Come Dine In

My husband always as in ALWAYS loves my version of bistek or beef steak (in Filipino cuisine). He is definitely a “steak” lover and this beef steak is no exeption. This is actually called bistek tagalog which originally has a dark watery sauce  and hubby doesn’t like his bistek that way so I tried cooking it almost the same way as how I cook my adobo, only that there’s some sau

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 kilo beef, cut into strips – use the part you prefer (I can work with any kind, so here I used quick fry steak)
3 tbsp. teriyaki sauce
1 tbsp. oyster sauce
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. ground nut oil (vegetable oil will do)
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 of the whole medium bell pepper – I used red and green
1 medium carrots, sliced into half an inch thick plus about few pieces in 1/4 inch thick to garnish
freshly ground pepper
toasted sesame seeds

METHOD:
1. Mix the teriyaki sauce, oyster sauce and soy sauce together to make a marinade. Add in the beef and leave for about 15-30 mins.

2. Heat a large non-stick pan and fry the beef in the ground nut oil (leaving a little for sauteing the veggies) for about 3-5 mins, browning on both sides. Reserve the marinade. Transfer in a plate and set aside.

3. On the same pan, tip in the remaining oil and saute the onion, bell pepper and carrots for about a minute or 2. Bring back the beef on to the pan and mix with the veggies. Now pour in the marinade left and mix until well blended, about 1 to 2 mins. Season with freshly ground pepper.

4. Serve with rice or noodles. Garnish with the think slices of carrots and sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds.

Alright, this time I really am not expecting any comments from my taster, but to my surprise he said “hhhmmm… sarap ah!” Well, that line says it all. My prayer worked. Happy Home-Cooking everyone!

Beef Stroganoff is pared with rice most of the time, so just for a change I decided to pair it with pasta and I chose penne as I already have them in my cupboard. I know it tasted different as compared to the real stroganoff, but we don’t really like the taste of mustard so I just work my way to it and it tasted good as well. Forgive me but most of the time I don’t follow the recipe 100%. I always do little sometimes more adjustments and that I would always advice my readers to do the same.

Creamy meals, as what i mentioned in previous posts, are not pleasant to my hubby’s palate. He also doesn’t eat mushrooms, but since I’m the cook here then he has no right to complain. LOL! He’s the opposite of our little darling, Alyssa, who eats almost anything except that he is having a hard time chewing most meats like pork and beef. But with this recipe, I would say that I succeeded again. hhmm.. Good job for me!

INGREDIENTS:
200g beef ramp steak
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. olive oil + 1/2 tbsp. more for tossing the pasta (you may use extra virgin if you have)
150g mushrooms, any kind
200g penne pasta
1 medium onion or 2 shallots, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tbsp. plain/corn flour
1 Knorr beef cubes, may leave if you have none
1/2 tbsp. tomato puree
2 tbsp. creme fraiche
1/2 tbsp. dijon mustard (if you like)
2 tbsp. chopped parsley, fresh or dried
freshly ground salt and pepper

METHOD:
1. Slice the beef as thinly as you can, bring to a boil with 3 cups water, add a dash of salt. Cook until tender. Drain and reserve the broth.

2. Cook the penne until al dente, drain. Transfer into a bowl. Dash with the olive oil (extra virgin if using) and sprinkle with the parsley. Toss.

3. In a large, non-stick skillet, melt half the butter with half the oil and fry the beef until brown on both sides. Set aside leaving the oil on the pan. Bring back the pan on the heat and do the same with the mushrooms and set aside with the beef when done.

4. With the remaining butter and oil, saute the onion or shallots and garlic. Tip in the flour and gradually stir in 150ml of the beef broth (the reserved water used in tenderizing beef) and the beef cubes (if you have). Let it bubble until thickened. Stir in the puree, mustart (is using) and creme fraiche. Bubble for about a minute more then put back the beef and mushrooms to the pan. Mix well with the creamy sauce.

5. Arrange the pasta on a serving plate and pour in the beef stroganoff. Serve immediately.

Creme Fraiche is now a staple in my shopping list as it is very light and tasty. It is a French word which literally means “fresh cream”. I get my hubby to like cream based pastas because of creme fraiche. In my case, cooking for 2 and a half.. LOL.. I was able to make 3 meals with the 300ml of it, so watch out for another 2 recipes. Happy Home-Cooking!!!

Hubby Dubby’s al time fave is STEAK! Yes!!! STEAK! And I’ve tried once already during our 3rd wedding anniversary and I failed. LOL! Then after more than a year, my passion for cooking again bloomed and so I started experimenting again. Watching all the videos I can get and browsing all steak recipes I can find, I now came up with the EASIEST steak in the world. ;P

Oh, and please always consider than I’m cooking in a budget, so I make use of what’s only available. I used quick fry steak here about less than 1 inch which was supposed to be about 2-3 inch thick. So, if you can afford buying quality beef steaks, the better.

Here we go…

INGREDIENTS:
For the steak:
2 pcs, beef rump, sirloin or ribeye steak at least 2″- whatever you prefer
1 tbsp. olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

For the gravy:
1 tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. mushrooms, I used closed cup

2 tbsp. gravy granules
2 cups water

For the side dish:
1 tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 cups mixed vegetables
1 tsp. Ginisa Mix or just salt and pepper

METHOD:
1. Pat the beef with a kitchen towel to dry, set aside.

2. Heat a small frying pan in a medium-low heat and tip in the oil and butter together, the little oil avoids the butter from burning. Add in the garlic, brown and don’t let it burn. Tip in the mixed vegetables and saute for 1 1/2 minutes. Season with Ginisa Mix or salt and pepper. Set aside.

3. In a small saucepan, heat the butter and olive oil. Add in the mushrooms and saute for 1 min. Sprinkle the cream of mushroom soup powder and mix with the mushroom. Once incorporated, add in the water. Just before it boils, add in the gravy granules and stir constantly until thick. You may adjust the water and gravy granules to your desired thickness. Set aside.

4. Heat the grill pan in a high heat. Brush the beef with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the beef into the pan when it’s really hot and grill once side until the bottom is crispy and brown. You can tip the beef a little to see how the crust is building up. Don’t ever turn the meat more than once as it makes it very tough. After turning, reduce the heat to medium and let the other side cook.

*The cooking time will depend on the type of pan used, the thickness of the steak and how well done you like your steak.

TIP:
* To test for readiness, open the palm of your hand in a relaxed manner. For a RARE STEAK, gently press the fleshy part just under your thumb. It must have the same consistency as your beef. For a MEDIUM, press halfway down the rare point. And for WELL DONE, press onto the bone. Compare by prodding the steak with your tongs.

5. When ready, remove the steak from the pan and place immediately onto a wire rock. This will stop the meat from steaming and it keeps just the way it’s cooked. Let it sit for about 1 minute or so to allow the juices to disperse all over the steak which will enhance it’s flavor.

6. Arrange the steak, mixed vegetables and mashed potato or rice on the plate. Serve.

We’ve had this recipe for more than 3 times now and it’s still a hit both for Daddy and my little Alyssa. Happy Home-Cooking!

This is one of the first recipes I posted in my blog and since this is what most of my visitors from the different parts of the world are searching for, I thought of sharing it in this week’s FTF for those Food Trippers who just love Chowking’s Braised Beef.

In the Philippines, Chowking is a famous Chinese Fast Food Chain that serves a delicious braised beef meal which hubby and I tend to order most of the time. The only problem with their serving is that we’re running out of sauce. Just before we reach the bottom of the bowl, all that’s left is the white steamed rice and no more trace of the sauce to finish it all up.

Then I decided to search for their recipe online. I stumbled to one site where it says it’s the Chowking Style Braised Beef, but as I recall the bowl of braised beef we used to enjoy there’s no bell pepper in it and as I tasted, there’s no tomato sauce as well. So I decided to tweak the recipe and I came up with this one.

Try it and I assure you, it’s really the Chowking Braised Beef you’ve been dying to eat most probably if you haven’t gone home to the Philippines for quite some time.

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 kilo beef brisket (but I use any kind of beef..LOL)
3 cups water + 1/4 cup for the cornstarch
2 tbsp. Kikkoman Soy Sauce
2 tbsp. Soy Sauce
2 Star Anise
1 tbsp. coarsely chopped onion
1 tsp. sugar
1 medium carrot, cut into chunks
1 tsp. cornstarch (corn-flour in UK)
freshly ground pepper
spring onions to garnish

METHOD:
1. In a saucepan, combine the beef, onion, Kikkoman soy sauce, soy sauce, sugar, pepper, star anise and water. Boil until the beef is tender.

2. Add the carrots and don’t over cook.

3. Dilute the cornstarch into 1/4 cup water and add to the beef to thicken the sauce.

4. Serve with rice and garnish with spring onions.

And oh, please. Always adjust to your taste. Never be afraid to add or lessen a little bit of something. Experiment and enjoy. Happy Home-Cooking!