Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry recipe

Stir-fry. You know the rules, get your mise en place ready! When cooking starts, high heat is used and everything moves along very quickly.

I try to take step-by-step photos as much as I can but I am bound to miss some shots. Hopefully you get the whole idea even if I fail to give you all the pictures.

My recipe, this version of Beef and Broccoli Stir-fry is different from what you may get from a Chinese restaurant. It's been awhile since I've been to one, but almost always Beef and Broccoli came drowning in sauce. Not literally, but you get it. If you like yours with a lot of sauce and still want to use my recipe, I suggest making it the same way I do first to see whether you'll like this version. If not, next time you make it (hopefully you will) triple the sauce ingredients (rice wine, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar). I've personally never tried to do that all the times I've made this so I can't tell you whether it'll turn out tasty or not.

You may notice that I used petite sirloin steak. Why use that? Quite frankly, because it's always on sale! Always buy one get one free! I also used packaged, pre-cut broccoli florets this time -- only because the grocery store was out of organic broccoli crowns. I didn't blanch the broccoli so the end result will be crispier than it is tender. If you like your broccoli on the tender side, I recommend blanching or steaming it halfway and then cooking it in the pan the rest of the way.

Printable Recipe
Beef and Broccoli Stir-fry

For the Beef

ingredients:
• 1 lb beef petite sirloin steak
• 1 egg white
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• 2 tbsp grapeseed oil (or any neutral, high smoke point oil such as canola)

instructions:
1)  Put the steaks in the freezer for 30 minutes. This will firm up the meat which will make it easier to slice.
2)  Meanwhile, mix the following ingredients in a large bowl: egg white, cornstarch, sesame oil, and salt.
3)  Thinly slice beef against the grain and slightly on a bias. Add the beef into the egg white mixture and toss to coat. Let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally.
4)  Heat wok or cast iron skillet over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Increase heat to high and continue to heat the pan for about 1 minute. Add grapeseed oil and wait for 10 seconds, then add beef to the pan (aiming for a single layer). Leave beef alone for about 30 seconds to get some color on them.
◘ note: I used a 12-inch cast iron skillet.
5)  Start tossing beef around and saute for 1 minute. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

For the Vegetables and Sauce
ingredients:
• 3 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
• 3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1½ tsp sugar
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp crushed red pepper
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• 8-10 oz bag broccoli florets
• 1 (15 oz) can baby corn, drained & halved crosswise (or fresh baby corn)
• 4 scallions (3 stalks cut to 1-inch length, 1 stalk sliced on a bias for garnish)
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 2 tsp water

instructions:
1)  For the sauce, mix the following ingredients: Shaoxing rice wine, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar.
2)  For the slurry, mix cornstarch and water until smooth. Set slurry aside, but give it a stir right before ready to use.
3)  In the same pan you cooked the beef in and still over high heat, saute garlic, ginger, and crushed red pepper until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
4)  Add broccoli, cook for 1 minute.
5)  Add beef, baby corn, and ground black pepper. Cook for 2 minutes.
6)  Add sauce and quickly toss everything around. The sauce should come to a boil almost immediately. Stir in the slurry, then add the 1-inch length scallions. Toss everything together for about 30 seconds. Turn the heat down to the lowest heat setting, put a lid on and cook for 10 minutes. Off the heat.
7)  Serve stir-fry with steamed rice and garnish with sliced scallions.        

Pan-Fried Alaskan Cod with Beurre Blanc recipe

This is one of my husband's favorite fish dish that I make. I don't like fish a whole lot but I can devour this anytime! I'm especially fond of my beurre blanc sauce recipe. It is my creation and I love it! One time Red Lobster was having their lobster special and I ordered a dish that had beurre blanc sauce. The sauce was runny and a little bland. I like my beurre blanc to be slightly thick so that it'll cling onto my food. As I was eating it I thought to myself, "Man, I like my beurre blanc waaay better." So I let my husband try some of my food and he said, "Maybe you should give them your recipe for beurre blanc." I was very touched!

Recommended side dishes:
- Rice of your choice (white, brown, wild, rice pilaf)
- Steamed broccoli with a squeeze of lemon juice and kosher salt to taste

Excuse my photo-taking skills. I have none.

Printable Recipe

Pan-Fried Alaskan Cod with Beurre Blanc

For the Beurre Blanc

ingredients:
• ¼ cup white wine (chardonnay: medium-dry to dry)
• ¼ cup aged white wine vinegar
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 stick unsalted butter, cubed & kept cold until ready to use
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• ¹/₈ tsp ground white pepper (optional)

instructions:
1)  Add white wine, white wine vinegar, shallots, and bay leaf in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil until liquid has reduced to almost dry, about 5-7 minutes.
2)  Pour in heavy cream while whisking and bring mixture to a complete boil. Once at a rolling boil, turn off the heat and add 2 cubes of butter at a time while whisking constantly.
◘ note: Make sure sets of butter added are melted and well incorporated before adding more. Whisk constantly.
3)  Strain the sauce into a bowl and season with salt and white pepper (if using). Set sauce aside while you cook the fish. The sauce will thicken slightly during this rest period, which will help it cling onto the fish.

For the Alaskan Cod
ingredients:
• 2 (1 lb each) Alaskan cod fillets, halved crosswise or cut into thirds
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• cayenne
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 tbsp olive oil

instructions:
1)  Rinse fish and pat dry with paper towels. Season one side of the fillets with salt, pepper, and cayenne.
◘ tip: Don't be shy on the seasonings. You want the fish to be flavorful.
2)  Heat butter and olive oil in a fry pan over medium-high heat. Once butter becomes a little brown add 2-3 fillets, seasoned side down, and cook for 4 minutes. While fillets are cooking on one side, season the side facing up.
◘ tip: Do not overcrowd the pan. Cook in batches if needed. I used a 12-inch nonstick saute pan.
3)  Carefully flip the fillets and cook for another 4 minutes. Transfer cooked fillets to a plate. Repeat cooking process for the rest of the fillets.
◘ tip: Cod is a flaky fish so flip with care.

To Assemble:
○ Place a serving of fillets on a plate and pour sauce over the top.
○ Add sauce to the bottom of the plate then place fillets on top of the sauce.
○ Put fillets on a serving plate and serve with the sauce and a spoon in a bowl alongside it.
      

Simply Heavenly Mashed Potatoes recipe

As the name suggests, this dish is simple and heavenly. I started making this when my little one was about 5 months old. Can you imagine the look on his face when he took that first bite of my mashed potatoes? He looked like he was in heaven! He definitely enjoyed it!

Printable Recipe

Simply Heavenly Mashed Potatoes

ingredients:
• 1.5 lbs red potatoes, peeled & halved or quartered depending on size
• 2 medium to large russet potatoes (1.5 lbs), peeled & chopped
• 1 stick unsalted butter, divided use
• ½ cup heavy cream, scalded
• ½ cup half & half, scalded
• 2 tsp kosher salt, divided use
• freshly ground black pepper
• chopped scallions or chives for garnish (optional)

instructions:
1)  Put potatoes in a pot and add cold water just enough to cover them.
◘ tip: Make sure the potatoes are uniform in size for even cooking.
2)  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, put the lid on and simmer for 15 minutes or until tender.
◘ tip: Leave the lid slightly ajar if the lid doesn't have a vent hole to let steam escape. Use a fork to check for doneness, not a paring knife.
3)  About 10 minutes into cooking the potatoes, start scalding the heavy cream and half & half in a small saucepan over very low heat. Turn the heat off once small bubbles form around the edges of the pan.
4)  Drain potatoes then put them back in the same pot. Turn the heat under the pot to the lowest heat possible. Add half of the butter, scalded heavy cream and half & half, 1 tsp salt, and some pepper. Mash the potatoes a little bit using a potato masher.
5)  Add the rest of the butter, scalded heavy cream and half & half, 1 tsp salt, and some more pepper. Mash again just enough to get the rest of the ingredients incorporated.
◘ tip: Do not overmash. Switch to a spatula or a wooden spoon if you need to stir the potatoes a little more.
6)  Serve with a garnish of chopped scallions or chives, if desired.

Pan-Seared New York Strip Steak recipe

Mm-mmm-mmm!! The steaks were perfectly crusted, just the way my husband likes it! Though the ingredients are simple and the cooking is easy, these steaks are very flavorful! My hubby was even sucking on the bones! I recommend that you let the steaks hang out in the fridge for a while. The cold air will help dry the meat out a bit which will help the steaks sear better. Your patience will be rewarded so try not to skip this step!

I'm more of a medium-rare-closer-to-medium kind of person while my husband likes medium-rare-closer-to-rare steaks. I had the 1-inch thick steak and I gave him the 1¼-inch steak. Both were cooked for 5 minutes each side. Mine came out medium but medium-rare closer to the bone, while his turned out medium-rare and more rare closer to the bone.

Enough chitchat. Let's get cooking!

Printable Recipe

Pan-Seared New York Strip Steak

ingredients:
• 2 (1 lb each) bone-in New York strip steaks, 1 to 1¼ inch thick
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• grapeseed oil (or any neutral, high smoke point oil such as canola)
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, divided use

instructions:
1)  Place steaks on a wire rack over a sheet or roasting pan. Season steaks on all sides with salt and pepper. Place the pan, uncovered, on the lowest shelf in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours.
2)  Remove pan from the refrigerator 1 hour before cooking to let the steaks come to room temperature. Right before cooking, drizzle oil on one side of the steaks.
3)  Heat a 10 or 12-inch cast iron skillet over high heat. At the first sight of smoke put the steaks, oiled side down, in the skillet. Cook for 5 minutes, undisturbed. Meanwhile, drizzle oil on the side facing up.
◘ tip: For medium-rare, cook for 4 minutes each side.
4)  Flip the steaks and cook for another 5 minutes, undisturbed. While this side is cooking, add half of a tablespoon of butter on top of each steak and spread it around.
◘ tip: Kerrygold Garlic and Herb butter would be nice.
5)  Turn the steaks onto their fat side and cook for 1 minute.
6)  Transfer steaks to a plate or carving board and top each with the remaining 2 half tablespoons of butter; spread it around.
7)  Tent steaks with foil and let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
◘ note: Tent means loosely covered. Do not cover tightly.