Beef Khow Suey

Beef Chow Suey

Khow Suey is a Burmese ramen dish topped with a delicately spiced coconut milk sauce and is served up with an array of different contrasting condiments & toppings that takes this dish to the next level and gives it a burst of amazing flavors.

I came across this recipe a while back and was a little hesitant to try it at first. It felt like there were too many moving parts to the recipe. But when I realized how easy each component was, and how I could modify it to my needs and tastes, I decided to give it a shot.

For starters, I could mix and match the choice of protein for my dish so easily, I decided to go the beef route for this particular recipe. But you can easily substitute with chicken, fish, shrimp, or any other meat of your choice. This could also be made with vegetables instead of meat.

Also, for the ramen, you could choose your noodle of choice, I prefer linguine, but I've seen people use spaghetti, egg noodles, or literally any pasta of your choice.

And as for the condiments, that's where the game is at.. you can play with spices, sauces, and other condiments that suit you flavor palette.

Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

For the beef:

• 3 tbsp Oil
• 1 lb. beef, cut in small cubes (about 3/4-1 inch thick)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• Salt according to taste 

For the coconut sauce:

• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 can coconut milk
• 2 cups water
• 2 tbsp gram flour (chickpea flour)
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp green chilli paste (optional, can be added as part of toppings in the end)
• Salt according to taste

For the assembly: 

• 8 oz Linguine pasta, boiled and strained
• 2 hardboiled eggs 
• 2-3 green onions
• 1 tbsp deep fried onions
• Potato wafers
• Lime wedges
• handful chopped cilantro

Directions:

1. First I start by cooking the beef. The same recipe can be substituted for any other meat or vegetables of your choice. The only thing varying would be the time required to cook your meat. For eg, I pressure cook beef for about 15-20 minutes (5-6 whistles) in the pressure cooker. For vegetables, fish, shrimp or chicken, you probably don't need to pressure cook but can stove cook for about 25-30 mins for chicken and shrimp, 15 mins for fish and vegetables.
2. Heat oil in a vessel (I used the pressure cooker like mentioned above), and fry the chopped onion.
3. Once it gets translucent, add the ginger-garlic paste. Fry for another minute and then add tomato paste. Cook for another 2-3 mins.
4. Now add the beef cubes, spices and stir fry for about 5 mins
5. Add 2 cups of water and pressure cook until beef is tender (Refer to point 1 for approximate timing).
6. Once done, open cooker and add more water and cook if necessary. Once ready, set aside.  
7. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, gram flour, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and water until completely blended. Pour it into a pan and cook on medium heat until it thickens and is cooked through. Now add the coconut milk whilst stirring continuously.
8. Cook for about 20 minutes and when it’s done add salt and lemon juice. Mix it well and take it off the heat.
9. To assemble, place boiled pasta in your serving dish, then pour coconut gravy over it, followed by the beef gravy in the center. Garnish with condiments of your choice. The possibilities are endless. 

I like to add a little more punch to my Khow Suey, and that is actually the best part of this dish. You can customize it to your taste, and still get the feeling of enjoying an exotic Burmese dish. So feel free to add condiments, of your choice. For me, I preferred to stick to some jalapeños, cilantro and spicy potatoes wafers for some added crunch.

Beef Chow Suey

I hope you enjoy this recipe and give it your own take. As always, feel free to comment with questions, concerns and suggestions. Until then, Live, Love, Laugh and Eat.. Oh yes, EAT!!

Thai Coconut Steak

My husband is an avid steak lover! And before I start this post, I will publicly accept, he is better at cooking as well as buying steak. He knows his cuts and how to cook them.. Now that I am done with this public announcement, I feel better about sharing this recipe with you all. Because the first time I gave this recipe a shot, it was a complete and total failure! And I was warned never to go steak shopping myself.. ever again..! I did all the wrong things possible with my steak, did not buy the right cut, I think I bought boneless steak instead of skirt/flank steak - Rookie Mistake #1. Then I cooked my steak before bringing it to room temperature - Rookie Mistake #2. Hell yeah, I even cut the steak against the grain.. like I was supposed to know that is even a thing. The only thing I got right, and luckily aced, was the flavor. Yep, at least I got the marinade right. And this is why I gave my steak a second chance, this time buying steak with the husband. And yep, the second time around, I corrected all my rookie mistakes from the previous mishap, and have an amazing recipe for you guys to try out. I will also list all the dos and don'ts I learned from both my experiences. Hopefully, either you guys are laughing at me for my lack of basic steak knowledge. Or are fumbling just like me and this will be a beginners guide to some of you.

First things first, invest in buying good quality steak, that protein does make or break your dish. For this particular recipe, we went ahead with skirt steak, the thing I learnt about skirt steak was, it is a juicy yet thin slice of steak, this is what makes it easy to overcook.. will get to more cooking details later, but before that, I was taught how to cut it across the grain, so that it isn't too tough when you cook it. Another myth that was broken for me was, that marinating the steak doesn't make it any tender. It just permeates the outer layers of the meat, but it does bring a lot of FLAVOR to the meat. And yes, flavor was definitely my forte in this game. This coconut marinade, is definitely the right summer flavor for your steak! Another word of caution though, remember to dry your steak completely before cooking it. The mantra for me to follow here was MOISTURE is the enemy of caramelization.  So make sure to blot your steak with paper towels before cooking them. And last and most important lesson for me was, DON'T COOK THE STEAK IF ITS STILL COLD! I might have even repeated this mantra a few times.. lol.. alright, thats overdoing it, but yeah, make sure the steak is at room temperature before you cook it. Especially this cut of steak, since it cooks so fast, and you don't want to overcook it. That's why, you wait till the steak is at room temperature. So you don't just cook the outside and have a raw inside. Or wait too long to cook it, and hence end up overcooking it.

Last word of advice, before you go ahead with the recipe, resting is key. While making a steak, make sure you rest your steak for a few minutes, so the moisture is spread evenly through the meat before you begin cutting it.

Prep Time: 15 mins  Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

• ½ cup coconut milk
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons Thai fish sauce
• 1 tsp ground pepper powder
• 2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
• 1 pound beef skirt steak, cut into 4-inch lengths
• ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter

Directions:

1.  In a bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, brown sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, fish sauce, pepper powder and ginger garlic paste. Place the steak in a ziplock bag and pour the marinade over the steak. Seal the bag shut making sure you take all the air out. Refrigerate the steak for 6 - 12 hours. 
2. Drain the steak marinade and pat steak dry. Sprinkle the steak with some salt. (Make sure your steaks are at room temperature before you start cooking)
3. Heat an iron skillet with some butter. Place the steaks in the skillet and let it cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. Flip over and ensure both sides are cooked to desired doneness, that should be 6-8 mins depending on thickness of the steaks
4. Lets steaks rest on carving board at least 4 minutes before cutting lengthwise, across the grain

Thai Coconut Steak with Spicy BBQ sauce and Asian salad

You can serve the steak with either a salad or some baked potatoes. Either way, this steak would be the perfect summer dinner for you and your family. I've pinned this recipe to my healthy beef recipe board, hoping you all give it a go this summer as well.. As always. feel free to post any questions, comments or suggestions below. Until then, Live, Love, Laugh and Eat.. Oh Yes, EAT! 

Slow Cooker Chicken Teriyaki Sliders

I was gifted a slow cooker by a friend about 2 years ago, but I got down to using it only in the last 6 months. And ever since I started, I've been addicted to it. I even wonder why I waited so long to use my slow cooker. I've used my slow cooker to cook meats more often than anything else. Be it chicken, lamb, beef.. they all turn out to be juicy and flavorful thanks to my slow cooker. Sharing my latest tryst with the slow cooker to you guys.. Slow cooker chicken teriyaki.. the slow aromatic cooking not only infuses all the flavors into your meat beautifully, but leaves your kitchen so aromatic, it makes the food even more appetizing. Also, it literally needs minimal intervention, so an absolute win-win for me.

I started with mixing all the ingredients for my sauce together in the bottom of the cooker. Once I whisked the ingredients for the sauce, I lay my chicken breasts in the slow cooker and let it work its magic. Cover and cook on high for about 4-5 hours, or until the chicken basically falls apart using a fork. Get ready, because your kitchen is going to smell A-May-Zinggg!

Once the chicken it cooked, I just shredded it and added it to the pan. I added the remaining sauce from the cooker and let the chicken boil in the pan until the sauce had thicken. For a thicker gravy, you could also add corn starch, but I decided not to add any to mine.

I made a Cole slaw to go with my sliders, which was again about 5 ingredients mixed together. And voila, my Chicken Teriyaki Sliders were ready!

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time:  5 hours

Ingredients:

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken -

• 1 boneless chicken breast
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 cup white onion chopped
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/8 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 tsp fresh ginger chopped
• 1/8 cup cold water
• 1 tbsp corn starch (optional)
• sliced scallion (optional)
• toasted sesame seeds (optional)
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• Salt as per taste 

Cole Slaw topping - 

• 1/4 cup Shredded lettuce
• 1/8 cup Shredded carrot
• 1/8 cup Chopped celery
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp Mayonnaise 
• 1 tsp White Vinegar
• Salt and Pepper as per taste

• Directions:

1. In the slow cooker, whisk together the garlic, onion, honey, soy sauce, white vinegar, ginger, salt and pepper until mixed well. 
2. Add chicken breast to this mixture and cook on High setting for about 4-5 hours. Or until chicken is completely cooked. 
3. Remove chicken and shred to pieces with a fork. The chicken should shred very easily.
4. Transfer the remaining sauce from the bowl in a pan and add the shredded chicken and bring to a boil. (Add optional corn starch to the sauce here)
5. Once the sauce thickens, add the scallions and toasted sesame seeds
6. In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the Cole slaw. 
7. Toast buns and layer each with chicken, Cole slaw and cheese (optional)

Although, we enjoyed our Chicken Teriyaki with slider buns, you could take the traditional route and serve it with rice, or with quinoa for a healthier option. I hope you enjoy this quick fix as much as I did. Feel free to comment and give me your feedback on the recipe, or to ask any questions. Until then, Live, Love, Laugh & Eat.. Oh yes, EAT! 

Sloppy Joes with an Asian zing

My Sloppy Joes were another star performer in those quick meals that take under 30 mins. It requires minimum to virtually no culinary skills.. Maybe that's why, they are another repeater in my kitchen.. lol.. but honestly, cook the meat, stir in the sauce - that literally comes out of a bottle (multiple bottles, but still..), throw it on slider buns.. and Voila, dinner is ready.. I usually try different variations to the sauce that I add to the meat, so it doesn't seem like the recipe is a repeater. You can also play with toppings to create different variations and again following my mantra of always using leftovers from the refrigerator. Sometimes, it makes me wonder how I have so many leftovers in my refrigerator, when most of the time I'm creating recipes from leftover ingredients.. but oh well, that's a question to be pondered upon another time. For now, I present to you Asian inspired, Sloppy Joes..

Dice your onions and bell peppers and sautée them in oil until translucent. Once done, move them to the side of the pan and add ground beef. Add salt and pepper and let it cook

While the beef is cooking, you can go ahead and make your sauce. For the sauce, I added ginger-garlic paste, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, tomato ketchup, tomato paste and hot sauce together. Add in some more chili flakes or hot sauce, if you like that extra kick. Whisk all these together so they form a smooth paste.

Make sure to keep stirring the ground meat while it's cooking. You will know its cooked, when the water has dried out and you can smell the aroma of the meat. I started out making my sloppy joes with ground beef, which is what I have mentioned in the recipe below. But over time, I have changed it up with ground chicken and ground turkey, and both versions turned out equally good! The cooking time for each of these meat would differ too.

The picture above is a reference for the color of the meat being cooked. Once your meat is cooked, stir in the sauce and mix evenly. Cook for another few minutes until the sauce has thickened. 

And your sliders are ready to assemble. You may toast or warm your buns as per your preference. 

I also top my sliders with some lettuce and cheese, but that again is a preference, you can substitute lettuce with coleslaw, or other toppings you'd like in your sliders. I used smoked cheddar in this recipe, since it went well with my other ingredients that I added to the sauce, but feel free to use any other cheese that would pair up better with your toppings. 

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

• For the meat: 
• 1 lb ground beef 
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1/2 bell pepper, chopped 
• 1 tbsp oil
• salt & pepper according to taste
• For the sauce
• 1 tsp Ginger - garlic paste
• 1/4 cup Tomato paste
• 1/4 cup Tomato sauce
• 1/8 cup Brown sugar
• 1/4 cup Apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup Soy sauce
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp hot sauce
• 1/2 tsp red chilli flakes
• To assemble: 
• 1/2 cup Lettuce
• 1/4 cup Smoked Cheddar Cheese, grated 
• 1 pack Dinner rolls - contains 12 individual rolls 

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a pan. Add the diced onions and sautée. 
2. Add the peppers and sautée further until they are both translucent. Once done, push them to the side of the pan and add in the ground meat.
3. Add salt and pepper and mix well to break any lumps. Keep stirring while the meat is cooking. Cook until it is a light to medium brown
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together ginger-garlic paste, brown sugar, tomato sauce, tomato paste, soy sauce, cider vinegar, worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and chilli flakes.
5. Mix in this sauce to the meat, once its turned a medium brown.
6. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and cook until the sauce has thickened.
7. Toast the slider buns/dinner rolls and scoop a spoonful of meat on the slider
8. Add the lettuce and grated cheese. 

Yummilicious Sloppy Joes are ready to be served! Enjoy this delectable yet simple recipe! This is a great recipe for quick dinners or as an appetizer for parties and gatherings. It's easy to make in small batches and big. It can be stored easily, so is a great option for a make ahead meal as well.
Feel free to share and comment this recipe with your loved ones as well.. If you gave this recipe a go, or have questions, feel free to post a comment below! Until then, Live, Love, Laugh and EAT. Oh yes, EAT! :)