Spicy Beef Noodle Soup

My family LOVES trying different ethnic dishes! Our travels are always tailored around food, and we’re especially drawn to all the different Asian cuisines.  Thai, Indian and Nepalese are among our favorites, as we just love the combination of all the different spices used to create these dishes.  I’m always so excited to get back home and try recreating the amazing food we’ve found on our trips!

This particular soup has so many of the flavors we love in a dish (garlic, ginger, miso, chilies), so when I read over the list of ingredients, I knew we were going to love it!  I was RIGHT!  The soup is SO full of flavor with just the right amount of heat. With plunging temperatures all around the country right now, this soup will definitely warm you up!

Spicy Beef Noodle Soup

adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

• 2 T canola oil, divided
• 2 lb. boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 ½ C chopped onions
• ⅓ C minced garlic (about 15 cloves)
• 1 T finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 3 plum tomatoes, chopped
• ¼ C sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste) See “Liz’s Tidbits” below
• 3 T white miso
• 1 ½ t gr. coriander
• 1 ½ t coarsely gr. black pepper
• 8 C unsalted beef stock
• 2T low sodium soy sauce
• 1 ½ T light brown sugar
• 8 oz. sliced mushrooms
• 1 pkg. Thai rice noodles
• 4 (4-oz.) baby bok choy, quartered lengthwise
• ½ C sliced green onions
• ¼ C cilantro sprigs

Preparation:

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Brown half of meat on all sides being careful not to overcrowd. Transfer cooked beef to a plate and repeat procedure with 1 teaspoon oil and remaining beef.

Heat remaining 4 teaspoons oil over medium high and add onion, garlic and ginger.  Cook, stirring often until onion is almost tender, about 6 minutes.  Stir in tomatoes, samba oelek, miso, coriander and pepper.  Cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute.  Add stock, soy sauce, brown sugar, and browned beef.  Bring to boil; partially cover and reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer.  Cook until beef is almost tender, about 45 minutes.  Add mushrooms; cover and cook until beef is tender, about 30 minutes.

Cook noodles according to package directions; drain and rinse with cold water.  Drain well.

Add bok choy to soup; cover and cook until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes.  Arrange about ½ cup noodles and 2 bok choy quarters in each bowl.  Ladle about 1 ½ cups soup into each bowl, and sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon green onions.  Top with cilantro sprigs.

Liz’s Tidbits:

• Sambal Oelek is a ground fresh chile paste that has a good amount of spicy heat.  This recipe calls for ¼ cup (4 T), which, for my family, is perfect because we love spice, but depending on your preference/tolerance for heat, make adjustments to the amount you use.  I wouldn’t suggest leaving it out as I strongly feel it is a vital component of the flavor profile of this soup, but you could certainly reduce the amount you use without losing the flavor it lends to the soup.  I’d suggest cutting it in half to 2T the first time, and see how you like it.

If you like this recipe, feel free to Tweet it, Facebook it, or just email it by clicking the “share” button below. 🙂

Broccoli-Apple Slaw

 

Every once in a while, I try a recipe that becomes a family favorite and joins the ranking of those that get made over and over again! I found the original recipe for this salad in the “Cooking Light” magazine and made some changes and additions that I thought would be good.  This dish has already graced my table several times in the last couple of weeks, and it will be added to my repertoire of quick and easy weeknight dishes. Except for the bagged broccoli slaw that is readily available in the grocery store, I’ve always got the rest of the ingredients on hand. The dressing is sweet and tangy at the same time, and I love all the crunchy texture.

The original recipe did not call for raisins or pecans, but I thought they’d be a good addition. It DID call for slivered red onion, but I chose not to use it. Make this recipe your own by using ingredients you like! Try dried cranberries or cherries in place of the raisins or use walnuts instead of pecans. Or just leave them out if you prefer! Hope you like this as much as we did!  🙂

adapted from Cooking Light magazine

makes about 6 servings

Ingredients:

• ⅓ cup mayonnaise
• 2 T apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 t prepared horseradish
• 1 ½ t sugar,
• ¼ t salt
• 1 Honeycrisp apple, diced
• ½ cup golden raisins
• ½ cup pecans, chopped
• 1 (12 oz) pkg broccoli slaw

Preparation:

Whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, horseradish, sugar and salt in a large bowl.  Add slaw, apple, raisins and pecans.  Toss to coat.

If you like this recipe, feel free to Tweet it, Facebook it, or just email it by clicking the “share” button below. 🙂

Sweet ‘n’ Spicy Shrimp and Avocado Salad with Mango Vinaigrette

Here’s another recipe that not only fits my “Main Meal” salad theme, but also has one of my favorite fruits….Mango!  My friend, Blanca, served this as a first course, but it’s so good that I’d fix it again as my main course!  You get the sweetness from the mango, the spicy from both the red and black pepper and a creaminess from the avocado.  If you’re serving this as a first course, try something different and serve it in martini glasses or any clear glass.  It adds a touch of elegance.  🙂

Sweet 'n' Spicy Shrimp and Avocado Salad with Mango Vinaigrette

The recipe calls for 1 pound of peeled, cooked shrimp.  I happen to think shrimp is much more flavorful if roasted in the oven than boiled in water.  I just toss my shrimp with a few tablespoons of olive oil and maybe 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, lay them out in a single layer on a sheet pan, and roast in a 400° oven for 8-10 minutes, just until pink, firm and cooked through.  Set aside to cool, then add to your salad.  This recipe is from the Cooking Light Magazine.  Enjoy!

Serves 4 as a first course

Cooking Light Magazine

Printable Recipe

• Mango Vinaigrette
• 6 cups shredded romaine lettuce
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper (1 medium)
• 6 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions (optional)
• 1 pound peeled cooked shrimp
• 1 avocado, peeled and diced

Place Mango Vinaigrette in a large bowl.  Add lettuce bell pepper, and green onions, if desired; toss well.  Add shrimp and avocado;toss gently.

Mango Vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 to 2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3/4 cup diced peeled mango (about 1 medium)

Combine first 8 ingredients, stirring with a whisk.  Stir in mango.

What Do You Call a Choking Bean? A GREEN BEAN!

What do you call an old lady carrying beans?  A BEAN BAG!  Bet you can’t guess what this post is about……

Seriously, we should be eating more of these little cuties, as they are loaded with nutrients!

• they are low in calories (approx. 44 calories in 1 cup)

• excellent source of vitamins A, K, C, manganese, fiber, potassium, folate & iron, magnesium, thiamine, riboflavin, copper, calcium, phosphorus, protein, omega-3 fatty acids and niacin

OMG! Makes me want to go eat a whole bowl right now!  This year my guys (hubby & teenage son) decided they’d plant pole beans among other things in our garden.  Since I was born with two black thumbs and no green ones, we made an agreement early on that they would tend the garden and I would do the cooking!    If you have a chance to grow your own food, I highly recommend it.  Not only is it so much better for you, but it’s so much fun to be surprised every day with what comes out of the garden!

This green bean dish has become a family favorite.  If you can find a Meyer lemon, it is SO worth it for the flavor!  They are much more mellow and less acidic than the standard lemon, but if you can’t find one, a regular lemon will work just fine.  Also, I keep a bag of ciabatta bread crumbs in the freezer for topping vegetable dishes.  The texture of ciabatta makes for some really crunchy crumbs, and when you mix in some grated Parmesan cheese, it makes for a really tasty topping!   Just take a loaf of store-bought ciabatta bread and pulse it in your food processor.  Put the crumbs in a freezer bag, and they’ll keep in the freezer for a LONG time!

Fresh From the Garden Green Beans w/Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette

Green Beans with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette & Parmesan Breadcrumbs

Adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs (I use ciabatta)
• 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• Finely grated zest of one Meyer lemon
• 1/4 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed

Preheat oven to 350°.
In bowl, mix breadcrumbs with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, salt and pepper, and lay them in a single layer on a sheet pan.  Bake in oven for about 10 minutes or until a nice golden brown color.  Let cool, transfer to a bowl and mix in cheese.

In another bowl, whisk lemon zest, juice, cream, a pinch of salt and pepper and slowly whisk in remaining 1/2 cup of oil.  Taste for seasoning and add more salt or pepper if needed.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add beans and cook just until tender, 4-6 minutes.  Drain well and toss the beans with vinaigrette.  Transfer to serving platter and top with breadcrumbs.