P. F. Chang's Mongolian Beef

P. F. Chang's Mongolian Beef

Last night I was wanting something a little more exotic for dinner. I wanted to make General Tso Chicken because it's my husbands favorite. But I had just used up the last of our chicken to make Italian Chicken Sandwiches two nights before. So I thought of Mongolian Beef, my brothers favorite.
I had never made it before, but the recipe looked easy enough. I called my husband to see if I would have the time to make brown rice, and he asked what I was making. I told him Mongolian Beef. He's always a little worried when I say I'm trying out a new recipe. I'm not sure why though, in the five years of us being together I have only botched 4 recipes. To his credit they were so aweful we ended up having to eat take out or hot dogs, lol!
As in almost all Chinese Cuisine I only added half the sugar. And next time (because there will be a next time!) I'll be adding some Red Pepper Flakes to the sauce for a little more kick.
We all loved it and I'm definitely keeping this recipe on hand!

Here is the original recipe:


Ingredients:
Servings: 2




2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon ginger, minced

1 tablespoon garlic, chopped

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup water

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

vegetable oil, for frying (about 1 cup)

1 lb flank steak

1/4 cup cornstarch

2 large green onions




Directions:

Prep Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 30 mins



1 Make the sauce by heating 2 tsp of vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over med/low heat.

2 Don't get the oil too hot.

3 Add ginger and garlic to the pan and quickly add the soy sauce and water before the garlic scorches.

4 Dissolve the brown sugar in the sauce, then raise the heat to about medium and boil the sauce for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce thickens.

5 Remove it from the heat.

6 Slice the flank steak against the grain into 1/4" thick bite-size slices.

7 Tilt the blade of your knife at about a forty five degree angle to the top of the steak so that you get wider cuts.

8 Dip the steak pieces into the cornstarch to apply a very thin dusting to both sides of each piece of beef.

9 Let the beef sit for about 10 minutes so that the cornstarch sticks.

10 As the beef sits, heat up one cup of oil in a wok (you may also use a skillet for this step as long as the beef will be mostly covered with oil).

11 Heat the oil over medium heat until it's nice and hot, but not smoking.

12 Add the beef to the oil and sauté for just two minutes, or until the beef just begins to darken on the edges.

13 You don't need a thorough cooking here since the beef is going to go back on the heat later.

14 Stir the meat around a little so that it cooks evenly.

15 After a couple minutes, use a large slotted spoon to take the meat out and onto paper towels, then pour the oil out of the wok or skillet.

16 Put the pan back over the heat, dump the meat back into it and simmer for one minute.

17 Add the sauce, cook for one minute while stirring, then add all the green onions.

18 Cook for one more minute, then remove the beef and onions with tongs or a slotted spoon to a serving plate.

19 Leave the excess sauce behind in the pan.

Hamburger Heroes

Hamburger Heroes



Ingredients:


1 cup chopped onion

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 pounds lean ground beef

1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce

1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano

1 teaspoon salt

4 large hero rolls, split and buttered

8 ounces sliced mozzarella cheese

pimiento stuffed green olives, sliced, or dill pickle slices

Preparation:

Heat vegetable oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat; sauté onion until tender. Add ground beef to skillet; brown, breaking up as it cooks. Drain off excess grease and return skillet to heat. Add tomato sauce, oregano, and salt. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Spoon meat mixture over buttered rolls; top with cheese triangles then arrange sliced green olives or pickle slices over the cheese. Broil for 3 minutes, about 4 inches from heat source, or until cheese begins to melt.

Makes 8 open face sandwiches.

Simply Delicious Meat Loaf

Simply Delicious Meat Loaf

Hey Mom, (and Jess)
Here's the recipe for the meat loaf I was telling you about.

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/2 cup Italian-seasoned dry bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Golden Mushroom soup
1/4 cup water

1. Mix beef, bread crumbs and egg thoroughly. In medium baking pan shape firmly into 8-by 4-inch loaf.

2. Bake covered at 350' for 30 minutes. Spread 1/2 can soup over top of meat loaf. Bake 30 minutes more or until no longer pink.

3. In a small saucepan mix 2 Tablespoons drippings, remaining soup and water. Heat through. Serve with meat loaf.


Hope you enjoy!! love, Laurie

Meat, Potatoes & Gravy, what a Manly meal plan!

Normally I'll make this with mini meatloaf patties that have been coated in bread crumbs and baked or grilled on my George Foremen Grill. But last night I forgot that we were out of milk, and had to run to the store last minute. So, I just used prepackaged frozen hamburgers that I grilled on my GFG. (george foreman grill)
Then I nuked mashed potatoes from my favorite box mix. And made brown gravy from an envelope.
It's so easy, and when it's hot out like it was last night you don't have to have the oven on and the stove only has to be on for a few minutes for the gravy. A life saver in my house because if I turn the oven on it will heat up the whole house. Extremely nice in the winter time, but a killer in the summer!

Bulgogi /Pulgogi Recipe

I have been trying to start making a wider range of food lately. I have been in charge of my own kitchen for over 3 years now, and I have the, "down home country cooking" down to an art form. But I was starting to lack inspiration so I have started to look for a more diverse palate. I have found some really good recepies I can't wait to share with you all!

Bulgogi /Pulgogi Recipe

Ingredients
1-1.5 lbs. of thinly sliced rib-eye steak purchased from a Korean market. Or you can slice your own rib-eye or sirloin steak across the grain in paper thin slices. Partially freezing the beef helps with cutting clean slices.
1/3 cup of soy sauce
3 Tbl white sugar
1 Tbl sesame oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 of a medium yellow onion, halved and sliced into medium moon shaped slivers

2 green onions including the white parts, finely sliced into small pieces

2 Tbl toasted sesame seeds

1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes

2 pinches of black pepper

*optional 1/4 tsp. of ginger, finely minced

Directions:

Whisk all the ingredients together in a medium bowl except beef and onions. When most of the sugar has dissolved, add beef and onion slices to the bowl and massage the marinade with your hands into each slice of beef. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. To pan fry, place a few slices of beef in single layers and completely flat on a hot oiled frying pan and fry each side until cooked. Some people prefer to cook the bulgogi until some of the edges have turned dark brown and crispy. Serve with a bowl of hot brown rice. Enjoy!