Sitr fried gobo root with beef

Gobo root, also known as burdock, is a common ingredient in many Asian cuisines. It is low in calorie and high in fiber, calcium and potassium. Gobo root stir fried with beef is a popular dish in Japanese izakaya. Compared to burger and fries, this is probably one of the healthiest beer food.

Ingredients:

1 gobo root (can be found in Asian market, Japanese market with the highest chance)
4 oz of beef, thinly sliced and cut into strips
1 tablespoon of white sesame seeds

Seasonings:

1 tablespoon of low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon of mirin
2 dried red chili
1 teaspoon of sesame oil

Marinade:

1 tablespoon of low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
1 teaspoon of potato starch

Steps:

1. mix beef with all the marinade ingredients
2. clean bogo roots with a piece of crumbled tin foil and rinse with water
3. toast sesame seeds on a flat pan till fragrant, remove and set aside
4. use a shredder to shred gobo roots into 2"-3" strips, keep the shredded gobo in cold salted water to avoid oxidation
5. heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan and cook beef till medium, remove and set aside
6. use the remaining oil to cook shredded gobo, add all seasonings except sesame oil
7. cook till gobo is soft, then add beef to the pan. add some water if the mixture needs moist
8. cook till beef is well done, mix in the sesame seeds and sesame oil before serving

Beef Stew

I'm not a chef or an expert on cooking by any means.  I am a homecook and I take my Asian roots with my American roots to mesh and create what is delicious to me.  With that said, this beef stew is another concoction that I created from the familiar flavors of my childhood without any formal training for a traditional authentic Chinese beef stew.  Although I would argue that this is authentic to me.

I saw this beautiful piece of beef shank suprisingly at our local downtown LA Ralphs supermarket.  Now, beef shank is tricky because being the leg of the cow, it has many tendons and needs to cook slowly for a long time to break down and tenderize otherwise it can be very tough and chewy.  Perfect for stew and incidentally its a cheaper cut of meat, which is always a plus!  

Ingredients (rough estimates):

1-2 Beef shanks

1 Package of seaweed

1 Package of Soy Bean Curd cubed

2 Carrots chopped

3 Red Jalepeno Chilis chopped

Rice Wine (Michiu)

Soy Sauce

3 Cloves of Garlic

3 Slices of Ginger

3 pieces of Star Anise

 Directions:

Cube the shank into one inch size pieces

 Throw all the ingredients in a pot with a generous splash of Michiu rice wine and about 2-3 tablespoons of soy sauce, then add water until the liquid just covers the ingredients.

Bring to a boil, turn down the heat, and let simmer for about 45 - 60 minutes.  Enjoy the tender yumminess over rice or add some more water and cook some noodles in the mix for some beef noodle soup...mmmmmm....

Heart of Green

I LOVE avocados!  The natural creamy goodness, the subtle yet intoxicating flavor, and something about cutting open the rough unattractive outer shell to find such beautiful green flesh never ceases to amaze me.  The Chinese term for avocado literally translates to "butter fruit".  Avocados are nature's butter.  Give me a piece of toast with half an avocado sliced on top with a little salt and pepper and I'm content with life. =)

This Green Goddess Breakfast is my perfect way to start the day...

Ingredients:

1 Egg

1/2 Avocado

A few Basil leaves

1 piece of Toast

Salt and Pepper

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:

Toast a piece of bread in the toaster or oven.  Pan fry an egg gently in olive oil to medium doneness (cooked on both sides but the yolk is still slightly runny, salt and pepper).  Cut half an avocado into slices.  Arrange the toast on bottom, then add the egg, then the avocado slices, and lastly the washed and dried basil leaves.  Drizzle with a little more extra virgine olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Simple green goddess goodness

Soy Butter King Oyster Mushroom

Mushroom is one of my favorite veggies. Recently I find many Asian groceries carry very good quality king oyster mushroom at very affordable price. Some American supermarkets also carry them in the produce section. The flavor of this dish also makes it a great snack when having beer - izakaya style!

1 pack of king oyster mushroom
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon of soy sauce (I use reduced sodium soy sauce for this dish, you can use regular soy sauce if desired)
1 teaspoon of butter

Cut mushroom lengthwise into same size pieces
Finely mince garlic cloves
Heat up vegetable oil in a pan and sweat minced garlic in low heat till fragrant but not brown
Add soy sauce in the pan and turn heat to medium
Add mushroom in the pan after soy sauce start boiling. (bubbles up in the pan)
Stir in butter and cook till mushroom become tender

The purpose of butter here is to add richness. Simply skip this step to make it a vegan dish.

Cauliflower & Green Onion

Cauliflower & Green Onion

Ingredients:

1             Head of Cauliflower

2            Stalks of Green Onion

Salt & Pepper

1. Cut the head of cauliflower into similar size florets
2. Slice the green onion and add to a hot wok or sauté pan over medium high heat with about a tablespoon of vegetable cooking oil.
3. Add the cauliflower florets, salt and pepper to taste, then add about ¼ cup to ½ cup of water and cover for a few minutes.
4. Check for doneness by piercing the cauliflower with a chopstick or fork, which should go through the cauliflower easily without any resistance.
5. Remove from heat and serve.

Stir-Fry Bok Choy & Mushrooms

Stir Fry Bok Choy & Mushrooms

Ingredients:

A Few Bunches of Bok Choy

A Few Ounces of Mushroom (I used King Oyster here, but you can use almost any other meaty mushroom like Shitake or Portebello sliced)

2-3            Cloves of Garlic

Salt & Pepper

• When stir-frying any veggie dish, you generally want to slice or chop your ingredients into similar shapes and sizes so that it’s visually pleasing and cooks evenly.

1. Wash all the veggies and slice the bok choy and mushrooms into 1-inch pieces.
2. Add a tablespoon of cooking vegetable oil to a hot wok or large sauté pan over medium high heat.
3. Mince the garlic and add to the pan, once you see the garlic sizzle and smell the garlic aroma add the mushrooms and let the mushrooms cook until slightly brown, a few minutes.
4. Add the bok choy, salt and pepper to taste, toss with the mushrooms and sauté for a couple minutes until leaves wilt.  Remove from heat and serve.

• Remember to keep cooking time in mind, whatever will need more time to cook should be added to the pan first.
• You can also use any other green veggie, such as broccoli, chayote, or spinach.  The mushrooms are sort of like a yummy meat substitute. =)  Below is spinach with beech mushrooms and also a little sliced red chili for an additonal spice.

Chunky Salsa

Chunky Salsa

Ingredients:

2            Tomatoes

½           Bunch Cilantro

1            Sweet Onion

1            Jalapeno (2 if you want it spicier)

2            Cloves of Garlic

½           Lime Juiced

Salt & Pepper

1. Dice tomatoes, sweet onion, jalapeno, chop cilantro, and mince garlic.
2. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, add the lime juice and salt and pepper to taste.