Ingredients

• 9 small red potatoes, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 tbsp. garlic paste, or minced fresh garlic
• 16 oz. steak tenderloin
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 tsp. fresh thyme
• salt and pepper

Directions

• Place steak in freezer 20 minutes before slicing
• Melt butter in 12 in. deep dish frying pan over medium heat
• Stir in garlic
• Add potatoes, cover and cook over medium heat 10 min.
• Stir in sliced peppers, cook another 5 min.
• Add thyme, salt and pepper to taste
• Remove steak from freezer, slice into 1/4 in. thick strips
• Remove cover, increase heat to high
• Stir in steak, cook until done, stirring frequently
• Serve and hope it doesn’t suck

The secret to great pho is the broth.  Beef pho broth comes from bones that are roasted and boiled days before serving the soup.  They provide a rich base and beefy flavor.

Vegetable pho is more challenging.  I have a favorite restaurant nearby that serves delicious vegetable pho, but they cheat. I can see fat in the broth which must come from chicken or beef stock.

This recipe is an adaption of several I found on the internet, truly vegetarian, even vegan.  I made a large pot of broth, used it to create three separate batches of v-pho served over several evenings.

For the broth

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, peeled and quartered
• 1 piece of ginger, about 2 in. peeled and halved lengthwise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 star anise pods
• 2 whole cloves
• 4 c. organic vegetable stock
• 3 medium carrots, diced
• 1/4 c. soy sauce
• 6 garlic cloves, sliced thin
• 6 oz. mushrooms, your choice, sliced and diced
• 1 tbsp. lemon grass paste

Directions

• Char the onion in the broiler, about 15 min.
• Dump all ingredients in a crock pot and cover
• Allow to cook for eight (8) hours, low heat
• Strain through a fine mesh strainer, pressing with a spoon.  Discard the refuse remaining in the strainer, save every drop of the broth.

You can keep the broth in fridge for many days.  (Don’t worry, you’ll use it quickly once you taste it!)

For the Final Serving

Ingredients

These can vary depending on your tastes and what you can find in the fridge or store. I’m leaving out measures, because every thing scales according to taste.

• rice noodles
• broccoli florets
• sliced mushrooms
• baby boy choy, sliced in half, cleaned
• cilantro
• basil leaves, preferably Thai Basil

Toppings

• bean sprouts
• basil, preferably Thai basil
• Sriracha sauce
• Hoisin sauce

Directions

• Bring broth to a boil
• Using a strainer, rinse and heat noodles under hot tap water
• Add remaining veggies to broth, simmer for 6 minutes
• Place warm rice noodles in serving bowls
• Pour hot broth and veggies over noodles.
• Add toppings to choice, eat, enjoy, repeat

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. butter
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• Rice – cooked
• Pork – leftover, cubed
• Napa cabbage, sliced
• Garlic
• Onion, chopped
• Celery, diced
• 1 Serrano pepper, seeded and diced
• 3/4 red bell pepper, diced
• peas, leftover
• Carrot, julienned
• Mushrooms, sliced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Sauce

• Soy Sauce, about 2 tbsp.
• Rice Wine Vinegar, about 2 tbsp.
• Sesame Oil, about 1/2 tsp.
• Red chili peppers
• Cornstarch, about 1 tsp.

Preparation

• Whisk ingredients for sauce
• Heat saute pan, melt butter, add eggs
• Cook egg like a thin omelette.  Remove from heat, slice into strips
• Saute onions, celery and garlic until soft, about 3 minutes
• Add remaining vegetables and pork, saute for 3 minutes
• Stir in rice
• Stir in sauce, continue heating about 2 minutes until sauce thickens
• Serve, eat, and enjoy

Makes six tortillas

• 1 1/2 c. sifted flour
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 tbsp. soft butter
• 1 1/2 tbsp. lard
• 1/2 c. warm water

Flour Tortillas Preparation

• Mix dry ingredients
• Use fingers to work butter and lard into dry mix
• Add water, mix with fork and fingers to form a ball
• Knead until dough is soft and springy
• Divide into 6 balls
• Cover with plastic or towel, allow to rest for 20 minutes
• Preheat comal on medium heat
• Roll tortillas until thin (and dough passes windowpane test)
• Cook each side for about a minute

Fajitas Ingredients

Serves two people

• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1/2 lb. grass fed sirloin tip steak
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
• 1 organic green bell pepper
• 1 organic red bell pepper
• salt to taste

marinade

• 1 lime, juiced
• 2 tbsp. organic olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 fresh organic jalapeño, diced fine
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh organic cilantro

Fajitas Preparation

• Mix marinade, all ingredients
• Coat steak with marinade, let sit at room temperature for 1 hour
• Add oil to cast iron skillet, preheat  on high heat to smoke point
• Wipe most marinade off steak
• Fry each side of steak for 2 – 3 minutes for medium rare
• Remove steak from pan, tent with aluminum foil for 5 minutes
• Slice steak against grain
• Add vegetables to skillet, sear on high heat for 1 minute without stirring
• Continue cooking for about 5 minutes, stirring every 90 seconds
• Return meat to skillet, stir and continue cooking for another minute
• Serve with flour tortillas

Ingredients

• 1/4 c. whiskey
• 1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
• big squeeze honey

Directions

Mix together, put in jar.  Take 1 tbsp. frequently

Ingredients

• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. New Mexico hot chile powder
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 boneless skinless free-range chicken breasts
• 1 c. diced onion
• 1 Anaheim chile pepper, diced
• 1 Serrano chile pepper, diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 10 oz. can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles
• 4 c. chicken broth
• 3 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 14 oz. can black beans, drained
• 3 tbsp. masa
• 1 c. warm water
• 1 handful tri-color tortilla strips (used for salad garnish)

Garnish

• 1 diced avocado
• cilantro
• grated Monterrey Jack cheese
• sliced scallions

Preparation

• Preheat toaster oven to 375 F
• Mix cumin, chile powder, garlic powder and salt
• Drizzle olive oil on chicken breasts (both sides)
• Rub 3/4 of spice mix onto both sides of chicken breasts
• Bake chicken at 375 F until done, about 30 min.
• Shred chicken using 2 forks
• Saute onions, garlic, peppers on medium heat until soft, about 5 min.
• Add shredded chicken
• Add Rotel tomatoes and green chiles
• Add tomato paste
• Add chicken broth.
• Add black beans
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer
• Mix masa in 1 c. warm water, add to soup
• Simmer for about 20 min.
• Place handful of tortilla strips in bowls, add soup, garnish and serve

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 2 boneless grass fed pork chops
• 1/2 sweet onion, sliced
• 1 tbsp. Thai green curry paste
• 1 Anaheim chile pepper, diced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
• 2 zucchini, 3/4 in. cubes
• 8 mushrooms, sliced
• 1 can (14 oz) coconut milk
• 1/4 tsp. garlic salt
• 1/4 tsp. thyme
• 1 tsp. Thai basil
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

• season both sides of pork chops with garlic salt, thyme, salt, and pepper
• brown both sides of pork chops in a deep skillet, remove from skillet
• reduce heat to medium-low, add onions.  Saute for 2 minutes, until pan de-glazes.
• Add curry paste, saute onions until soft, about 2 more minutes
• add peppers, saute 1 more minute
• add coconut milk, increase heat to medium
• add zucchini and mushrooms, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low
• add pork chops after slicing into 1 in. cubes
• add Thai basil
• simmer for 15 minutes
• Serve over brown Basmati rice

• 2 pounds fresh asparagus
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3 tbsp. butter
• 5 c. chicken broth
• 1/4 c. half and half
• 1/4 c. sour cream
• 1/4 tsp. lemmon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

• Cut the asparagus stalks into 1/2 inch pieces.
• Heat 4 quart heavy pot over medium heat, add 2 tbsp. butter.
• Saute the onion and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes.
• Add asparagus pieces, salt and pepper, then stir while cooking over medium heat, about 10 minutes.
• Add chicken broth, bring to a boil.  Then cover and simmer 20 minutes.
• Puree soup in a blender, then return to pot and bring to a boil.
• Whisk together half n half and sour cream, then whisk into soup.
• Bring soup to a boil, then whisk in remaining tbsp. butter.
• Add lemon juice and serve.

• 3/4 pound fresh northwest Coho salmon, cut into 2 pieces, or cubed

  

• 1/2 medium sweet onion, sliced
• 20 fresh green beans
• 1/4 red bell pepper, diced
• 10 mushrooms, halved
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 tbsp. red curry paste
• 7 oz (1/2 can) coconut milk
• 1 tsp. fresh Thai basil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• 

  Place beans in 1 1/2 c. cold water, bring to a boil, cook for 3 minutes.

• rinse beans in cold water, French cut when cool
• Saute onions and curry paste in butter until onions soften, about 5 minutes
• Add coconut milk, bring to a boil.
• Add salmon, green beans, pepper and mushrooms. Reduce heat, simmer until the salmon flakes, about 6 minutes.
• Add basil, salt, pepper to taste.

• 20 green beans
• 1/4 sweet onion, sliced
• 4 mushrooms, halved
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. butter
• salt and pepper

Directions

• Parboil green beans 4 minutes.  Rinse with cold water
• French cut beans
• Melt butter in saute pan
• Stir in garlic, bring heat to medium, cook for 20 seconds
• Stir in remaining vegetables, increase heat to medium-high, sauté for 5 minutes
• Season with salt and pepper to taste

Serves two people