Meats

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs of beef sirloin, top round or tenderloin (thinly sliced)
    • If using sirloin or top round, pound thinly
  • 10 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
  • 1 of large lemon or 6 pieces of calamansi or 3 Tbsp + more to taste for finishing
  • 3 tsp of garlic powder
  • 1 tsp of ground black pepper
  • 12 minced garlic cloves
  • 2 medium onions – separated
  • 3 cups of broth
  • 1 tsp of granulated sugar
  • Cooking Oil
  • Cornstarch slurry

Directions

  • Marinate the meat with the dark soy sauce, garlic powder, black pepper and citrus.
  • Add oil to the pan on high and cook one of the onions only slightly; you still want this crispy; set aside.
  • Brown the meat until you get caramelization with oil; add more oil as needed and do it in batches.
    • This is an important step; it darkens the sauce and deepens the flavor.
  • Add the other onion, add garlic cloves and the remaining marinade with the broth.
  • Add the meat and let cook for 40 minutes until meat is tender and sauce is reduced.
  • Finish with more sugar, soy sauce or more calamansi as needed; I like to finish with calamansi to re-brighten up the dish.
  • Add cornstarch slurry, serve and top with the pan fried onions.
Meats, Sauces & Dips

Balsamic Cream Sauce Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon course ground black pepper
  • Pinch dried basil
  • 2 teaspoons plus 1 teaspoon balsamic glaze

Ingredients

  • 5 ounces (2 cups) sliced portobello mushrooms
  • Six 2 1/2-ounce beef tenderloin filets

Directions

  • Dry brine the tenderloin filets then sear to 135
  • Saute the mushrooms with a neutral oil until crispy and cooked
  • Make the sauce by placing all the ingredients in a sauce pot and cooking down until desired flavor is achieved; I adjusted the Parmesean Cheese and Balsamic Glaze towards the end to make it more tart or salty.

Note: Serve with Mashed Potatoes and String Onion Rings as optional.

Seafood, Vegetable Dishes

Ingredients

  • 5 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons rice wine (or mirin)
  • 2 teaspoons gochujang (Korean red chili pepper paste)
  • 1 teaspoon gochugaru (Korean red chili pepper flakes)
  • 2 tablespoons sugar (or less to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1.5 cups broth (vegetable broth or dashi)
  • 1/2 onion, sliced
  • 8 garlic cloves, crushed

Directions

  • Put all ingredients in a pan and boil until reduced and slightly thickened.
  • Add desired ingredients (black cod, tofu, shrimp, mushrooms, radish, green onions) etc.
  • Finish with cornstarch slurry if you want to thicken.
Pastas & Breads, Vegetable Dishes

Ingredients

  • Sunflower oil for frying
  • 6 medium zucchini
  • Salt
  • 14 ounces | 400 grams spaghetti
  • Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
  • Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (preferably aged 2 years)
  • 1 bunch fresh basil leaves

Directions

  1. Heat a generous amount of sunflower oil in a large saucepan.
  2. Slice the zucchini into thin rounds and then fry in the hot oil until they begin to turn golden. Drain the zucchini with a slotted spoon, place in a bowl and leave in the fridge to rest and soften for at least 2 hours.
  3. When you are ready to prepare the dish, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve some of the cooking water for the next step.
  4. Heat the rested zucchini in a large frying pan along with 2 ladles of the spaghetti cooking water and season with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper if desired.
  5. Drain the spaghetti and add to the pan with the zucchini. Remove the pan from the heat, add a couple of handfuls of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and toss everything together well.
  6. Divide into 4 portions, sprinkle each bowl with more Parmigiano-Reggiano and top with a few fresh basil leaves before serving. For extra decadence stir through a spoonful of butter before serving.
Dessert, Snack

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar packed
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup black sesame paste (make sure you mix the paste to incorporate the oils back in. DO NOT REMOVE THE OIL or you will end up with a crumbly, dry dough.)
  • 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips (originally 2 cups but is too much)

Directions

  • Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Cream butter and sugar.
  • Add Egg until combined.
  • Add Sesame Paste & Vanilla Extract.
  • Mix all dry ingredients together and whisk; add until mixed thoroughly.
  • Mix in chocolate chips or on very low mixer speed.
  • Use an ice cream scoop and put onto paper; do not flatten.
  • Bake for 10 minutes and let cool thoroughly.
To Try, Vegetable Dishes

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, plus more as needed
  • 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 bunch lacinato kale, stems removed, roughly chopped (you should have 4 to 6 cups packed kale)
  • 1/2 cup shimeji mushrooms with stems, or shiitake mushroom tops
  • 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup dry vermouth
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon white (shiro) miso, or more to taste
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Place 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. When melted, add the shallot and garlic. Cook over low heat without letting the garlic and shallots color, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the kale and continue to cook for a few more minutes until wilted. If it won’t all fit in the pan, just add what’s left after it’s cooked down a bit.
  2. Meanwhile, in a small pan set over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add the mushrooms and cook until softened and cooked through, about 5 minutes. If the mushrooms become too dry, add more butter. Stir in the soy sauce, cook another minute and turn off the heat.
  3. Once the kale is wilted and soft, increase the heat to medium high, add the vermouth and cook until it’s just evaporated, about 1 minute. Add the cream and miso, stirring until completely incorporated. Reduce heat to medium and cook about 2 more minutes until the sauce reduces slightly and tightens up the around the kale. Taste for seasoning, add salt and pepper if you like (but don’t forget the mushrooms have soy sauce). Place the kale on a warm platter and scatter the mushrooms over the top. Serve immediately.
Pastas & Breads

Ingredients

  • 1 lb dry spinach fettuccine (or 2 pounds fresh)
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (2 tablespoons reserved for garnish or finish)
  • 2 Tbsp minced fresh garlic
  • 2 Tbsp minced jalapeno peppers (seeds and veins may be eliminated if milder flavor is desired)
  • 3 Tbsp unsalted butter (reserve tablespoon per saute)
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock (preferably homemade)
  • 2 Tbsp gold tequila
  • 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 3 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 1/4 lbs chicken breasts, diced 3/4 inch
  • 1/4 medium red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 medium yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 medium green bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Directions

  • Prepare rapidly boiling, salted water to cook pasta; cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes for dry pasta, approximately 3 minutes for fresh. Pasta may be cooked slightly ahead of time, rinsed and oiled and then “flashed” (reheated) in boiling water or cooked to coincide with the finishing of the sauce/topping.
  • Cook 1/3 cup cilantro, garlic and jalapeno in 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes.
  • Add stock, tequila and lime juice. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until reduced to a paste like consistency; set aside.
  • Pour soy sauce over diced chicken; set aside for 5 minutes. Meanwhile cook onion and peppers, stirring occasionally, with remaining butter over medium heat. When the vegetables have wilted (become limp), add chicken and soy sauce; toss and add reserved tequila/lime paste and cream.
  • Bring the sauce to a boil; boil gently until chicken is cooked through and sauce is thick (about 3 minutes).
  • When sauce is done, toss with well-drained spinach fettuccine and reserved cilantro.
  • Serve family style or transfer to serving dishes, evenly distributing chicken and vegetables.
Meats

Ingredients

  • 3 lb of Lamb Shanks
  • 4oz can of Massaman Curry paste
  • 14 oz Coconut Milk
  • 2 cups chicken/beef broth
  • 1 onion
  • 14oz Yukon Gold Potatoes and/or Carrots
  • 1 star anise
  • 1 cinnamon stick

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350F
  • Mix curry paste, coconut milk, stock in a baking dish and add onion, potato, star anise, cinnamon and lamb.
  • Turn the shanks to be coated in the sauce.
  • Bake in oven for 2 hours; remove the foil and bake for another hour for small shanks, another 1.5 hours for medium to large shanks. Turn lamb twice to brown evenly until meat is so tender it can be teased apart with two forks.
  • Skim off excess fat off surface then mix sauce in baking dish.

Note: You can always make it ahead of time, cool the sauce to skim the fat; you want the curry sauce thick, just reduce as needed.

Meats

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs of boneless beef short rib
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • Oil to brown the meat

For the sauce

  • 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
  • 4 oz of massaman curry paste
  • 3 Tbsp of Palm Sugar
  • 3 Tbsp of Tamarind Paste
  • 3 Tbsp of Fish Sauce
  • Yukon Gold
  • Mushrooms
  • Carrots
  • Rice for serving
  • 2 cups of beef stock from the braise

Directions

  • Cover the beef with cold water and let it sit for an hour, changing out the water a few times to rid of excess blood
  • Pat the beef dry and brown on all sides–5-6 minutes; transfer to a plate and then cut into 2 – 2.5 inch pieces
  • Return all beef to the pot and add enough water to fully cover and bring to a vigorous boil; partially covered stirring occasionally and adding water to keep beef submerged until beef is tender and can be pierced easily; ~2 hours. Let cool submerged in stock; can be done in advance, just store fully submerged.
  • NOTE: Prior to making the curry, reduce the stock to ~2 cups if your stock is more than 2 cups.

Curry Directions

  • Take some skimmed fat from the beef and use the oil to cook the curry on medium low heat.
  • Add 1/2 cup of coconut milk and stir until slightly thickened.
  • Gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup of coconut milk until paste turns dark red and the fat begins to separate from the curry paste ~10 minutes.
  • Add palm sugar, tamarind and fish sauce and all your veggies.
  • Add beef stock and beef and bring to a steady simmer until veggies are of the right doneness.
Uncategorized

Ingredients

  • Ground chicken or chicken breast
  • As much carrots as you can bother to dice
  • 1 onion
  • 2 box cartons of bone broth (2 quarts)
  • 1.5-2 cups of rice

Directions

  • Dice the chicken (if whole breast) then saute the chicken on the instant pot with salt
  • Add diced onions and diced carrots
  • Add bone broth and rice
  • Set instant pot to high pressure 30 minutes
  • Salt to taste

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