STIR FRIED STEAK & SNOW PEAS

Not sure much is easier (and healthier) than this. 

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 lb New York steak – put in freezer 10 minutes, remove fat strip, finely slice across the grain
• 1 big handful snowpeas (remove the tough end)
• 2  1/2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 2 teaspoons corn starch
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon seasame oil
• 1'' cube fresh ginger, peeled, finely diced
• 1 garlic clove, finely diced
• 1/2 orange, zest and juice
• 2 teaspoons seasame seeds

DIRECTIONS

1. In a bowl, mix the broth, corn starch, soy
2. Preheat wok on high, add 1 tablespoon oil and snowpeas, keep them moving, cook 1 minute, remove
3. In same hot wok, add 1 tablespoon oil and beef, break up clumps, keep it moving, cook 1 minute
4. Add snowpeas back in wok with beef
5. Add 1/2 tablespoon oil add garlic and ginger, cook 30 seconds, mix well
6. Add broth mixture, add orange zest and juice, stir on high heat, cook 1 minute – until sauce thinkens
7. Sprinkle over seasame seeds and eat!

WATCH ME MAKE THIS... 

Beef and snow peas

Serves 4

This reminds me of home (Vancouver)... Chinese food, yep! And, this dish is so amazing and so quick to knock together, the cooking time is just a few minutes.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 large Skirt Steak, leave the fat, cut bite sized pieces against the grain
• 1/2 yellow onion, sliced
• 1 cup snow peas, whole
• 2 tablespoons Chill Paste (I used Garlic Sambal)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce (I used House Wife Soy)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons corn starch (to thicken)
• 4 Ready-cooked rice packs

DIRECTIONS

1. In a bowl mix the chili paste, soy, honey, sesame oil and corn starch
2. Make sure everything is prepped and ready
3. Heat carbon steel wok or large skillet to smoking hot, add 2 tablespoons oil, cook beef for 2 minutes then remove
4. Using same pan, add 2 tablespoons oil, throw in onion and snow peas, cook for 2 minutes maximum (keep it moving)
5. Add sauce and cooked beef, coat everything well, cook for one more minute
6. Heat rice in microwave
7. Eat!

Gochujang Salad Dressing

Serves 4

Take a step away from your salad-dressing-comfort-zone, I really think this will become a new favorite, like has become mine.

Ingredients

• 1 head romaine lettuce
• 1/2 english cucumber
• 20 baby orange tomatoes (from Speciality Produce, or regular baby toms are ok)
• handful sugar plum tomatoes
• 1/2 cup english peas, raw
• Dressing:
• 1/4 cup sour cream or plain greek yogurt
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tablespoon soy
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Gochujang (Korean Red Pepper Paste)
• pinch kosher salt
• freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. In a large bowl, add quartered and thickly chopped romaine lettuce.
2. Remove skin from cucumber, cut lengthways and slice thickly, add to bowl. Add orange tomatoes whole. Slice baby sugar plum tomatoes. Add peas.
3. In another bowl mix up your salad dressing and pour over salad, toss until all evenly coated.
4. Done.

Gochujang and Bacon Fried Rice

Serves 4

Gochujang, Korean 'red chili paste' is so good you could put it on old shoes and it would be amazing.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound bacon, diced (not ready bacon)
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/3 cup raw or frozen peas
• 2 cups cabbage, shredded
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely minced
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 3 cups cooked & very cold white rice
• 2-3 tablespoons Gochujang
• 2 green onions, chopped

Directions

1. Heat a wok and cook bacon until just crispy, set aside bacon, take out most of fat but leave a couple tablespoons in the wok
2. Add peas, cabbage, peppers and cook for 2 minutes
3. Add onion, cook until onions soften, about 4 minutes
4. While it cooks, beat the egg in a small bowl & stir in the sesame oil and soy sauce, set aside
5. Add garlic and ginger to wok - cook about 1 minute until fragrant
6. Crumble the rice into the wok, break it up and cook until it's very hot throughout
7. Pour in beaten egg and mix until egg is cooked through - about a minute
8. Add bacon, Gochujang paste & stir really well to combine everything
9. Serve, garnished with green onions

The Worlds Freshest Pea Soup

Makes 4 - 6 servings

This is not that thick, army green gross stuff. This is fresh, bright and really delicious. But if you want the old-school version, I'm sure you can find it in a can in the back of an old supermarket somewhere...

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup red onion, diced
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 - 2 ounce package of Ready Bacon, diced
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 - 16oz bag frozen peas
• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Sour cream

Directions

1. Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat, add oil and cook the red onion until very soft and beginning to brown slightly
2. Add bacon and continue to cook everything starts getting crispy
3. While that cooks, heat the chicken stock in a separate pot
4. Once it boils, add the peas and cook for about 2 1/2 minutes
5. Drain the peas (reserving the broth) and put into a blender and add just enough broth to cover
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste
7. Cover and blend until smooth
8. Add the whipping cream and continue blending until really smooth
9. Serve in a bowl and top with a spoonful of sour cream and some of the red onion/bacon mixture

Hot Chicken Sandwich

Makes one sandwich

Not 'hot chicken' as in hot chicken. But 'hot chicken' as in hot chicken...sandwich. Think open faced turkey sandwich but with chicken instead of turkey, not open faced and topped with peas. Not all that sophisticated, but just good, comfort food.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup peas, thawed
• 1/3 cup chicken gravy, warmed
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup cooked chicken, shredded or diced - and
• 2 slices whole wheat bread
• Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions

1. Warm peas in microwave or small pot
2. Put chicken on one slice of bread, add second slice, top with warm peas and then gravy
3. Add salt & pepper to taste

Asparagus and Pea Pasta

Serves 4

Quick, fresh, light and delicious - make it, so easy.

Ingredients

• 1 pack Penne pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 10 asparagus spears, 1'' pieces
• 2 leeks, finely sliced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1/2 cup fresh or defrosted frozen peas
• 1/4 cup cream
• zest 1/2 a lemon
• 1/4 teaspoon finely crushed red pepper flakes
• 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese
• Kosher salt and pepper to season

Directions

1. Boil salted water in medium pan, add pasta cook for 7-9 minutes
2. Heat oil in a skillet on medium heat, throw in the leeks and asparagus, cook for 4 minutes
3. Add the peas and garlic cook for 2 minutes
4. Add the cream, parmesan, zest and stir
5. Add the drained pasta to the skillet and coat with the sauce
6. Season with Kosher salt and pepper, eat!

Chicken, Bacon & Tot Hot Dish

Serves 6-8

Think of this as a cross between a casserole and a chicken pot pie, only with tots instead of pie dough. And how can that be bad?

Ingredients

• 1 yellow onion, diced

• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

• 1/2 pound uncooked bacon, chopped

• 2 tablespoons dry vermouth

• 2 cups cooked chicken - shredded or chopped, either is fine

• 1/4 cup flour

• 1/2 cup chicken broth

• 1/2 cup milk

• 1/2 cup frozen peas

• 1/2 teaspoon each dried thyme & sage

• Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper

• 1-2 tablespoons Sriracha

• One 26 ounce bag Tater Tots

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Cook bacon in a large pan until about halfway cooked - then add onions

3. Cook a couple more minutes and add mushrooms - continue until mushrooms are softened and bacon just getting done

4. Add vermouth and cook for 2 minutes

5. Sprinkle in flour and stir until everything is coated

6. Stir in chicken stock and milk, mix well

7. Add peas, thyme, sage & season generously with salt & pepper

8. Add Sriracha to taste, stir thoroughly

9. Pour mixture into a greased 9x9 baking dish and top lovingly with frozen tots

10. Bake for 30 minutes or until tots are crispy