Green Bean Beef

From No Sin Sans Sugar

This is my broccoli beef recipe, sans broccoli because I was being too cheap to buy broccoli and got green beans instead. :D Ah, college life.

And yes I do realize I’ve been making a lot of Asian food lately. I promise, there will be variation soon. As soon as I either stop wanting sticky rice or run out of it.

From No Sin Sans Sugar

Aren’t they gorgeous? Cooking the beans after the meat ensures that they pick up all that leftover deliciousness and color.

And I’m all about deliciousness and color. ;)

Green Bean Beef:

For Sauce:

2 tsps cornstarch
2 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp mirin
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp oyster sauce
¼ tsp black pepper

Mix together in a small bowl. Set aside.


¼ yellow onion, diced
2 round steaks, sliced into strips
2-3 cups fresh green beans


In a wok over medium-high heat, heat 1 tbsp of oil. Add beef, stir frying until brown. Set beef aside on a paper-towel lined plate. Add another tbsp oil to wok and stir fry vegetables about 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Return beef to wok, stir fry for another minute. Add sauce plus 1 cup water. Stirring constantly, heat until sauce becomes thick.

Serve over sticky rice.

Serves two.

-Jirafa

Lemon-Dill Cucumber Slices

Simplest recipe in the world I think and yet still satisfying. I love to have this as a snack.

Keep in mind that all measurements are relative to one's personal taste. Add as much or as little of one thing that you like.

1 cucumber, sliced
4 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp dill weed
1/2 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Eat. :D

--Jirafa

White Chocolate and Dark Chocolate Banana Muffins

Whew, back from hiatus. In celebration, I bring you a recipe for delicious muffins, two ways.





I use a basic banana bread recipe that is moist and flavorful. You can throw both kinds of chocolate chips in if you’d like. You can do whatever you want really. Think of your kitchen like Burger King: you can always have it your way.



This batter can house chocolate, nuts, cherries, wedding rings…

You get the idea.



The problem with these muffins is that they come out so cute and warm and delicious that it’s hard to back away from them. And you’ll probably want milk, so go buy some before you make them.

I mean it. Go. Store. Now.

And after you’ve devoured them all and licked the muffin pan (wait ‘till it cools, just throwing that out there), you’ll want to do this:




White Chocolate and Dark Chocolate Banana Muffins

2 cups flour
¾ cup white sugar
2/4 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
3 ripe bananas, mashed well
¼ cup plain yogurt
2 eggs
6 tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup dark chocolate chips
½ cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large bowl, mix together bananas, vanilla, eggs, butter, brown sugar, and yogurt. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, white sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

Combine, mixing thoroughly.

Separate batter into equal parts in two bowls. Mix into one bowl dark chocolate chips and the other with white chocolate chips.

Grease a standard muffin tin and fill each place with a heaping tablespoon of batter. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

Continue until all the batter has been used!

Makes about 24 muffins.

-Jirafa

Oven-Roasted Rosemary Potatoes

There is no excuse now, people. No excuse as to why you had to go out and buy those Safeway lamp-nuked-radioactive potato wedges.

NO EXCUSES.


2 yukon gold potatoes, washed well
1/4 tsp rosemary
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp oil (vegetable, olive, whatever)
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Slice potatoes into wedges. Coat with remaining ingredients and spread over a baking sheet lined with foil.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Because I love you.

--Jirafa

Honey Pepper Beef

This was…WOW. Good. Tastes just like Panda Express’s black pepper chicken, only BETTER because I made it myself.

I know, I’m modest like that.



You can substitute the celery for pretty much any other tough vegetable: snow peas, broccoli, even *makes a face* carrots. But I think it tastes just fabulous with celery.

And you’ll really want those large slivers of onion. Trust me, you do. Unless you’re allergic to onion, because then you won’t want them.

Not responsible for death by onion.



(I really need to work on getting background noise out of my pictures)

Honey Pepper Beef:

2 small round steaks, sliced into strips
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ onion, sliced into large peels
2 celery stalks, sliced diagonally
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp oyster sauce
½ tsp black pepper (you can use peppercorns as well)
2 ½ tsp soy sauce

Heat a wok or regular frying pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and fry beef until lightly browned on all sides. Remove and set on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Heat another tablespoon of oil in the wok and add onion, garlic, and celery. Fry for about 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove and add to plate with beef.

Add honey, oyster sauce, black pepper, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil and then lower heat. Allow to thicken for 2 minutes; return beef and vegetables to wok. Coat with sauce and heat thoroughly, about 4 minutes.

Serve over sticky rice. Serves two.

--Jirafa

Easy Teriyaki Chicken Donburi

Donburi is a type of Japanese dish referring to simmered ingredients served overtop in a large bowl. I debuted my “donburi bowl” in the previous post and I hadn’t planned on posting this recipe because it’s just so darned simple but I got a request so here it is.

I’m almost ashamed of how simple it is. I feel like I should be posting more complicated recipes. Or at least making my own teriyaki sauce like the talented
Soy and Pepper

Easy Teriyaki Chicken Donburi:

1 cup cooked short-grain rice
2 thin chicken breasts
1/3 cup Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki sauce
2 stalks green onions, chopped (optional)

Marinate chicken breasts in teriyaki sauce for at least 2 hours.

Heat a medium frying pan. Remove chicken from marinade (reserve) and fry over medium heat until browned, about 2 minutes on either side. Mix leftover marinade with ½ cup of water and add over the chicken, cooking an additional 2 minutes.

Serve over rice. Drizzle with extra teriyaki sauce and garnish with green onions.

Serves two.

--Jirafa

Asian-Inspired Noodle Soup

This soup is a little bizarre, like pho meets ramen in a shady part of town. It tasted great, although I’m sorely disappointed with the texture of the bok choy.

But in all honesty, nothing could really disappoint me because this soup was created for this glorious bowl. By existing in this awesome bowl, the soup tasted even better!



Seriously though, if any of you have bok choy suggestions, I would like to hear them.




Asian-inspired Noodle Soup:

3.5 oz rice noodles
1 clove garlic, minced
32 oz chicken stock
2 tbsp soy sauce
½ tbsp mirin
4-5 leaves baby bok choy, washed

In a small soup pot, heat chicken stock, garlic, soy sauce, and mirin. In a separate pot, boil rice noodles for 4-5 minutes. (They will cook very quickly). Drain rice noodles and place into two bowls. When broth has begun to simmer, add bok choy and cook until heated, about two minutes. Pour broth over noodles and garnish with chopped green onions.

Makes two servings.

--Jirafa

Gingersnaps

It’s not the holidays without cookies! I’ve never been a fan of ginger but the elusive gingersnap won my heart and I promised I would create a recipe that didn’t bring tears to my eyes.

Well. At least not ginger-spicy tears.



These delicate cookies cook up nicely with a delicious golden brown color and light ginger flavor that is assisted by the addition of candied ginger. Not to mention they’re easy and oh so tasty.

But don’t trust me. Never trust me. Make them yourself.

Trust me a little.




Gingersnaps:

½ tsp ground ginger (you can add another 1/2 tsp for extra ginger flavor)
¼ tsp ground cloves
2 1/3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ cup vegetable shortening
1/3 cup molasses
2 eggs
1 stick of butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 tbsp crystallized (candied) ginger, finely chopped

In a large bowl, mix together shortening, molasses, eggs, butter, and sugar. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, nutmeg, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, ground ginger, and salt. Add in batches to wet goods, mixing well after every addition. Stir in candied ginger with a wooden spoon or spatula at the end; chill dough for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet lined with foil or parchment. Flatten slightly and sprinkle with granulated sugar.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown and firm in the middle.

--Jirafa

Bacon Fried Rice

There’s something awesomely satisfying about fried rice. Not to mention it’s incredibly versatile. The only thing that seems constant is the rice.

This fried rice is awesome. Ask me why. Go on, ask me. Well, since you asked so nicely I’ll tell you. It is awesome because it has BACON.


Gratuitous bacon shot for all you bacon freaks. You know who you are.


It’s so easy to make. Rice, vegetables, bacon, and of course, a couple of eggs for additional goodness. Don’t they look so cute nestled between all the color?


Mingle my friends. Become part of the bacon-y rice-y goodness. Do not question my diction.

Bacon Fried Rice:

1½ cups cooked rice
½ cup frozen mixed vegetables
2 eggs
1/3 cup crumbled cooked bacon
¼ to 1/3 cup soy sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Fry roughly 9 or 10 strips of bacon. Set on a towel to cool and drain. In the meantime, add cooked rice to bacon grease. Cook over medium heat until warmed through. Crumble the cooked bacon and add to rice along with mixed vegetables and garlic powder. Allow to heat through, stirring occasionally. Clear a small circle in the center of the rice and crack two eggs into the space. Let them cook for 30 or so seconds before mixing thoroughly into the rice. Add soy sauce, salt (if you find it necessary), and pepper. Mix thoroughly and allow to heat for another 2 minutes to be sure the egg has cooked.

Serve and enjoy!

--Jirafa

Cookie Bonanza Night

(Oatmeal Raisin, Snickerdoodles, Thumbprints)

Tomorrow is my Japanese class party (end of the quarter, YAY) so I volunteered to bring cookies. And cookies. Oh yeah, and more cookies.



At this point…I think I hate cookies. But 3+ hours of baking will do that to a person. Not to mention out about five dozen cookies my roommates were only allocated three each. I sense their disapproval.

Nevertheless, I’ve included the recipes used for your perusal. Cookies are fun, especially when they’re meant for other people.


Oatmeal Raisin Cookies:

I used the recipe on the inside lid of my Quaker oatmeal which is as follows:

2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
3 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup raisins

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large bowl, mix butter and sugars over medium speed until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla, mix until smooth. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add this to the wet goods in three batches, mixing well after each addition. Stir in oats and raisins, mixing well.

Drop rounded tablespoons of batter onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Allow to cool on a wire rack. If you’re like me, pull out the second rack inside your oven and use it as a cooling rack because you’re a poor college student. Grumble as hot cookie breaks apart and slips through wide gaps. Eat broken cookies. Rejoice.



Snickerdoodles:

I used the recipe here: Eat Me, Delicious

Quite delicious.



Thumbprint Cookies, Two Ways:

½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup shortening
2 eggs, separated
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 ¼ cups finely chopped almonds (or whatever nuts you like)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large bowl, mix together brown sugar, butter, and shortening; beat in egg yolks and vanilla. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to wet goods, mixing thoroughly. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Dip balls into egg white then roll into finely chopped almonds. Place cookies about 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet; press thumb deeply in center of each. Bake until light brown, about 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Fill thumbprints with jam or melted chocolate.


--Jirafa

Vanilla Whipped Cream

Just a quick but necessary recipe post. Everyone should make their own whipped cream. I mean everyone.


So deliciously sweet and simple. I brought it to one of my roommates over top of lime Jell-O and he said he'd rather have a bowl of the whipped cream alone.


Yes. It's that good.



Lime Jell-O+vanilla whipped cream+Prince Caspian DVD=best Wednesday night ever.



Vanilla Whipped Cream:

1 pint whipping cream
1 1/2-2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a large bowl mix whipping cream and vanilla. Add the powdered sugar in batches, beating on medium-high speed in between additions. Be sure to taste it while it's still in liquid form; once it starts forming peaks you won't really be able to sweeten it. Continue mixing on medium-high speed (for a long, long time *cough*) until whipping cream becomes solid and forms peaks.

Serve over top of nearly any dessert! It's also delicious on cakes as a substitute for frosting!

Turkey and Orzo Soup

My roommate came home with a huge bag of leftover turkey, courtesy of his mother, saying something about making soup. I immediately volunteered to make it, having had a box of orzo and dreams of deliciousness stewing in my mind for weeks.



Let’s just say it was just what we needed on a chilly December evening. We had a bowl (or two) of this delicious soup and ran off to put up the Christmas tree and decorate the windows of our apartment. Then spent an hour trying to ward the cats from our tree. Would say more but there’s a 9-page term paper on Robinsonades waiting for me to write it.



Turkey and Orzo Soup

2 cups sliced carrots
2 cups sliced celery
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups shredded turkey meat
6 cups chicken stock (or leftover turkey stock if you made it!)
1 cup orzo pasta, cooked
1 cup pasta water
1 tsp basil
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Cook celery, carrots, onions, and garlic for 2 minutes. Add chicken stock, turkey, basil, bay leaves, cooked orzo, and pasta water. Salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium heat for a half hour.

Devour.

--Jirafa

Quick and Dirty Tuna Spaghetti

I got the idea for mixing tuna with tomato sauce from my French Éclair, who fed me one weekend while we practiced our Japanese. In truth, I stole the idea. Stole it, ran away, and—okay, I’ll stop.

Some of you are still eating Thanksgiving leftovers.

I’m not quite sure if that makes you lucky or not. I cooked a small dinner for my two roommates. What was your Thanksgiving like? Huge family or close-knit group? Did you eat with friends? Roommates? If you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, did you have a great Thursday? :D

At any rate, leftovers are gone at my place and I was hungry.




Good college fare. And not “good” in the “can be nuked in the microwave” kind of way. I’m still frightened by most microwavable food.



This is me making use of the only leftover vegetable from Thursday. Don’t judge me.

Tuna Spaghetti:

2 stalks celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
6-8oz angel hair or spaghetti pasta
2 cups pasta sauce of choice
1 small can chunk tuna in water
Various spices

Boil pasta according to directions. In the meantime heat 1 tbsp oil in a small frying pan. Add celery and garlic and cook on medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

When the pasta is al dente, drain and return to the pot. Add cooked celery/garlic, pasta sauce, tuna, and whatever spices you’ve chosen. I find that canned sauces come lightly seasoned so I like to throw in basil, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, a dash or two of lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Cook until heated through and serve with parmesan cheese.

+This would also be great with some diced onions. Just throw them in with the celery.

-Jirafa

Pumpkin Applesauce Bread

Sorry about the mild and unexpected hiatus. This quarter is winding down, which means lots of last minute essays and tests to cram for which leave little room for either cooking or posting. The good news is that they’ll be over soon.

The other good news is that I have a recipe.

I like to consider myself a nonconformist but that’s about as nonconformist as conformity. So instead I strive for nonconformist conformity and come out feeling relatively special most of the time. I’m a spoiled only-child, okay? I need to feel different.

Holiday season=pumpkin=conformist.
Pumpkin bread=conformist.
Pumpkin Applesauce Bread=nonconformist conformity.

Get it?



How about saying this is just not standard pumpkin bread?



It’s lighter than your usual fare.



Well it was until I did that.



And that.



(So was I until I did that)

Promise not to tell?

Pumpkin Applesauce Bread

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
¼ cup plain yogurt
2 eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar (DO IT)
1 cup pumpkin puree (canned or homemade)
1 ½ cups flour
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp baking soda


Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large bowl mix together applesauce, yogurt, eggs, vanilla, sugars, and pumpkin. In a separate bowl sift (if you’re feeling pretentious) together flour, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and baking soda. Combine. Pour into greased loaf pan and bake for 1 hour and 5 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

4 oz cream cheese
2 tbsp butter, softened
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar

Using a mixer on the medium setting, blend the first three ingredients. Add the powdered sugar in three separate batches, blending until smooth. Let frosting sit in the fridge for 10 minutes before using.

Lick beaters.

Parmesan Basil Risotto (con Saffron)

How do people name their recipes? Honestly, this was going to be Basil Saffron Risotto but then I thought that the Parmesan was important so it became Basil Parmesan Saffron Risotto which sounded ridiculous. What next? Basil Parmesan Saffron Olive Oil Chicken Stock Salt Pepper Nonstick Soup Pot Risotto? *cough*

But saffron is special, so shouldn’t it be in the title?

Saffron optional.

Enough of me.



I love risotto. You love risotto. You will love my risotto.

No promises.

But seriously.



Look at that. I mean…


Look at it. (Not too much please. Clearly I can't photograph risotto. Try not to hold it against me.)



People get whiny when they hear “risotto.” “So much stirring!” “Too much work!” “Arrogant rice!”

The last comment isn’t common.

It’s really easy. I promise you.

Italians, don’t judge me. I only wish to one day meet your level of mastery.

Excuse me.


Parmesan Basil Risotto

*1 cup Arborio rice
1 cup chopped onions (optional. They aren’t in this recipe although they would have been if I had an onion. I weep.)
2 tbsp olive oil (safflower oil works fine if you’re like me)
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
¾ cup milk (you can use 1% but please no less. It compromises the glory. Light cream is spectacular.)
½ cup parmesan cheese
2 tbsp saffron-infused water
1 tsp basil
Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the rice and cook for about three minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Add broth, saffron, and onions (if desired) and bring slowly to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring two or three times. Once the rice has thickened and the broth mostly evaporated, add milk, cheese, basil, salt and pepper.

If your risotto looks too thick, add either a splash of broth or milk to loosen it up some. The risotto is done when you pull a spoon across the bottom of the pan and it takes a second or two to slide back into place.

Serve by itself or with steamed asparagus. Also makes a decadent side dish to pan-fried chicken!

*For those of you unfamiliar with Arborio, it really is a different type of rice. You might have to look hard to find it at your grocery store. Here’s an example!


-Jirafa

Not Another College Quesadilla

Not Another College Quesadilla

Hearing a college student say “quesadilla” brings images of either Taco Bell or greasy fake cheddarized tortillas to mind. Wait, did I say “or?” I’ve shied away from quesadillas for most of my life, considering them food for picky children and people who refuse to eat “ethnic” food (thus depriving themselves of any worthy food experience and wasting their taste buds *COUGH*).



Oh. Nevermind. Hello, Beautiful. Come to change my mind, have you? Well I refuse to be affected by you.



I…refuse… Oh, who am I kidding? This quesadilla is just darn delicious. Underneath the colorful toppings hide the real stars of this show.



That’s right. Pan-fried chicken, cut into strips. Juicy strips. Juicy strips of love and joy.

*cough*


Who says being a college student means having to eat lame food?

Not Another College Quesadilla:

1 thinly-sliced boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 cup medium cheddar cheese, grated
1/3 cup sliced grape tomatoes (any other tomato would work fine, too, this is just what I had)
½ cup baby spinach
2 soft taco-sized flour tortillas
Salt, pepper, and garlic powder

Lightly coat both sides of the chicken breast with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry chicken until browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. When the chicken is cooked, remove and slice into strips.

In a medium-sized frying pan set 1 tortilla in the bottom of the pan. Cover with ½ of the cheese, spinach, chicken strips, tomatoes, the rest of the cheese, and top with the other tortilla. Cook over medium heat for 5-6 minutes on each side or until cheese is melted and tortilla is browned and slightly crispy.

Serve with plain yogurt or sour cream and salsa.

Next recipe: Cinnamon-Sugar Apple Cake (Scheduled post: Tuesday, November 18, 2008).