Mar 7 2011

Easy Asian Beef and Noodle Soup

Posted by cookincanuck in Step-by-Step Recipes

When I headed off for college (which may or may not have been more than 15 years ago), friends and family members regaled me with tales of inedible cafeteria food and the legendary “Freshman Fifteen”. To a certain extent, they were right about the cafeteria food choices. By the end of the first month, I was decidedly sick of chili and chicken noodle soup (not the kind grandma made). The sandwich bar, with its choice of whole wheat bread and fresh veggies, became my solace.

I wasn’t much of a cook at that time. Just ask my parents and they will confirm that whenever it was my turn to cook at home, I made baked potatoes with various toppings. Every time. Well, they say that necessity is the mother of invention, and my taste buds deemed it necessary for me to learn to cook a few dishes to ward off complete food boredom. Before leaving Vancouver and heading to Colorado for college, I bought a beautiful Japanese bowl. I’m not sure what possessed me to do so, but that bowl became the inspiration for many hearty noodle soups that I learned to cook in the dormitory kitchen.

This quick and easy soup is from Tasty Kitchen member, Mary Helen, who also blogs at Mary Makes Dinner. It takes me back to the nourishing soups I made in college and still make today for my family. The New York strip steak, which is cut paper thin, cooks quickly in the savory broth. Rounded out with Chinese noodles, mushrooms, and baby bok choy, this soup is a full meal in a single bowl.

Cook Chinese noodles or thin pasta according to package instructions. Drain and shock with cold water. This will stop the noodles from cooking further and becoming too soft. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, combine beef broth, soy sauce and fresh grated ginger. Bring to a low simmer.

Chop a white onion and two heads baby bok choy (white and green parts). Slice mushrooms. I used crimini mushrooms because the selection of portobello and shiitake mushrooms at my grocery store was pitiful. The crimini worked well, but the shiitake would really put this soup over the top.

Heat half of the canola oil in a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat (Mary Helen didn’t actually specify what level of heat to use, but medium-high worked well to brown the mushrooms). Add the mushrooms and half of the chopped onion, and cook the mushrooms until lightly browned. Add the mushroom and onion mixture to the broth.

Add the rest of the canola oil and add the chopped bok choy. Cook until the greens are slightly wilted, which won’t take more than 1 to 2 minutes.

Add to the broth mixture.

Slice the boneless New York strip steaks very thinly. Make sure to use a sharp knife. This well help you keep all ten fingers intact. Very important.

If you let the meat sit in the freezer for 10 minutes before slicing, it will cut very easily.

Add the meat strips to the soup and simmer until the meat is just cooked through. Given that the meat is cut very thinly, this won’t take more than a couple of minutes.

Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in chopped scallions, sliced fresh basil, and sesame oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Divide the noodles between four bowls and ladle the soup over top. Serve.

Mary Helen suggests add some crushed red pepper flakes or sriracha sauce for a little kick. I concur.

Thank you, Mary Helen, for a soup that will take a regular place in our dinner rotation. Visit her blog, Mary Makes Dinner, for more of her delicious recipes!

Printable Recipe

Easy Asian Beef & Noodle Soup

by Mary Helen on December 20, 2010 in Brothy Soups, Soups

See post on Mary Helen’s site!

4.60 Mitt(s) 5 Rating(s) 5 votes, average: 4.60 out of 5

Description

A pho-inspired Noodle Soup made quick, tasty and simple.

Ingredients

8 ounces, weight Chinese Noodles Or Thin Pasta
1 quart Light Beef Stock
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
½ teaspoons Ginger, grated
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil, For Frying
4 ounces, weight Mushrooms, Sliced (White, Shitake, Or Portobello)
1 whole Small White Onion, Minced
2 whole Baby Bok Choy, Chopped
8 ounces, weight Boneless NY Strip Steak, Sliced Very Thin
1 bunch Scallions Sliced Thin
1 Tablespoon Toasted Sesame Oil
¼ cups Basil, Chiffonade/Shredded
1 pinch Salt And Pepper, to taste

Preparation Instructions

Cook noodles according to package instructions, then shock with cold water and set aside. In a large soup pot, combine stock, soy sauce, and ginger. Bring to a low simmer. Warm vegetable oil in a fry pan and saute the mushrooms along with half of the minced onion until browned. Add the mushroom mixture to the soup, then repeat with the bok choy and the remaining onions.

Slice the steak as thinly as possible and add the strips to the soup. Allow the meat to cook through, then remove the pot from the heat. Add the scallions, sesame oil, and basil, and salt and pepper as needed. The noodles can either be added to the pot, or to soup bowls. Ladle soup into each bowl over or along with the noodles. You can enjoy the noodles as is, or you can add a little crushed red pepper or Siracha Sauce if you’d like them hot n’ spicy.

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Dara Michalski is a doll and a sweetheart who clearly knows her way around the kitchen. She blogs at Cookin’ Canuck, where she shares her flavor-packed recipes and fun, engaging writing. The photography’s pretty incredible, too.

Jan 17 2011

Red Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

Posted by cookincanuck in Step-by-Step Recipes

It was many years ago when my mum first set a bowl of quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) in front of me. It didn’t look like rice. To my teenaged self, it resembled something straight out of a hippie-infested Woodstock-ian field. Quinoa is, in fact, a grain that originated in South America and was once known as “the gold of the Incas”. It became a sustaining grain for the people of the Andean region about 6000 years before Jerry Garcia and Janis Joplin performed for the long-tressed flower-carrying children of the sixties.

Quinoa can be found in well-stocked supermarkets or health food stores, sold in boxes or in bulk. It is either sold as regular quinoa, which is tan in color, or in this pretty red version. If you are trying to clean up your diet, quinoa is a virtual powerhouse of protein, fiber and folate. I figure I can eat about four slices of bacon for every cup of quinoa I consume. Somehow I don’t think you will find that recommendation sanctioned by any national health organizations, but I can guarantee it will keep that feeling of deprivation in check.

This Red Quinoa and Black Bean Salad by The Church Cook is packed with colorful vegetables, black beans, and a complementary lime-cumin dressing. My husband and I were immediately enamored with the taste and texture of this salad, and proceeded to eat several helpings, either by itself or combined with cooked chicken breast in whole-wheat wraps.

Now, I have a little confession to make. I typically use the lazy cook’s way of preparing quinoa. I simply combine one part quinoa with two parts water in a medium saucepan, bring the mixture to a bowl, cover and reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the quinoa absorbs all of the water, about 20 minutes—just like cooking rice.

However, when I read Kay’s slightly more complicated method, I was up for the challenge. This is the method I am presenting to you in the following photos. Now, a cook that is not as messy as me probably will not spill the quinoa (and end up with a good quantity in her hair) when transferring the quinoa from the cheesecloth to the bowl. By the time I was done, it looked as though a tornado had blown throw my kitchen, leaving a very happy dog (licking the floor) in its wake.

For my own sanity and time considerations on busy weeknights, I will stick with my boil and simmer method. Whichever route you choose, I guarantee that you will be smitten by the tangy dressing, fresh vegetables, tender pop of the quinoa, and the promise of healthy protein and fiber.

Let’s start with the dressing.

You’ll need fresh lime juice, salt, garlic, cilantro, cumin, and olive oil. You’ll want some freshly ground pepper, too.

In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, salt, minced garlic, chopped cilantro, and cumin.

Whisking constantly, slowly add olive oil in a thin stream until combined.

Season with pepper, to taste. Set aside.

Now let’s tackle the quinoa.

There is a natural coating on quinoa called saponin, which can have a bitter taste. In nature, the saponin helps to repel birds and insects. You have to love a grain that can fend for itself.

To remove any bitter taste, rinse the quinoa in several changes of cold water. Each time, let most of the quinoa sink to bottom of the bowl, then pour off the water.

Strain the quinoa in a large fine mesh sieve.

Bring 1 ½ quarts (about 6 cups) water to a boil in a medium saucepan and add some salt. Pour in the quinoa and boil for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare a colander by lining it with cheesecloth. I used the steamer insert for my double-boiler.

You can also use this time to prepare the other ingredients that go into this salad.

Drain the quinoa into the cheesecloth.

Add 2 inches of water to the bottom of the pot and bring the water to a boil. Set the steamer insert (with cheesecloth and quinoa) over the boiling water and cover. Be certain that the quinoa is not touching the water. Steam for 10 minutes.

Fluff the quinoa with a fork and cool.

In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, black beans, corn, chopped red and orange bell peppers, jalapeno pepper, cilantro, and green onions.

Toss gently with the dressing and serve at room temperature.

Thank you to Kay for this salad that quickly earned a place in our regular lunch and dinner line-ups. Be sure to check out her blog The Church Cook for many other innovative, tasty recipes.

Printable Recipe