Vegetables with Noodles and Beef

I made this today for our first day of Chinese New Year celebration.  Rave reviews.  I'm still not 100 percent satisfied with it, so tweaks will still take place, but it is really good as is.  Tom declared "This is a GREAT way to start off the New Year!"  As a side note, the girls and I were making Chinese lanterns to hang (Tessa's idea).    As we were finishing Tess said, "I wonder if Estee has her lanterns made yet."  As if the rest of the world joins us in this tradition!  But it goes to show how much this tradition is loved by our family.  I love how it brings us together.  But enough rambling. . .here is the recipe:

Vegetables with Noodles and Beef

Make Sesame Salt:

Toast 2 TBSP sesame seeds.  Let cool.  Finely chop/crush the seeds.  (I use a nut chopper, but a mortar and pestle or spice grinder would also work.)  Add 1/4 tsp salt.  Set aside.

1 cup bean sprouts

1 cup matchstick-size carrots

1 medium onion, sliced thin lengthwise

1 cup green onions, chopped (about 1/4" pieces)

1 cup slightly chopped peanuts (I use party peanuts)

2 TBSP fresh ginger, chopped 

1 tsp minced garlic

8 ounces flank steak (or other steak)

2 tsp sugar

1/8 tsp black pepper

1/8 tsp red pepper

2 TBSP soy sauce

Peanut oil

Bring 2 quarts water to boil in a large pan.  Add noodles, cook 2 minutes.  Drain and run cold water over them to stop cooking.  Return them to the pan.  Stir in 1/2 TBSP peanut oil and 1 TBSP soy sauce.  Stir to coat.  

In wok or frying pan, toast peanuts until slightly browned.  Remove them to the noodle pan.  Add 1 TBSP peanut oil and heat until hot.  Add carrots.  Cook until just starting to tenderize, then add onion (not the green ones).  Cook until just tender, at the very end, add the bean sprouts.  (You can add other veggies such as red pepper or celery or mushrooms.  Just cook everything until slightly tender.)  Add the veggies, including the green onions to the noodle pan.  Heat another TBSP of peanut oil.  Add garlic and ginger.  Stir fry for a few seconds then add the beef.  Cook until beef is cooked.  Add the beef to the noodle pan along with remaining ingredients.  Heat and add remaining ingredients (including the 1 remaining TBSP of soy sauce and Sesame salt.)  Serve immediately.

Possible tweaks:

Add a few dried red peppers (add to pan with garlic/ginger and cook with the meat).  A little more garlic would probably be good.  

Pot Roast

I grew up having pot roasts or chicken for dinner every Sunday.  I've branched out in my Sunday dinners--mostly because I haven't been able to make a consistently good pot roast.  I used to do okay but when I became tired of the onion soup flavoring method, I began looking for other ways.  One of the ways I have tried was Pioneer Woman's pot roast. . . although, I tried to do it in a crock pot and with dried herbs.  A sorry way to waste a roast.  Last Sunday I decided to actually follow the recipe and wallah!!!  It was successful!  While it was quite good and I'll definitely do it again, I will continue adding and trying new things until I think it is fantastic!  Below is the recipe.

 I also made the garlic roasted mashed potatoes.  I've had them before so I knew they would be well liked, but I still underestimated how many potatoes to cook.  And, since I refuse to fill my husband's arteries with as much butter, cream cheese and half and half as she suggests, I only used a few tablespoons of each butter and cream cheese and softened with milk.  Still fantastic.

Recipe: Pot Roast

Prep Time: 20 Minutes  |  Cook Time: 4 Hours  |  Difficulty: Easy  |  Servings: 10

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Ingredients

• 1 whole (4 To 5 Pounds) Chuck Roast
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 whole Onions
• 6 whole Carrots (Up To 8 Carrots)
• Salt To Taste
• Pepper To Taste
• 1 cup Red Wine (optional, You Can Use Beef Broth Instead)
• 2 cups To 3 Cups Beef Stock
• 3 sprigs Fresh Thyme, or more to taste
• 3 sprigs Fresh Rosemary, or more to taste

Preparation Instructions

First and foremost, choose a nicely marbled piece of meat. This will enhance the flavor of your pot roast like nothing else. Generously salt and pepper your chuck roast.

Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil (or you can do a butter/olive oil split).

Cut two onions in half and cut 6 to 8 carrots into 2-inch slices (you can peel them, but you don’t have to). When the oil in the pot is very hot (but not smoking), add in the halved onions, browning them on one side and then the other. Remove the onions to a plate.

Throw the carrots into the same very hot pan and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so.

If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the very hot pan. Place the meat in the pan and sear it for about a minute on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate.

With the burner still on high, use either red wine or beef broth (about 1 cup) to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a whisk to get all of that wonderful flavor up.

When the bottom of the pan is sufficiently deglazed, place the roast back into the pan and add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway (about 2 to 3 cups). Add in the onion and the carrots, as well as 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary and about 3 sprigs of fresh thyme.

Put the lid on, then roast in a 275F oven for 3 hours (for a 3-pound roast). For a 4 to 5-pound roast, plan on 4 hours.

Recipe: Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Prep Time: 1 Hour  |  Cook Time: 15 Minutes  |  Difficulty: Easy  |  Servings: 8

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Ingredients

• 5 pounds Russet Or Yukon Gold Potatoes, Peeled And Rinsed
• 3 heads To 5 Heads Roasted Garlic
• 1-1/2 stick Regular Salted Butter (3/4 Cup)
• 8 ounces, weight Softened Cream Cheese
• 1/2 cup Or So Half-and-half (Or Heavy Cream, If You're Feeling Naughty)
• Salt To Taste
• Black Pepper To Taste

Preparation Instructions

(Prep time includes time needed to roast garlic.)

Cut the peeled potatoes into pieces and cook in boiling water until fork-tender. Drain water and return to pot, and mash potatoes over low heat until lots of the steam has escaped.

Next, mash in softened butter, cream cheese, half-and-half, and salt to taste. Dump in three to five heads of roasted garlic cloves; stir together, then check seasoning. Be sure to salt adequately.

Add some fresh ground black pepper, and serve with one or two roasted garlic cloves on top.