Thai Style Broccoli Stir Fry with Beef

When I moved to Washington, DC I decided to learn how to cook beyond my passion (French food) and my comfort level (Southern food). It made sense to make Thai food, since I had a really good Thai place across the street and about a dozen more within a 10 block radius. After eating copious quantities of the spiciest, sweetest, and most adventurous Thai dishes, I started to work. I read tons of recipes, watched videos that I could barely understand on YouTube, and even spoke to the chefs at the restaurants that didn't seem to sketchy to ask.
So here is one of my favorite Thai dishes. It's admittedly more American than authentic, but still quite good. I hope you'll try it, and enjoy!

Broccoli Stir Fry with Beef and Oyster Sauce
Serves 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

• 1 head broccoli, cut into spears / florets
• 1 lb flank steak, skirt steak, or sirloin, thinly sliced against the grain
• 1/3 cup oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp siracha chili sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 cups water, divided (reserve 1/4 cup to dilute the sauce, the rest is used for steaming)
• 4-6 cups cooked Basmati rice

In a wok or large skillet, steam the broccoli over medium high to high heat in most of the water, removing the cover to allow the water to evaporate. Usually around 10 minutes.
Add the onions, and toss until onions are just softened. Around 5 minutes.
Add the vinegar and siracha sauce and toss together for about a minute, then add the garlic.
Toss together for another minute or so, and add the beef. Toss the beef together with the seasonings and allow to brown, but not cook completely.
Add the oyster sauce and stir together again until caramelized and sticky. Thin with water, stir together thoroughly, and allow to distribute the sauce evenly. Serve over rice.

Recommended - The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook

I just received a gift in the mail that I have wanted for years. I have admired The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook since it was published and honored with the 2007 James Beard Foundation Award for Cookbook of the Year. It's the cookbook of the decade, as far as I'm concerned, and is to the Southern canon of food what Mastering the Art of French Cooking is to all things French. I highly recommend you visit their catalog - http://www.boiledpeanuts.com/ - and order a copy today! My next purchase will be their new Simple Fresh Southern cookbook, available through the same catalog. To keep up with Matt and Ted Lee, visit their website here. You won't regret it. I'm in awe of these guys' talent and foresight and hope that they'll inspire you in the way they've inspired me.

Confessions of a Cook off his Game

The last few days have been hard for me in the kitchen. While my victories have been more numerous than defeats, I must confess a few shortcomings. The thing that strikes me most is that my shortcomings have come when preparing the most basic of dishes. Earlier this week, I managed to screw up roast chicken. I blame the terrible uneven cooking of my oven, but I know better. I did something wrong. After hundreds of roasted chickens, I went awry somewhere. I just don't know where. My diners didn't know, either. The breast was perfectly brown and crisp on the outside (the skin) and moist and flavorful within. The thighs, however, were barely cooked on the outside and just steamed inside. Nowhere near done evenly. I was incredibly frustrated. I carved, roasted in pieces, and just dealt with it.
My mistake tonight was less my fault, but equally frustrating. I overcooked beef. I am notorious for my rare steaks. I absolutely loathe the gray toughness of overcooked red meat. It took me years to even accept braising as a technique because it requires one to raise the temperature of perfectly decent beef higher than 130 degrees. In all seriousness, however, I used my neighbor's gas grill and allowed a deliciously and meticulously seasoned flat iron steak to find its way from perfect to unpleasant in a short 3 minutes. Everything tasted fine, but the texture was all off and I was mortified that my dear friend and neighbor had to share my shortcomings.
There are numerous complicated personal reasons that my game may not quite be 100% right now, none of which do I intend to publish here. My point is -- even those of us who are experienced in the kitchen and have above average culinary confidence sometimes make mistakes. Nobody's perfect. Just brown your thighs, apologize for your tough steak, whip up a sauce, and eat! I started this post thinking it would be a good way to "woe is me" about a few kitchen missteps, but now I realize that part of being a good cook means you don't cook everything perfectly every time. What a relief.

Caramelized Onion Dip

This is easily the best onion dip I have ever had. It has all the flavor of the store bought stuff, but really sings with fresh, quality ingredients. I love serving it with any kinds of chips or crackers alongside other dips and salsas. There are admittedly a few more steps than opening a jar here, but I promise it's worth it. Let me know what you think!

Caramelized Onion Dip
Makes 2 cups of dip
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30-40 minutes

• 1 medium onion, finely diced (about 1 cup of diced onion)
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 3/4 cup Greek yogurt (such as Fage)
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup cream cheese (recommend neufchatel), softened
• 1 tbsp olive oil

In a large skillet, caramelize the onions. This sounds simple, but it's not quite the same as sauteed onions. Here's how to properly caramelize onions --

• Pre-heat the skillet over medium low heat.
• Add the oil and allow to come up to temperature.
• Add the onions and allow them to sizzle for a while, then toss to coat evenly with the oil.
• Season with salt.
• Turn the heat to low and allow the onions to cook for about 30 minutes, stirring and flipping occasionally to brown evenly.
• Sprinkle with the sugar.
• Allow to cook for 10 minutes more, until the onions are well-browned, but not burned. This is a careful distinction, so be careful. Pay attention these last few minutes.

Allow the onions to cool.  Blend together with a rubber spatula with the remaining ingredients. Taste for seasoning. Allow to chill before serving.

Tea Sandwiches

I'll admit that tea sandwiches sound a little high-maintenance. I personally don't love dainty food most of the time, but these tea sandwiches are wonderful to make for a crowd or a small picnic. The best part of these sandwiches is that there is no absolute recipe as to what you put in them -- I am just offering some suggestions here. You can play with breads, meats, vegetables, and condiments to your liking. Here I'll suggest a few combinations.

Breads

• Whole Wheat
• Pumpernickel
• Plain White Bread

Condiments (Spreads)

• Herb Cream Cheese (recipe follows)
• Unsalted Butter
• Herb compound butter (recipe follows)
• Lemon Vinaigrette (recipe found here)

Vegetables (Crunch)

• Arugula
• Boston Lettuce
• Thinly Sliced Radishes

Fillings

• Smoked Salmon
• Proscuitto or other quality ham
• Sliced heirloom tomato

Here's the drill --

Each of these major categories goes pretty well with any of the others, but some are better suited to one another. The idea here is to pick whatever is quality at the market and make the best ingredients sing for your guests.
For six guests, lay out 12 slices of your chosen bread on a clean counter. Spread a thin layer of your chosen condiment on each slice. Add your crunchy vegetable to half of the slices and your chosen filling to the other half of the slices.
Assemble the sandwiches, remove the crusts, and cut into triangles, rounds, or half-moons, depending on the shapes of the bread slices. Serve chilled.

Herb Compound Butter
Makes 1/4 cup of herb butter

• 1/2 stick softened, unsalted butter (4 oz.)
• 2 tsp finely chopped parsley
• 1 tsp finely chopped chives
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp finely ground white pepper

With a hand mixer or whisk, combine all ingredients thoroughly. Use immediately as a spread or chill into desired shape for serving later. Will keep fresh for about a week.

Leftover Mashed Potato Pancakes

Even with six people around the table, it's sometimes hard to finish a whole recipe of mashed potatoes. When it's just the two of us eating, I still usually make enough to serve a small, hungry army. I have recently begun to experiment with ways to make leftover mashed potatoes more interesting. I've tried diluting them with stock and milk to make soup, which turns out fine, but not that exciting. I have mashed them together with leftover broccoli and cheese to make a nice, small casserole. Also good, but not something I'd consider "blog-worthy." The last few times I played with the leftovers, I went with simplicity -- and the result was perfection.

Mashed Potato Pancakes
Serves 2, usually, depending on how many leftovers you have
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes

• 2-3 cups leftover mashed potatoes
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tbsp salt
• 1/2 tbsp pepper
• 2-3 tbsp chopped scallions
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp vegetable or light olive oil

Whisk together all the ingredients except the butter and oil. Make sure everything is evenly and thoroughly incorporated.
In a large skillet, heat the oil and butter together until the butter is melted and just sizzling.
Add 1/2 cup or so of the mixture to the pan about 2 inches part, depending on the size of your skillet. You can also use an electric griddle.
Saute until golden brown and the mixture just starts to set, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook for 2 or 3 minutes more, until heated through and just set. They should resemble normal pancakes.
Serve hot.

Grilled Shrimp Skewers

Why has it become so common for home cooks (and even some restaurants) to put 5 or 10 different items, all with different cooking times, on one skewer? I always prefer to put one item on each skewer and everyone can select skewers of the items they want, and nothing is horribly over- or under-cooked. There are tons of different skewer-friendly foods that I will post throughout the summer, but here's what I like to do with shrimp.

Grilled Shrimp Skewers
Serves 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes

• 2 lbs shrimp, 15-20 count, peeled and de-veined
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 tbsp lemon zest
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tbsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• finely chopped garlic that has been mashed with the edge of a knife or with a mortar and pestle
• 1 tsp dill, finely chopped

Soak 15-20 bamboo skewers in water to avoid burning on the grill. Combine all ingredients, except the shrimp, in a mixing bowl. Toss with the shrimp and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
Pre-heat a gas or charcoal grill (or a grill pan or oven's broiler)
Skewer 3-5 shrimp on each stick.
Grill over high heat for 2 minutes or so, just until the shrimp are opaque. Serve warm over salad greens such as arugula with just an extra splash of lemon juice and drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Cherry Tomato Salad with Red Onions & Parsley

As you may have guessed from my previous post, I love tomatoes. They're not usually ready until the middle of June or the beginning of July, though, so it's always challenging (and often disgusting) to make food with tomatoes in the cooler months. The solution is sometimes canned tomatoes, such as in sauces. It's sometimes sun dried  tomatoes, such as in salads. When you just need fresh tomatoes, however, the solution is generally cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, or teardrop tomatoes. The smaller varieties have much more concentrated flavor, come from reliable sources in large quantities, and are always delicious.
It's become more and more common at grocery stores and farmers' markets to carry heirloom varieties of smaller tomatoes. I cannot recommend more highly that you try these unique little treasures. You can find purple, striped, green, yellow, orange... any color and flavor of tomato you can imagine. Try this recipe with the standards you'll find in the grocery --  but it's really designed to stand out with the special tomatoes that you only find when you really look.

Tomato Salad
Serves 6
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: None

• 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes, or small heirloom tomatoes (about 2 lbs)*
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (this is the place for your best stuff)
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (see above)
• salt and pepper to taste

Carefully slice each tomato in half. Toss with the onion, parsley, oil, and vinegar. Taste for seasonings.
Add salt and pepper to your desired taste. Serve at room temperature.

*Never refrigerate tomatoes. It changes the texture and flavor more than you will realize. I know lots of people say it helps them keep longer, but this is not really true. They may look fine on the outside, but they're mushier inside even after a few hours in the fridge and will never taste the same again.

Fried Green Tomatoes

This decadent Southern treat is so associated with the canon of soul food that they even named a book and major motion picture after it. In all seriousness, nothing says gracious Southern hospitality quite like a hot plate of fried green tomatoes. I love that despite the fact that they're breaded and fried, they taste fresh and light. I can't imagine a summer without slicing those tart green tomatoes and frying them up for my friends. 

Fried Green Tomatoes
Serves 6
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

• 6-8 green tomatoes (not unripe regular tomatoes, use green tomatoes. You can find them at Whole Foods or specialty food stores, or any farmer's market.)
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups plain dry bread crumbs
• 3 eggs, beaten with 3 tbsp of buttermilk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil, more if needed
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1/2 tbsp black pepper
• additional salt and pepper to taste, after frying

Using a small paring knife, remove the dry stem piece from the tomatoes. Slice about 1/8-1/4 of an inch thick. Season with salt and pepper. Dredge in the flour, then the beaten egg and buttermilk, then in the breadcrumbs.
Pre-heat the oil in a cast iron skillet or other heavy-bottom frying pan over medium high heat. When the oil just begins to shimmer, fry the tomatoes for 3 minutes per side, being careful not to burn. Turn when golden brown. You'll have to do them in batches to make sure that each tomato you serve is perfectly hot. No one will mind, I promise. Drain on paper towels or a cooling rack. Season with additional salt and pepper while still hot. Serve immediately.

Dutch Oven Pork "Barbecue"

I know the purists among my readers will scoff at the idea that slow-roasted pork shoulder in an oven could be called "barbecue." I'll confess, it's not. It's a close approximation, though, for those of us urban dwellers who may not have access to smokers and pits. Besides, you have a lot more control over an oven than you do over open coals. I assert there are some practical advantages to oven barbecue, even if the smoky flavor is absent.
I always recommend using a pork shoulder, also known as Boston butt, with the fat on and bone in. The rub is also very important. I will include a rub recipe here, but it's up to you what flavors are familiar and pleasant. It's perfectly acceptable to use a name-brand store-bought rub, or one of the many artisan seasoning blends available from local farmers' markets, specialty food stores, and road-side stands. I'll go over this again in the instructions, but the important thing is that you season liberally. You can only expect the flavor of oven barbecue to be as intense as you make it. If your pork is bland, you have no one to blame but yourself.

Oven Pork Barbecue
Serves 12
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 5 hours

• 1 pork shoulder, 6-7 lbs
• 1/2 cup rub
• 3 tbsp salt
• 2 tbsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp hot paprika
• 1 tbsp dried thyme
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tsp chipotle chili powder (for extra heat, optional)
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 4 cups chicken or beef stock
• 1 onion, halved
• 6 cloves garlic, bruised
• 4 stalks celery, broken
• 8 sprigs parsley
• sauce, if desired

Pre-heat an oven to 325 degrees. Season the pork shoulder liberally. Sear on the stove top in your braising pan (a large dutch oven or stockpot). Toss in the vegetables. Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Cover tightly and roast for 5 hours. Check occasionally to ensure the stock hasn't evaporated. If it does, just add water to the bottom of the pan. Do not pour over the meat. It will wash away the seasoning.
After the meat is done, allow to cool slightly. Trim the fat and shred the meat into pulled pork for sandwiches or plates. Serve with any number of sides, recipes for which will be coming all summer long!

Lemonade

In the days of Crystal Light and Country Time, it's sometimes hard to believe that some people grew up actually drinking lemonade, rather than "low calorie powdered drink mix." I would be lying if I said I don't like the convenience of some of the packaged mixes, but nothing refreshes like the real stuff. Besides, lemonade is easy!

Lemonade

Makes 1 gallon

• 2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
• the stuff from the cute yellow bottle is not a substitute
• 1 cup simple syrup
• 1 cup sugar dissolved in 1 cup boiling water, cooled
• 1 gallon ice water

Combine all the ingredients in a large pitcher, serve over ice with sprigs of mint and sliced, fresh lemons. 

Southern Sweet Tea

Because it hit 90 today on my back porch, I think it's only appropriate to share a simple recipe for Southern style sweet tea, the table wine of the South. Here's what I like to do, and it works every time.

Sweet Tea

• 2 large ("family size") tea bags
• 1/2 gallon (2 quarts) boiling water
• 2/3 cup sugar or Splenda (how much and what brand depends on taste)
• 1/2 gallon cold water
• 6 cups ice cubes

Take the boiling water off the heat. Steep the tea bags in the hot water for 15 minutes, until tea is desired strength.

Remove the tea bags and stir in the sugar until dissolved.

Pour into a large, at least 1-gallon, pitcher. Add the cold water and ice cubes. Serve ice cold with lemon.

Corn 3 Ways

Corn is absolutely one of my favorite vegetables. Whether it's driving through rural South Carolina or my frequent trips through Maryland on my way to the beach in Delaware, the stalks of corn seem to frame my summer. Even in the winter months, canned and frozen corn are always around so I don't miss that crisp sweetness any time of year.
Here are three distinct techniques for preparing corn, ranging from simple to more involved. You may recall my corn salad recipe from a few months ago. I have all the ingredients ready in my kitchen now, but it's fun to change it up a bit.

Steamed Corn
Serves as many as ears of corn you prepare
Prep Time: None
Cook Time: 15 minutes

• Whole ears of fresh corn, husk on
• Water
• Salt
• Butter 

Bring a large pot, filled 3 inches with water, fitted with a vegetable steamer, to a boil. If you don't have a vegetable steamer, don't worry about it. Add the corn and cover. Steam for 10-15 minutes. Remove carefully (with tongs) and serve immediately.
Each diner can remove the husks and silk at their place and season and butter their corn according to their own preference.
Is this too simple? Boring? Ok. Well try this...


Grilled Corn with Bacon
Serves 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

• 4 ears corn, husks and silks removed
• 1/4 cup crumbled, cooked bacon, divided
• 4 tbsp butter, divided
• 2 tbsp chopped chives
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp hot Hungarian paprika
• salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat a grill on high.
Tear 4 roughly 1 ft squares of aluminum foil. In the center of each, place an ear of corn.
Top with 1 tbsp of butter, a sprinkle of chives, parsley, paprika, salt, and pepper. Crumble about a tbsp of bacon over each.
Close the foil tightly.
Grill, butter side up, for 10 minutes. Turn. Cook another 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and serve in the foil on plates, so the butter doesn't burn the diner.


Do you find the cobs daunting? Here we go...


Sauteed Fresh Corn
Serves 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

• 4 ears corn, off the cob
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced 
• salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the pepper flakes and lemon zest and cook for about a minute. Add the corn and stir until combined. Cook for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Toss in the scallions and parsley and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately.

Simple Grilled Steak

I know I recently posted a suggestion for grilled skirt steak, but I know a lot of folks are just cooking for one or two. If you're not prepared to put 2 lbs of meat on the grill, or maybe don't have hours to marinate and tenderize, do not be discouraged. All you need to prepare delicious grilled steak is quality meat, a hot grill, and salt and pepper. Again, almost to simple to call it a recipe, but here goes. I'll describe the recipe for two, but you can obviously make as much as you need.

Steak on the Grill
Serves 2
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 6-10 minutes

• 2 steaks, about 1 1/2 inches thick, I recommend ribeye, but sirloin is great if you're on a tight budget
•  1 tbsp salt
• 1/2 tbsp pepper
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

Allow the steaks to come up to room temperature. Grilling steaks right out of the fridge will result in uneven done-ness. Pre-heat a gas or charcoal grill over high heat. Rub the steaks with the vegetable oil. Season liberally on both sides with salt and pepper. Grill 3-4 minutes per side. I recommend medium rare, so 3 minutes per side should do it. Remove from the grill and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes under aluminum foil before serving.


You could use any seasoning blend you prefer. I chose simplicity with salt and pepper, but there are so many possibilities. Follow the basic instructions above to avoid overcooking or other common grilling mistakes.

Grilled Squash

I know it sounds too simple to be called a recipe, but maybe by posting this I will inspire people to make more squash this summer instead of letting it go soft and moldy in their crisper drawer. I love to make this especially with kebabs or grilled chicken, because they're so light and really amenable to other strong flavors. 


Grilled Summer Squash
Serves 6-8
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 6 hours to overnight
Cook Time: 6-10 minutes, depending on size of grill

• 2 zucchini squash
• 2 yellow squash
• 2 cups marinade (recipe below)
• salt and pepper, to taste

Slice the squash lengthwise into long strips, or thickly on a bias. The point here is to maximize surface area for absorbing the marinade and contact with the grill. Season with salt and pepper and arrange in a large plastic storage bag. Pour over the marinade, being careful not to break the squash but making sure each squash is soaking in the liquid. Allow to sit in the refrigerator 6 hours to overnight. Remove from the bag and grill over high heat for 3-5 minutes per side, being careful not to burn the vegetables. Serve hot or at room temperature as a perfect side dish to grilled meats or kebabs.

Marinade Recipe

• 1 cup light vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp finely chopped garlic
• 2 finely chopped shallots
• 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
• 1 tsp chopped thyme
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1/2 tbsp pepper

Shake all ingredients together in an empty jar or whisk together in a bowl until smooth.