stir-fried beef with green beans and shiitakes in ginger soy sauce

 

Ingredients

4 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. sugar plus an additional 1 teaspoon
12 ounces flank steak, cut into 2-inch wide strips with grain, then sliced across grain into 1/8-inch-thick slices
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. cornstarch
3 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tbsp.)
1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, wiped clean, stemmed, and cut into 1-inch pieces
12 ounces green beans, ends trimmed and halved
¼ cup water
3 scallions, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces, white and light green pieces quartered lengthwise

Instructions

1. Combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 1 teaspoon sugar in medium bowl. Add beef, toss well, and marinate for at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour, stirring once. Meanwhile, whisk remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, broth, vinegar, pepper flakes, and cornstarch in medium bowl. Combine garlic, ginger, and 1 teaspoon oil in small bowl.

2. Drain beef and discard liquid. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add half of beef in single layer, breaking up clumps. Cook, without stirring, for 1 minute, then stir and cook until browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer beef to clean bowl. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in skillet and repeat with remaining beef. Rinse skillet and dry with paper towels.

3. Add remaining tablespoon oil to now-empty skillet and heat until just smoking. Add mushrooms and cook until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add green beans and cook, stirring frequently, until spotty brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add water and cover pan; continue to cook until green beans are crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Uncover skillet and push vegetables to sides to clear center; add garlic-ginger mixture to clearing and cook, mashing with spatula, until fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds. Combine garlic-ginger mixture with vegetables. Return beef and any juices to skillet, add scallions, and stir to combine. Whisk sauce to recombine, then add to skillet; cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 30 seconds. Serve.

* From America's Test Kitchen

orzo with roasted vegetables

Ingredients

For the dressing:
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground pepper

1 small eggplant, peeled and 3/4-inch diced
1 red bell pepper, 1-inch diced
1 yellow bell pepper, 1-inch diced
1 red onion, peeled and 1-inch diced
2 garlic cloves
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
1/2 lb. orzo

4 scallions, minced
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
3/4 lb. feta cheese, 1/2-inch diced
15 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Toss the eggplant, bell peppers, onion, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large baking sheet. Roast for 40 minutes, until browned, turning once with a spatula.
3. Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling water for 7-9 minutes until tender. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl.
4. Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan into the pasta bowl.
5. For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and pour on the pasta and vegetables. Pour a little at a time over the pasta, mixing to incorporate- don't need it all!
6. Let cool to room temperature then add the scallions, pine nuts, feta, and basil. Check the seasonings and serve at room temp.

* Adapted by Ina Garten

spicy asian chicken and noodle soup

Ingredients

3 cups, low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken breast
1/2 cup grated carrot (about 1 medium)
1/2 cup thinly sliced snow peas
2 tsp. Sriracha
2 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp. Thai red curry paste
1 (2-inch) piece peeled fresh ginger
6 cups water
3 oz uncooked wide rice sticks (rice-flour noodles)
1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

Instructions

1. Bring first 9 ingredients to simmer in a medium saucepan; keep warm.
2. Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add rice noodles; cook 3 minutes. Drain. Place about 1/4 cup rice noodles in each of the 4 bowls.
3. Discard ginger. Add juice to broth mixture, stir. Ladle 1 1/3 cups broth mixture over each serving; top with 1 tbsp. each mint, cilantro, green onions.

*From Cooking Light

chickpea cakes with cucumber-yogurt sauce

Ingredients

2 slices white sandwich bread, torn into pieces

1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and shredded

salt and pepper

1 1/4 cups plain Greek yogurt

6 scallions

1/4 cup cilantro

2 cans chickpeas, rinsed

2 large eggs

10 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp. garam masala

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 shallot, minced

lime wedges

Instructions

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pulse the bread in a food processor to coarse crumbs, about 10 pulses. Spread the crumbs out over a rimmed baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and dry, 10 minutes or so. Let cool to room temperature.

2. Meanwhile, toss the cucumber with 1/2 tsp. salt in a colander and let drain for 15-30 minutes. Combine the drained cucumbers, 1/4 cup of the yogurt, 2 tbsp. of the scallions, and 1 tbsp. of the cilantro in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.

3. Pulse the chickpeas in a food processor to a coarse puree with large pieces remaining, about 8 pulses. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, 2 tbsp. of the oil, garam masala, cayenne, and 1/8 tsp. of salt together. Add the processed chickpeas, breadcrumbs, remaining 1/2 cup yogurt, remaining scallions, remaining 3 tbsp. cilantro, and shallot until just combined. Divide the chickpea mixture into 6 equal portions and lightly pack into 1-inch thick patties.
4. Heat 2 tsp. more oil into a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat until shimmering. Carefully lay half of the patties in the skillet and cook until well browned on both sides, 5-6 minutes per side.
5. Transfer the cakes to a plate and tent loosely with foil. Return the skillet to medium high and repeat with the remaining 2 tsp. oil and remaining burgers. Serve with the cucumber yogurt sauce and lime wedges.

* from America's Test Kitchen

chicken sausage, onion, fennel, and havarti flatbread pizza

Ingredients

3 oz. chicken sausage
2 tsp. olive oil
1 1/2 cups sweet onion
1 cup thinly sliced fennel bulb
1/4 tsp. brown sugar
1 pre-baked pizza crust
3/4 cup shredded Havarti or Gouda cheese
1 tbsp. chopped scallions or chives

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degres F.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add sausage to pan; saute for 4 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally - do not overcook the sausage will become dry. Remove from pan.
3. Add oil to pan. Add onion, fennel, and sugar; cover and cook 10 minutes or until tender and lightly browned, stirring occasionally.
4. Place pizza crust on pizza stone. Top evenly with onion mixture, sausage, and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cheese melts.
5. Sprinkle evenly with chives or scallions.

*Adapted from Cooking Light