Spicy Sesame Beef Rice Bowls

What, what? It's January, and I've already posted as many Asian-style recipes this month as I did all of last year? (That would be 2!)

I told you guys I was going to get more Asian dishes on the table, and what do you know? Another for the books! You are going to love these rice bowls. There is soooooo much delicious flavor, and guess what? A ton of veggies! I have to ask myself, what's not to like about these bowls? Crisp red and yellow peppers, tender spinach, flavorful marinated sirloin, plus crunchy wanton strips, sesame seeds, and plenty of dressing? 

Sign me up! 

Beef with Broccoli Stir Fry

I decided to give everyone a break from the Southwestern chicken recipes, and do a complete 180. Asian! Steak! Stir fry, oh my!

I have a confession that I'm not even a little bit ashamed over. This dish was made using a New York strip steak. That's right. Now, before you start chasing me off with pitchforks, you can listen to my reasoning. A couple of months ago, on a Costco trip, I bought a 5-pack of New York's. I vacuumed-packed (2) packs of 2 and sealed 1 on its own. I planned on using that individual steak for exactly a dish like this, an Asian stir fry. Granted, the hubby's eyes about bugged out of his head when I told him we were using a steak for a stir fry, but after one bite, he pretty much shut up :)

That being said, you would by no means be forced to use such a nice cut for this dish. Sirloin, flank, or skirt steak would work beautifully in this dish.

Another note on this dish- I grilled my steak. I did! I wanted tender slices of beef that would not be in any danger of being overcooked. Mission accomplished! I had the hubby grill the steak, and then I let it rest while I prepared the rest of the dish. I sliced the steak at the last second, and threw it in the pan at the very end, as I was removing the dish from heat. The steak was still warm, it didn't need to be cooked anymore. The only thing it needed was a dip in the sauce, and it was G2G. That's online speak for "Good to Go!" You are not required to grill your steak. If you decide to forgo that technique (you know, because it's March, it's cold outside, and you aren't crazy like me), I would brown the beef on the stove after softening the onions in the recipe.

Just in case you were all wondering, the hubby ate 2 plates of this. Yep, you know it's good. The hubby only has seconds on a handful of dishes. I get the most satisfaction out of dishes that warrant a return to the pan by the hubs. But really, it's hard to go wrong with men and steak.

Now for some exciting news! Last week's Sticky Sweet Baked Chicken is a weekly feature over on The Country Cook's Weekend Potluck. I've been participating in the Weekend Potluck for a couple of months now, trying to network and grow my blog. I just about died when I got an email that I was being featured. You can bet I'll be walking on air this weekend :) Head on over to the Potluck, and check it out!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Ingredients (serves 3-4)-

1 New York strip steak, trimmed

olive oil, salt, pepper

1 head broccoli, cut into florets

1 tbsp peanut oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp chile paste with garlic

1 tbsp sesame oil

2 tsp rice vinegar

2 tsp cornstarch

hot cooked rice or noodles (for serving)

garnish- sliced green onions and sesame seeds

Directions-

1. Preheat gas grill on high. Oil and/or clean the grates.

2. Prepare the steak- brush trimmed steak with olive oil, season to taste with salt and pepper. Place steak on pre-heated grill, and close lid. Cook for 3 minutes, then flip to the other side. Cook for another 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat, and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes. Thinly slice and keep warm. Set aside.

3. Prep the broccoli- steam the broccoli. Steam in a covered pan over boiling water for 3-5 minutes, or until broccoli reaches desired texture. I steamed mine for 3 1/2 minutes, because I like my broccoli with crunch. Set broccoli aside. 

3. Heat peanut oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add onion. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes or until onions start to soften. Add garlic to pan, cook for 30 seconds. Add broccoli to the pan, stir-fry for 1 minute.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce through the cornstarch. When the cornstarch is fully dissolved in the mixture, add mixture to the pan. Cook over heat for 1-2 minutes or until sauce begins to thicken. Add steak to the pan, toss to combine, and remove from heat.

5. Serve stir fry over rice or noodles. Garnish with sliced green onions or sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

Linked to: Weekend Potluck, Foodie Friday, Cunning Ladies' Friday Party

Bourbon and Brown Sugar Marinated Flank Steak

There's just something so American about steak and potatoes. The standard meal of the "burly" man. I'll give it this- it's true comfort food, and exactly what the doctor ordered in the middle of our region's third polar vortex of the month. 

This is one of my favorite ways to prepare flank steak. We don't eat steak a lot, but when we do, we devour. This recipe was actually a happy accident. I discovered it when I was first learning how to cook, about 6 years ago. My husband and I were living in our first apartment in Portland, OR and we were both working jobs with crazy hours. We didn't have a lot of time to cook, so I made stuff I could prep in the morning or the day before. I had put a flank steak in this marinade in the morning for that evening's dinner. The hubby ended up having to take clients out, and dragged me with him. We decided to leave the steak in the marinade and cook it the next night. You really aren't supposed to leave meat in marinade that long (it breaks down the fibers in the meat), so I was nervous 24 hours was too long. One bite instantly erased the doubt, however.

There is soooo much flavor in the marinade. It really tenderizes a tough cut like flank. I love the slightly sweet flavor from the bourbon, mingled with the salty, savoriness of the accompanying ingredients. The leftover marinade is boiled on the stove to kill any bacteria, infused with some cornstarch to thicken it up, and drizzled over the steak. Hmmmm, I wish I had some more. No such luck ----> :(

I hope everyone's having a great week so far. The hubby's had the whole week off, so we've been plowing through the Oscar nominations for Best Picture. It's our tradition. They are a hard bunch to watch this year! We've watched "The Wolf of Wall Street", "American Hustle", "Gravity", "Captain Phillips", and I made it through about 30 minutes of "12 Years A Slave". I had a very visceral reaction to "12 Years",  I'm not sure I'm going to be able to watch the whole movie. It's really hard to watch, I was crying within 10 minutes with no end in sight. The hubby might be watching it on his own. Today we are tackling "Dallas Buyer's Club" and "Her". Whew. So far, the only movie I've enjoyed watching is "American Hustle". I'd highly recommend it, the acting is superb and the movie doesn't drag.  I loved the fast pace. Ah, if only I chose the Oscars :)

Now back to the food-

Ingredients:

1-lb flank steak

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup green onions, minced

1/4 cup bourbon

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp cornstarch

Directions:

1. Combine flank steak through Worcestershire sauce in a large ziploc bag. Marinate in fridge for 24 hours, turning the bag occasionally.

2. To cook the steak- remove from fridge 1 hour before serving. Allow steak to come to room temperature. Preheat a gas grill over high heat. When hot, add steak, reserving the leftover marinade. Grill 5 minutes on each side, remove from the grill. Allow steak to rest on a plate, covered by tented foil, for 10 minutes before slicing. Slice meat against the grain for best results. 

3. While meat is resting, prepare sauce. Pour reserved marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Mix cornstarch with 1/2 tsp water. Whisk cornstarch mixture into pan. Cook over medium heat until sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat and serve over meat. 

*This sauce + mashed potatoes= heaven. I recommend mashed potatoes as the accompanying side dish.

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light.

Linked to: Weekend Potluck