Beef and Broccoli

I love beef with broccoli.

I order it every time I go to Panda Express. Tonight I was craving it, but due to the fact that Panda Express isn't the healthiest place on the planet, I decided to find a recipe to make at home.

This one sounded easy enough so I gave it a try. I changed a few things to better suit mine and Dan's tastes, and it was so yummy!


Ingredients:

• 1 lb round steak thinkly sliced

• 1 TBL olive oil

• salt and garlic pepper to taste

• 1 onion thinly sliced

• 2 cups fresh broccoli florets, chopped

• 1 (10 3/4) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

• 1/4 cup water

• 3 TBL soy sauce

FYI: Winco sells steak already perfectly sliced. It's called "Beef Stir Fry". You can find it by all the other beef. It's tender, the same price as buying a full steak, and it saves time.

To prepare:

1. In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat, stir in the steak and season with salt and garlic pepper. Cook until beef is almost completely browned.

2. Stir in onions and saute until tender. Stir in broccoli, cream of mushroom soup, water, and soy sauce. Blend well.

3. Reduce heat and cover. Cook until broccoli is tender or to desired doneness.

This makes four servings. And get this, only 240 calories per serving!

Enjoy!

Why did the chicken cross the road?

...cause there wasn't "mush-room" on his side of the road.

Yes, I just made that up. And yes, you can expect to see it on a laffy taffy wrapper soon.

Ok, it was pretty bad. I just couldn't help share it with you all. Speaking of bad jokes did any one watch the roast to Donald Trump last night on Comedy Central? I felt pretty bad for The Situation...not even one laugh from the crowd.

Back to the point of this post. Lucky for you I am not here to share jokes. I am here to share my new favorite recipe...

drum roll please...


Chicken With a Mushroom Cream Sauce

I am always looking for new ways to spice up chicken. While browsing the thousands of recipes online I found the winner!

This recipe is the bomb . For starters, it only has 275 calories per serving!!! Secondly, it tastes delicious. If you are a fan of mushrooms you will love this recipe. And even if you are not, I challenge you to think of mushrooms the same way after you try this.



Ok...here's what you will need for 2 servings:

• 2 4-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts *see tip
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 medium shallot, minced
  
• 1 cup thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps
• 2 tablespoons dry vermouth, or dry white wine
  
• 1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives, or scallion greens

Side notes: I used white cooking wine because that is what I had, and it worked great. I actually had to google "shallot" and "scallion greens" because I had no idea what they were. Sad and sad. FYI, a shallot can be found by the onions. It's a variety of onion. I used scallion greens AKA green onions instead of chives. Now please tell me you didn't know those what those things were either so I don't feel like an idiot.

Now to prepare:

1. Season chicken with pepper and salt on both sides.

2. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning once or twice and adjusting the heat to prevent burning, until brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165°F, 12 to 16 minutes ( Since I don't have an instant read thermometer I just cut in the thickest part a little bit to make sure it's not pink). Transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.

3. Add shallot to the pan and cook, stirring, until fragrant (and boy are they fragrant!), about 30 seconds. Add mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 2 minutes. Pour in vermouth (or wine); simmer until almost evaporated, scraping up any browned bits, about 1 minute. Pour in broth and cook until reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in cream and chives (or scallions AKA green onions); return to a simmer. Return the chicken to the pan, turn to coat with sauce and cook until heated through, about 1 minute.

By now your house should smell so divine you will have neighbors knocking on your door asking to join you for dinner...

4. I served this with white rice because they sauce isn't quite creamy enough for pasta, in my opinion. Dig in and enjoy!

*Tip from recipe:
If you have a hard time finding a chicken breast that is 4 oz buy a 5 oz breast and by removing the thin strip of meat from the underside of a 5-ounce breast—the “tender”— you remove about 1 ounce of meat and yield a perfect 4-ounce portion.

No I didn't take this picture. Courtesy of eatingwell.com. Honestly, I think what I made looked even yummier than the picture. I was just too impatient to take my own!

Lomo Saltado--Classic Peruvian Dish

Lomo Saltado is one of my very favorite Peruvian dishes to eat, and until today I had no idea how to make it. Lucky for me my mom is Peruvian and came to my rescue! Turns out it's pretty simple once you have all the spices you need. This meal is so flavorful and unique. It's a great way to throw some variety into your usual meal routine. I haven't met one person who has tried this dish and not liked it.

Ingredients:

1 lb Steak- any kind will do, we used sirloin
3 Potatoes
1 tomato
half a red onion
paprika
cumin
black pepper
ajino-moto (an essential spice in this recipe, you can find it in a Latin supermarket--it looks just like salt and comes in a bag)
garlic powder
1 TBL red vinegar

To make:

1. Peel your potatoes, and slice them into french fries, slice your onions, slice your tomatoes, set all aside.

2. Cut up your steak into thin slices and season it with all the spices-- apply liberally! Don't be afraid of using too much! Seriously, under seasoning will ruin the dish! Let that sit and "marinate" in a bowl while you move on to the next steps.

3. Fill a large skillet with enough oil to fry your potato slices--(i.e make french fries) and set them on a plate covered with a paper towel

4. Next, cook your steak, then add the onions and tomatoes and cook for a few minutes until the onion is tender. Add in the fried potatoes and stir around until it's all combined.

5. Add 1 TBL vinegar, and stir around until mixed well.

Serve with rice, and enjoy!

This makes 2 or 3 servings.

If your feeling adventurous give this a try!