Thai Steak Salad with Sesame-Chili-Lime Cashews

Kate was putting together a delicious-smelling steak salad the other night for dinner, when I happened to show up early for girls night.  And being the sweetheart that she is, she fed me :)  A mound of fresh spinach, beautifully glazed grape tomatoes, perfectly seared medium rare steak, and a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  With really crusty bread.  It was to die for.

So it's not surprising that the next day when I was brainstorming dinner ideas, the first idea that came to mind was a steak salad.  I thought I better try something a little different though, just to keep things interesting.  But don't get me wrong, Kate's salad was perfect, and I will most definitely be copying her sometime soon!

I turned to my trusty recipe source: foodgawker.  I used to favor tastespotting, because their layout is just more aesthetically pleasing, but the search function on foodgawker is just so much better that it has become my default when I need cooking or baking inspiration.  Plus, it doesn't have the annoying adds interspersed throughout.

After just a few seconds of browsing through the "steak salad" search results, I found the recipe.  It was from HALF BAKED harvest; the beautiful photos (seriously, you need to go visit Tieghan's website to just to see the mouth-watering photo) and abundance of fresh ingredients just pulled me in.  Plus, this salad had cashews!

I basically follower her recipe to the t, just omitting the hard boiled eggs, the lemon grass (only because it's so tough... the flavor would have been a great addition!), and the Thai chilies (if they had been listed in the ingredients, I definitely would have included them, but I only noticed them afterwards, in her pictures).  I also substituted half of the baby kale with savoy cabbage, because I happened across it in the Loma Linda Market, and really just couldn't help myself.

The only thing I would change for the next time I make this:  Carsten and I are more into the veggies than the steak, so I only cooked one steak for the whole 4 person salad.  The downside: there wasn't enough hot meat to warm the salad.  This kind of salad really needs to be warm.  So next time, I would either add more steak, or very quickly sautée the whole salad in a giant wok before serving.  Or maybe just the greens....

Alright, here is the recipe, [slightly] adapted from HALF BAKED harvest:
serves 4 as a main dish, or 6 as a side
Ingredients
For the Cashews

1 tsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 1/3 cups raw cashews

2 Tbs honey

zest of 1 lime

For the Dressing

2 limes, juiced + the zest of 1 lime

1 Tbs fish sauce

2 Tbs ponzu sauce (or soy sauce, but ponzu sauce is best and works better here)

3 Tbs sweet thai chili sauce

1-2 cloves garlic, minced or grate

1 Tbs fresh ginger, grated

3 Tbs tahini (sesame seed paste) (Tieghan suggested you can substitute peanut butter, if you prefer) 

For the Salad 

2 cups baby kale or other dark leafy greens 
2 cups savoy cabbage (or just use all kale) 
10 oz frozen shelled edamame 
2 carrots, julienned (to the best of your ability) 
1 bell pepper (red, yellow or orange), sliced thin 
1 cup fresh or frozen mango, chopped into chunk 
4 green onions, chopped 
3/4 cup fresh basil 
3/4 cup fresh cilantro 
1/2 cup fresh mint 
1/4 cup black and/or white sesame seeds, toasted (I used half and half)

Procedure 

For the Cashews 

Heat a small skillet over medium heat and add the sesame oil, cashews and chili powder, toss well. Cook over medium heat until lightly toasted and browned, about five minutes. During the last minute of cooking add in the honey (I used 2 tablespoons). Remove from the heat and add the lime zest and 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds. Toss well and set aside.

For the Rest 

Add the steak to a glass pyrex dish or gallon size ziplock bag.

In a glass measuring cup or bowl whisk together the lime juice + zest, fish sauce, ponzu sauce, sweet thai chili sauce, garlic and ginger (DON'T add the tahini yet!). Pour about 1/4 -1/3 of the dressing over the steak, cover or seal the bag and place in the fridge while you prep the rest of the salad, at least 15 minutes (the longer the better).

Meanwhile add the tahini to a small bowl and microwave until melted and smooth, about 15-20 seconds. Add the melted tahini to the dressing, whisk until smooth. Taste and add more tahini or sweet thai chili sauce to your liking, set aside.

Place the frozen edamame in a microwave safe bowl, and cover with water.  Microwave on high for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, until edamame is slightly warm.  Drain well.

In a large bowl add the kale, cabbage, edamame, carrots, bell peppers, mango chunks, green onions, basil, cilantro, and mint. Give it all a good toss.

Heat a grill or grill pan to high heat.  Once hot sear the steak for 3-4 minutes, flip and sear another 3 minutes or until your desired doneness is reached. Remove the steak and allow to rest 5 minutes. Slice steak thinly against the grain and add to the salad. Add the dressing, cashews, and remaining sesame seeds. Toss to coat and massage the dressing into the veggies for 1-2 minutes.  Serve warm.

 

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Meatballs... and Raspberry Tarts

"These meatballs are really good!"

I never, never thought I'd hear those words come out of his mouth.  And as one who loves a good meatball or meatloaf, I was delighted.  Carsten found this recipe at the ever-trusted smitten kitchen, and it is definitely a keeper.

We've made them twice now, and it seems like spaghetti and meatballs will continue to be our go-to dinner menu when we have a couple over for dinner, and had enough time to cook together.  The boys are in charge of making the pasta - they've got it down to a fine art, so who am I to come in and mess that up?  And the girls are in charge of the meatballs and sauce.  The guys can cover the salad, and the girls are all over the dessert.  Dessert is, after all, my favorite part to make.

This time, we had the Sharps over for dinner, and for dessert we made raspberry tarts.  I finally got to pull out the cute little individual tart pans that Mom got me a while ago.  I'd been waiting and waiting for the perfect opportunity to use them :)  I just threw together a whole wheat pie crust, then Michelle and I filled the tarts with a combination of whipped cream, mascarpone cheese, a couple spoonfuls of an italian sparking wine, a tablespoon of powdered sugar, and some lemon zest.  Then we piled them with fresh raspberries.  Yumm.

But as good as dessert was, the fresh pasta and homemade meatballs were the star of the evening.

Ingredients
serves about 8
1 lb lean ground beef
1 lb italian sausage (unwrapped)
3-4 slices bacon
1 1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/3 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
1 teaspoon onion powder

Procedure
In a large skillet, cook the bacon until almost crispy.  Set the bacon aside to cool, leaving the grease in the pan.  Finely chop the bacon, and combine it with the ground beef, italian sausage and breadcrumbs.  Mix with your hands until well combined.  In the bacon grease, sautée the onion and garlic, then add to the meat mixture, again leaving the grease behind in the pan.  Whisk the egg, then add it to the meat, along with the parsley, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and onion powder.

Form the meat into 2-inch balls.  Set the pan with the bacon grease over low heat, and add as many meatballs to the pan as you can, without having any touching each other.  Cover, and let them cook for a couple minutes on each side.  You want them to brown, but you also want them to cook fully before they burn on the outside!  When cooked, remove from the pan and let drain on a paper towel.  Continue cooking in batches until all meatballs are cooked.



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Red Wine Beef Stew

 
The Holiday season this year was just what I'd hoped for: lots of quality time with friends and family, and just enough relaxation and time to myself at the end that I feel rejuvenated and ready to go back to work/school tomorrow.  The Christmas festivities began the weekend after Thanksgiving.  I had the house to myself, Carsten was at the hospital working hard.  I turned on the Christmas music and pulled the Christmas boxes out of the attic.  I sang along and decorated the house to my hearts content - taking a break only to head out a buy a few more things.  Maybe next year we'll get our first Christmas tree, but this year I decided to fill my house with poinsettias instead - a little trick I learned from my mother-in-law.  A fast and easy way to bring the feeling of Christmas into the house without the hassle of a tree.  But don't get me wrong, I love Christmas trees.  Love them.  Next year, hopefully.  I also bought - don't hate me for this - pine cones.  I know, I should be ashamed, especially as an Oregonian.  And I was.  Knowing how many times I've tripped over pine cones on my runs, it felt utterly stupid to be paying for a little bundle of them.  But I wanted them to decorate with, and I wanted them then.  *sigh*  forgive me.

Needless to say, my home soon felt and smelled like Christmas, and I was eager to fill my house with friends.  The last week of school, we had a Christmas dinner party with my classmates.  I prepared a delicious lentil stew (with homemade chicken stock) and a mouth-watering red wine beef stew.  My first beef stew ever.  I was a little nervous, as a bad beef stew can be pretty awful, so I read through many recipes until I came up with a combination of a few recipes that I thought would be good.  At the end of the night, the pot was scraped clean, so I'll count this one as a success.  Unfortunately, I only remembered to snap one picture, and it was long before the stew was completed.

I also made a delicious gingerbread cake (recipe here) and a scrumptious maple whipped cream topping (recipe here), and garnished it with pomegranate seeds.  Dessert was just as appreciated as the stews - but I forgot to take any pictures :(

Ingredients
2 lbs stew beef, but into 1-inch chunks

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 3 tablespoon + more if you need it olive oil 1 medium-sized chopped yellow onion 4 medium-sized carrots, peeled and chopped 2 large yams (sweet potatoes), washed and chopped 4 clove garlic, crushed 1 handful of fresh parsley or 2 tablespoons of dried 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme 12-14 ounces of red wine, something you would drink 1 cup low sodium beef stock (I only had vegetable and used that) 3 tablespoon apple cider vinegar - See more at: http://kneadtocook.com/slow-roasted-beef-stew/#sthash.7DVTItgE.dpuf

3 Tbs all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
3+ Tbs olive oil (more as needed)
1 medium sweet onion
4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 lb potatoes, peeled and chopped (about 4 medium)
3 medium parsnips, peeled and chopped
5 cloves garlic, crushed
a few sprigs of fresh rosemary
a few sprigs of fresh thyme
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
2 cups red wine (something you would drink - it's nice to have an extra bottle to drink with the meal)
1-2 cups low sodium beef stock
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Procedure
place beef pieces in a colander and rinse with cold water.  Pat dry with paper towels.  In a large ziploc bag, combine flour, salt, paprika, and black pepper.  Shake to mix, then add the beef pieces.  Shake to evenly coat all the meat.
Meanwhile, heat 3 Tbs olive oil in a Dutch oven on the stove over medium heat.  If you don't have a Dutch oven, you'll need a heavy bottom stew pot.  When the oil is nice and hot, but not quite smoking, carefully add a layer of beef - you'll need to work in batches.  Brown the beef on all sides, then remove and set on a plate lined with paper towels.  Once all of the meat is browned, you'll have a tick brown crust on the bottom of your pan.  That's where all the flavor is!  To keep all this good flavor in, add the apple cider vinegar to the pot, and scrape the botton until all little brown bits are loose.  Be careful of the steam!
Add the meat back into the pot, along with all the other ingredients (using just 1 cup of beef stock).  Stir and reduce the heat to low.  Let the stew cook for 2.5-4 hours, stirring frequently to prevent burning.  Check the liquid level periodically, adding more stock or wine as need be.  The meat should be falling apart and the vegetables tender.

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3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 3 tablespoon + more if you need it olive oil 1 medium-sized chopped yellow onion 4 medium-sized carrots, peeled and chopped 2 large yams (sweet potatoes), washed and chopped 4 clove garlic, crushed 1 handful of fresh parsley or 2 tablespoons of dried 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme 12-14 ounces of red wine, something you would drink 1 cup low sodium beef stock (I only had vegetable and used that) 3 tablespoon apple cider vinegar - See more at: http://kneadtocook.com/slow-roasted-beef-stew/#sthash.7DVTItgE.dpuf

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 3 tablespoon + more if you need it olive oil 1 medium-sized chopped yellow onion 4 medium-sized carrots, peeled and chopped 2 large yams (sweet potatoes), washed and chopped 4 clove garlic, crushed 1 handful of fresh parsley or 2 tablespoons of dried 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme 12-14 ounces of red wine, something you would drink 1 cup low sodium beef stock (I only had vegetable and used that) 3 tablespoon apple cider vinegar - See more at: http://kneadtocook.com/slow-roasted-beef-stew/#sthash.7DVTItgE.dpuf

BBQ ribs

We had a wonderful Christmas break back home in Oregon with my family.  Lots and lots of family time, which is what I miss all year round and what I look forward to every time I get to go back.  Just a few days before Christmas, we got to celebrate Uncle Rob's birthday with nearly all the Kooimans and Selvens.  What better way to celebrate than around the dinner table?

We decided to make bbq pork ribs, along side my favorite kale salad and some roasted heirloom baby potatoes and heirloom carrots.  Mom made the most delicious blueberry pie for dessert.  None of us are blueberry pie fans, but everyone LOVED the one mom made. yum.

Not having a huge grill outside, we opted for the [mostly] oven method for the ribs - a technique we'd never tried before, but one that has become our favorite.  Not only did it seem easier than doing it all on the grill, it tasted amazing.  And with Carsten's homemade bbq sauce on top, it was perfect.

Spice Rub
Ingredients (all measurement are approximations)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup paprika
1 Tbs black pepper
1 Tbs salt
1 Tbs chili powder
1 Tbs garlic powder
1 Tbs onion powder
1 tsp cayenne
some Italian Spices
Cocoa powder

BBQ Sauce (adapted from a smittenkitchen recipe)
Ingredients (makes about 6 cups)
1 1/2 cups yellow onion, very finely chopped 1 Tbs minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
12 oz tomato paste (2 6-oz cans)
1 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup honey
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 cup hoisin sauce
2 Tbs chili powder
1 Tbs ground cumin
1/2 Tbs crushed red pepper flakes
2-3 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
brown sugar, to taste

Procedure
In a large saucepan on low heat, saute the onions and garlic with the vegetable oil for 10 to 15 minutes, until the onions are translucent but not browned. Add the rest of the ingredients, except for the brown sugar. Simmer uncovered on low heat for 30 minutes.  Add brown sugar to taste, and continue to simmer for 10 minutes.  Use immediately or store in the fridge.

BBQ Ribs
Procedure 
Start with good quality pork baby back ribs.  We found ours at Costco - plenty for 10 people.  Let meat sit at room temperature for about 45 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.  Remove the thick membrane on the bone side of the ribs.  Mix all of the rub ingredients together in a small bowl, then rub it over both sides of the meat.  Using large aluminum foil, tear off two sheets, about 6 inches longer than the rack of ribs.  Place them, shiny side down, on the counter, then lay one rack of ribs in the middle of the foil.  Fold the foil around the meat to seal it, making sure to turn seems up, so that juice doesn't drip all over your oven.  Repeat with remaining racks.
Place the ribs in the oven and cook for 2 - 2 1/2 hours.  Check at 2 hours.  When the meat starts pulling away from the bone, it's done.
Remove meat from the oven, and take out of the foil.  At this point, we cut each rack into three or four portions, to make grilling [and serving] easier.  Heat your grill to medium high.  Brush both sides of the ribs with bbq sauce, then grill fro 2-5 minutes on each side, until the sauce is bubbling and the meat is crisping ever so slightly.  Serve immediately.

Uncle Rob's 54 mile birthday run!

We joined him for a bit!

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