Beef with Ginger and Caramelized Onions

After many attempts, I finally managed to get the beef to be tender, and the sauce to be right! The first time I tried cooking this dish, I used too much pepper. The poor boys kept drinking water and telling me "Mama, it's so hot!". The second time, I grated too much ginger, and again, the boys kept drinking water. And each time, the beef turned out to be a little tough for the kids. Good exercise for their jaws though.

But once I get the right tenderness for the beef, and the right taste without the spiceness from the pepper and ginger, the sauce is great for vegetables and a bowl of steamy hot rice. I like my dinner to be hot, especially when the pointer on the thermometer reaches the single digit on the celsius scale and the trees outside are doing their wild dance.

Adapted from : Williams-Sonoma Asian, Food Made Fast

750g Beef Tenderloin or Sirloin, cut across the grain into thin strips

5 tbsp Soy Sauce (I use Kikomann's Low Sodium Soy Sauce)

2 tbsp Rice wine/Dry Sherry (I used Red Cooking Wine)

2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

2 tsp Sesame oil

1/2 tsp Sugar

1/2 tsp Cornstarch

2 tbsp Corn or peanut oil

1 Large Yellow Onion, thinly sliced

1 tbsp Ginger, grated

1 Orange or yellow pepper, seeded and sliced (optional)

1 dash Freshly ground pepper

• Marinate the beef : Combine the beef, 1 tbsp of the soy sauce, and the wine. Mix to coat the beef evenly. Set aside for 10 minutes.
• Make the sauce : Combine 4 tbsp water, the remaining 4 tbsp soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sesame oil, sugar, cornstarch and a dash of pepper, and stir to dissolve the sugar and cornstarch.
• Heat a wok over hight heat until very hot and add 1 tbsp of oil.
• Add the onion and bell pepper, and stir-fry until caramelized, about 10 minutes.
• Transfer the onion mixture to a plate.
• Return the pan to high heat and add the remaining 1 tbsp of oil.
• Add ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, about 10 seconds.
• Add the beef and stir-fry until it begins to brown and is still rare in the centre.
• Return the onion mixture to the pan.
• Give the sauce a quick stir, add to the pan, and stir until the sauce thickens slightly, about 10 seconds.
• Sprinkle with red pepper flakes to taste, if desired.

Enjoy!

Fried Bee Hoon

This is one dish I missed greatly after entering the woods! Once in a while, I will cook beehoon, as beehoon wins hands down over spaghetti anytime!

The summer vacation has started, and the kids love going outside to play with our neighbours. It is sometimes difficult to get them to come home, just so I can cook their lunch. It is equally difficult to cook lunch, while trying to monitor their whereabouts outside. The solution? To cook lunch in the morning, before I let them out, while hubby dear is still at home.

So this morning, I fried some beehoon, with beef and vegetables, for lunch.

I packed some for hubby's lunchbox, together with some leftover fried chicken breast strips from last night's dinner. Threw a bunch of freshly picked chinese parsley (cilantro) from our pots outside the apartment! Lovely! The orange container in the lunchbox has ketchup inside, for the fried chicken strips.

Bee Hoon

• Soak beehoon in hot water for 15 minutes.
  
• Strain and remove soften beehoon and put aside.

Beef

• Cut beef into thin strips. Add grated ginger.
  
• Season with salt and pepper.
  
• Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to pan.
  
• When oil is heated, pour in the beef and stir to cook.
  
• Do not overcook the beef.
  
• Add a tablespoon of Shaoxin wine if you like.

Vegetables

• Heat a tablespoon of oil in a big frying pan.
  
• Add the diced onions.
  
• Add the fresh button mushrooms, broccoli, and cauliflower.
  
• Add salt to taste.
  
• Remove and set aside.

To fry the Bee Hoon

• Heat up the wok and add a tablespoon of olive oil.
  
• Fry the diced onions.
  
• Fry the beehoon.
  
• Add 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce and mix evenly.
  
• Add the vegetables and beef.
  
• Mix well. Add a little sugar to taste.
  

The taste is different from the beehoon I get from the hawker centres.

But I guess, this is one dish which the kids can tell their friends ... my mom's creation?

Beef Fried Rice

Darling sons just recovered from their high fever and both were coughing. So I tried to go light on oil and food. Had been serving seafood, pork and beef for the last couple of days. A simple meal for dinner, since both the boys had not much appetite.

200g Thinly sliced beef (I sliced those thinly cut beef steaks)

2 eggs Lightly beaten

2 tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 Yellow Onion, finely diced

4 tsp Light, Low Sodium Soy Sauce

2 tsp Sake (I replace with Shaoxin Wine)

1. Cut beef into very thin strips.
   
2. Saute the beef and onion in 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
   
3. Season with salt and pepper and remove from pan when done.
   
4. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to thepan and scramble the eggs.
   
5. Add the rice to the pan and stir fry, breaking up the eggs.
   
6. Stir in the meat mixture.
   
7. Add the soy sauce and sake.
   
8. Top with nori, and serve with blanched spinach.
   

You don't see the spinach in the photograph?

It's hidden under the pile of rice =)