Steak Potatoes and Peppers

steakPotatoesAndPeppersWhile visiting Mike and Katherine in Maryland, we all arrived home dog tired after a long day at work.  I threw this recipe together to make use of some leftovers.  Each of us had second helpings, eating every last bite, so I guess it didn’t suck.

 

 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

 

Vegetable Pho

vPhoI learned about pho from my friend Jessica when she was having it for lunch at work one day.  I said, “What’s that? It smells delicious.” She learned about pho when she visited Vietnam.

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