Soy and Garlic Zucchini

I know, I'm such a slacker. This is a really quick recipe that I like to make when I have my Japanese-styled breakfasts (miso soup, gyoza, rice). It's so simple and tangy and delicious!


Soy and Garlic Zucchini:

1 large zucchini, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp pepper
2-3 tbsp soy sauce

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, brown for 30 seconds and add sliced zucchini. Cook until somewhat softened, about 2-3 minutes. Add pepper and soy sauce.
+You can add salt, just remember that the soy sauce is very salty so you won’t need much.

Serves 2.

--Jirafa

Spicy Broccoli Beef with Udon

This is an experimental dish made with tossing this and that into a pan and calling it golden. My hope is to use more noodles in recipes, because noodles are fun and tasty and they deserve their chance to be special too.

Yes, my food has feelings.



Spicy Broccoli Beef with Udon

8 oz udon noodles
1 large round steak, sliced into strips
1 head of broccoli, chopped

Sauce:
1 large clove garlic, minced
I tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp mirin
2 tsp honey
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp chili garlic sauce
½ cup water

Mix sauce ingredients together in small bowl; set aside.

Boil noodles according to package directions (~5-6 minutes).

In a wok over medium-high, heat 1 tbsp oil. Stir-fry meat until browned; remove. Add another tbsp oil and stir-fry broccoli until bright green, about 4 minutes. Return meat to the pan along with sauce; lower heat to low/medium. Cook for about 2 more minutes. Drain noodles and add to wok, mixing thoroughly.

Serves 2-3.

--Jirafa

Broccoli Beef

I consider broccoli beef heavenly delicious and I think a higher power agrees, judging by the glorious light gracing the above photo. It can only mean acceptance.




And really, what’s not to accept? Crunchy broccoli, savory beef, all over rice.



Nom. Nom. Nom.

Broccoli Beef:

2 round steaks, sliced into strips
1 head broccoli, chopped
¼ onion, diced
1 cup water

Sauce:

6 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp mirin
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp white sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
¼ tsp black pepper

Mix all sauce ingredients together, set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok over medium-heat. Fry meat until browned, about 2-3 minutes. Remove meat to a plate.

Add another tbsp of oil to the wok and toss in broccoli and onion. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in meat and sauce plus 1 cup water. Cook for another 2 minutes, stirring as sauce thickens.

Serve over sticky rice.

Serves 3.

--Jirafa

Beef Egg Rolls

My first attempt making egg rolls. Fraught with imperfections but overall satisfying.



I used a filling of ground beef, egg, bean sprouts, cabbage, and carrot with oyster sauce, soy sauce, salt and pepper for additional flavoring. I think that with some onion thrown into the mix it would have been even better.



First fold.



Second fold.



Finished products.



I don’t have any fancy schmancy deep-frying equipment. In fact, I don’t even have a thermometer! So this was all done very crudely and carefully to insure no oil fires were started.



I did end up with two little burns though (I’ll spare you the pictures) that were immediately treated with honey and don’t hurt a tad now. Yes, good thing to know. Honey is an antiseptic and works well to ease the pain of burns!


The filling amounts I used weren’t enough to utilize all of the wrappers but it was a good test batch.

I served them with a side of soy sauce although I’m sure sweet and sour sauce is the preferred choice for many people.

Beef Egg Rolls

1 lb ground beef
1 lb large egg roll wrappers
2 carrots, thinly sliced
3 cups cabbage thinly sliced
2 cups bean sprouts
2 eggs
3 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with ¼ cup water

In a wok or large frying pan, brown beef 2-3 minutes. Add vegetables and stir-fry for 4-5 minutes. Add oyster sauce, soy sauce, salt, pepper, and eggs, mixing thoroughly. Cook for an additional 2 minutes.

Fill wrappers according to package instructions, sealing the end flap with cornstarch mixture.

Fry at 350 degrees, turning occasionally until golden brown. Set on paper towel to drain.

Serve with sauce of choice.

--Jirafa

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

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

Hot and Sour Soup

Hot and Sour Soup



Before I start this entry, I want to inform you that this weekend is going to be post-heavy. I’m having a late birthday dinner party on Saturday and I’ll be posting everything from it on Sunday.

That said, let’s have some soup, shall we? Hot and Sour Soup is popular among Chinese restaurant-goers, myself included. I have my own special place that makes the best Hot and Sour Soup in my opinion. Some nights I dream about it.

Okay, the last bit is a lie. However, I’m not always able to go downtown for some delectable soup so I played around with various recipes and came up with my own.



In truth, the recipe is very simple. You’ll have to make a trip to the International Foods aisle of your grocery store or an Asian market if your city/town has one. Pick up some Pocky while you’re there and make the trip really worthwhile.



And be sure to plate it accordingly. I happen to be incredibly fond of my lacquer bunny trays (admittedly, they are plastic).



This is Daikon-kun. Isn’t she adorable? I want to take her everywhere with me.

I’m not witty today, I know. I’m sorry, it’s been a long week. I want to be doing this:


Hot and Sour Soup:
6 cups chicken stock
1 8oz can of bamboo shoots, drained and sliced thinly
¼ cup rice vinegar
3 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil (this is really strong, be gentle with it)
1 tbsp ginger (optional)
½ tbsp chili garlic sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 ½ tbsp cornstarch mixed with ¼ cup water
10oz firm (extra firm is fine too) tofu, cut into strips
1 egg, beaten
Green onions (optional)

Mix chicken stock, bamboo shoots, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, ginger, chili garlic sauce, and rice vinegar in a medium pot. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. While stirring, add in cornstarch mixture. Continue stirring until soup has thickened, about 3 minutes. Add tofu and cook until heated through. Slowly add beaten egg while stirring. Salt to taste. Garnish with chopped green onions.

Next recipe(s): Pita Goes Greek...Salad!, Slow-cooked Tomato Sauce, Traditional Lasagna, Garlic Bread, Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting (Scheduled post: Sunday, November 16, 2008)