your broccoli more cooked, leave it for another 3 minutes or so to steam!

Now pour the soy sauce mixture into the pot!

Mixmixmix! Stir and let the pan fry!

Get 3 or 4 tablespoons of cornstarch and add a little water (didn’t measure, just enough to cover the cornstarch), and mix thoroughly! It should have a nice white milky sheen. Some recipes say to just throw the cornstarch into the pan, on top of what you already have in there. I don’t like this method cuz the cornstarch can lump up. And lumps are pretty gross. Especially lady lumps. and humps. my humps. -.-

If you want a super sticky sauce to stick to the meat and veggies, throw in another tablespoon.

Scoot some the stir fry aside so the sauce is exposed.
Pour the cornstarch in there.
Turn the heat to low.
Mixmixmix!

FINISHED!

eat eat eat

It’s always a question that plagues the soul, every night!
I’m a big stickler for having all your meats and veggies. Yum!
Menu: Broiled Flank Steak and Mixed Veggie Stirfry

Ingredients for the Flank Steak:

2.5 half pounds of Flank Steak
1/4th cup of Soy Sauce
3 tablespoons of Olive Oil
2 tablespoons of Chopped Garlic
1 tablespoon of Sriracha Sauce
2 sprigs of cut long Green Onion
Salt & Pepper to taste

Ingredients for Veggie Stirfry:

.5 large Sweet Onion
.5 Red Pepper
handful of Mushrooms
1 crisp Apple
1 Lime
2 tablespoons of Garlic
3 tablespoons of Sesame Seed Oil
1 tablespoons of Mirin
2 tablespoons of Soysauce
1 teaspoon of suger

Steak:

Mix 1/4th cup of soy sauce, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of Chopped Garlic, 1 tablespoon of Sriracha Sauce, and 2 sprigs of cut long Green Onion stir em together.

If you want your steak to be a little sweeter, add a tablespoon of sugar or honey. The sweetness mixes nicely with the Sriracha.

Grab that steak and lay it flat.
Cut off any excess fattage that my be on there.
Cover with clear plastic wrap.
Pound the crap out of the steak and tenderize that summovabitch.

Put the steak in the marinade and let it sit at room temperature for at least an hour.

If you want to let it sit over night (high recommended for tasty yumness), put into a plastic ziplog bag and let it sit in the fridge.

Preheat the oven and set it to BROIL! for at least 10 minutes.

Things to know about broiling… I didn’t know!
It cooks from one side, say, the top down. So it will cook half, at a very high temperature. The nice thing about it is that it will glaze/crisp the meat super nicely.
It’s good for thinner cuts of steak, like flank, rather than thick.
If your broiler is at the top of your oven, you’re going to want to move the grill so that it’s about 6 inches away from the top of the oven/heat.

Put the steak in an oven safe glass cooking thingie so it’s laid out flat.

Cook for 5 or 6 minutes on the first side OR until the thickest part of the steak is at 125 degrees F.

Once the time or the temperature has been reached, then flip it over and cook for about 4 or 5 minutes until the steak is nicely browned.

Take it out of the broiler!

Don’t leave it in the oven/broiler, or else it will become completely well done (like I did tonight). Taking it out of the oven/broiler will let it be a nice medium well with a little pink in there.

Set aside and let it sit for about 5 minutes so that the juices reset and don’t just pour out when you try to cut it.

Cut and eat!

Look at that soft subtle pink color… Mrrroowww.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper to your yummilicous tastes!

So while the broiler is heating up, chop your veggies!

Chop mushrooms, onions, and the bell peppers and put into a big boil.
Add 2 tablespoons of sesame oil and pepper and mix around.

In another bowl, slice the apples, unskin, and squeeze the lime in there.
The lime will help keep the apple from oxidizing and turning brown.

Let the pan heat up for 2 minutes or so at a medium heat.
Put in another tablespoon of sesame seed oil and throw in the two tablespoons of chopped garlic.

Throw in the veggie mixture first and cook for 5 minutes.
(this is where you can flip your steak)
Throw in the apple and lime juice.
Add the soysauce, sugar, and mirin. Just poor that thing in there.
Cook for another 4 minutes.
Turn off the heat.
(now your steak should be ready to pull out of the oven!)