Mongolian Beef, Slow Cooker

Mongolian beef dish does not come from Mongolia nor China. It originated from Taiwan. The meat dish developed there when Mongolian barbecue restaurants first appeared in 1950s. 

Raw meat, vegetables, and sauces are stir-fried together with sweet sauces, not like in Mongolian cuisine that does not use soy-based sauce nor stir-frying methods. The high stir-fry temperatures is a reflection of Chinese cooking.  It has become a Chinese-American dish as well. 

Skip the stir-fry, and let the slow cooker do the work.

Монгол үхрийн мах (Mongolian)

/mongol ükhrin makh/

蒙古牛肉 (Chinese)

/méng-gǔ niú-ròu/

Serves 4

1 1/2 pounds (680 g) grass-feed flank steak, sliced thinly against the grain

1/4 cup (30 g) cornstarch

3 tsp (10 ml) olive oil 

3 organic garlic, chopped

2 tsp (10 g) mashed organic ginger

1/3 cup (80 ml) soy sauce or gluten-free liquid amino acids 

1/4 cup (50 g) of organic brown sugar

1/4 cup (120 ml) water

2 tsp (10 ml) rice vinegar

cut organic green onions

cooked organic rice sprinkled with sesame seeds

sliced cucumbers with a drizzle of avocado oil

一.  Toss the meat and cornstarch in a bowl.

二.  Add to the slow cooker.

三.  Add the rest of the ingredients except the green onions. Toss

四.  Cook on HIGH 2-3 hours or LOW 4-5 hours.

五.  Stir in the green onions.

六.  Serve with rice and sliced cumbers on the side.

好胃口 (Chinese)

/hǎo wèi-kǒu/

Good appetite

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Roasted Pork Tenderloin and Vegetables à l'Italiano

Pork tenderloin, also called pork fillet, pork steak, or Gentleman's Cut, is the central spin portion and most tenet part of the animal. What makes this dish Italian, is the dressing over the vegetables.

Filetto di maiale arrosto e verdure (Italian)

Serves 4

Preheat 425ºF/220Cº 

after the pork has been marinated  

Italian Dressing/condimento italiano:

~make ahead and refrigerate for up to a week~

1 cup (240 ml) red-wine vinegar

5 Tbs. (75 ml) water

1 1/2 Tbs. (32 g) organic sugar

1 Tbs. (5 g) Dijon mustard

1 organic garlic clove

3 tsp. (6 g) each: basil and oregano

dash of pepper

2 cups (480 ml) olive oil

uno 1. Place the pork and 1/4 cup (60 ml) dressing in a plastic bag. Massage the mixture.

due 2. Refrigerate for 4-24 hours. 

Pork and Vegetables/maiale e verdure:

~Make ahead and refrigerate for up to 5 days~

1 pound (455g) of glass feed pork tenderloin

4 organic carrots, cut in thin slices

2 organic peeled parsnips

1 organic broccoli florets, cut in thin slices

organic cheer tomatoes

3 Tbs. (45 ml) each: balsamic and olive oil

3 tsp. (6 g) Italian seasoning

1 tsp. (2 g) lemon pepper

tre 3. Toss the vegetables with 2 Tbs. (30 ml) oil and Italian seasoning.

quattro 4. Remove the pork and pat dry with paper towels.

cinque 5. In an ovenproof skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.

sei 6. Add the pork and cook until browned on one side, about 3-5 minutes. 

sette 7. Turn the pork over and more to the upper rack.

otto 8. Place the vegetables on the lower rack for about 20 minutes.

nove 9.  Check the inside temperature of the pork for 145ºF/63ºC.

dieci 10.  Serve with one or more organic: 

• roasted red potatoes with rosemary and garlic
• zucchini sautéed with butter and garlic
• green beans
• marinated mushrooms
• wrapped asparagus in prosciutto or roasted with balsamic vinegar
• antipasto side dish
• Italian salad

 

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Spinach Salad à la Japanese

Japanese eat salads for breakfast, lunch, and dinner as a side dish. 

I took my 6th graders to a Japanese "youth hostel", while living in northern Japan. They, too, thought it was strange to have a green salad with breakfast.-Mike

スペイン風サラダ (Japanese)

/supein-fuu sarada/

organic spinach

2 Tbs. (30 ml)  sesame seeds 

2 Tbs. soy sauce or gluten-free liquid aminos 

1 Tbs. (15 ml)  each: sesame oil, miso, and rice vinegar 

1 Tbs. organic brown  sugar 

organic garlic, minced 

organic ginger, graded

i /long e/

一 /ichi/ 1. Blanch the spinach in boiling water for a few minutes.

二 /ni/ 2. Put it in a bowl of ice water.

三 /san/ 3. Drain and squeeze out the water.

四 /shi/ 4. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet. Remove and cool.

五 /go/ 5. Whisk: soy sauce/liquid aminos, miso, garlic, sugar, and ginger.

六 /roku/ 6. Płatę the spinach and pour the dressing over it.

 七 /shichi/ 7. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds.

 八 /hachi/ 8. Refrigerate until serving.

Looking for other salads:  https://veggiefernandezs.blogspot.com/search/label/salads

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Meatballs à la Hawaiian (slow cooker)

Hawaiian cuisine is a reflection of  a mix of cultures from Polynesia, North America, East Asia, and Portugal. Beef was introduced by the Mexican cowboys working on cattle ranches. 

Serve as main meal or as appetizers.

'i'o 'i'o (Hawaiian)

serves 12

~Use organic ingredients as much as possible.~

3 pounds (1.365 g) of frozen meatballs ('i'o 'i'o)

1 can pineapple chunks, drained and reserve the juice

1 bell pepper, cut into chunks

minced onion

1 cup (240 ml) barbecue sauce or ketchup

1 Tbs. (15 ml) Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup (60 ml) soy sauce or gluten-free liquid aminos

1/4 cup (60 ml) rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar

1/4 up (30 g) brown sugar

1 Tbs (15 g) grated ginger or 1/4 tsp. (dash ot two of powder ginger)

3 garlic cloves

2 Tbs. (30 g) chopped chives

sesame seeds

cooked rice (for main meal)

ʻekahi 1. Place in the a slow cooker: frozen meatballs, pineapple, bell pepper, and onion

ʻelua 2. Whisk BBQ sauce/ketchkup, soy sauce/liquid aminos, Worcestershire, vinegar, and sugar.

ʻekolu 3. Whisk in the ginger and pour over the meatballs. 

ʻehā 4. Cook high for 2-3 hours.

'elima 5. Serve with chipped chives and sesame seeds or with rice for main meal.

Try:

Hawaiian Tofu Bowl: https://veggiefernandezs.blogspot.com/2024/03/hawaiian-tofu-bowl.html 

Hawaiian Vegetable Bowl: https://veggiefernandezs.blogspot.com/2016/08/hawaiian-vegetable-bowl.html

Pineapple Chicken à la Hawaiian (slow cooker or instant pot): https://veggiefernandezs.blogspot.com/2024/11/hawaiian-pineapple-chicken-slow-cooker.html

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Berliner Currywurst

Off to one of many trips to East Berlin in the 80s with family or friends, the years we lived there. What a great way to have a quick snack or lunch, leaning against a stand-up table and enjoying one of my favorite foods, currywurts. Now, I buy some pork sausages (Würste) at a local German deli, pick up some German ketchup and try to recreate that Berliner taste.-Mike

Sever with French fries ((Pommes frites)

Serves 4

~recipe without German ketchup~

1/8 cup (16 g) fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1/2 cup (65 g) organic pineapple finely cubed

1/4 cup (30 g) organic sugar

3 Tbs. (45 ml) red wine vinegar

4 Tbs. curry powder

1 2/3 cups (200g) ketchup

4 glass feed pork sausages (Schweinswurt)

optional: 4 (German) rolls

eins 1. In a pan, bring to a boil: ginger, pineapple, sugar, and red wine vinegar. Stir until pineapple becomes soft.

zwei 2. Add the curry powder and ketchup. Stir well.

drie 3. Reduce the temperature medium and cook for about 5 minutes.

vier 4. Grill the sausages.

fünf 5. Serve in a roll or on a plate with the pineapple curry ketchup on top and French fries on the side. 

P.S. Just thinking about them, I'm going downstairs and have one for lunch (Mittagessen)! I'll have sauerkraut instead of Pomme frites.

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Soba Noodle Salad

Some brands of  (gluten-free) buckwheat (蕎麦) Japanese flour noodles might have wheat flour as well. The noodles have a nutty flavor. Use chopsticks to pick up chunks of noodles and eat them without biting off any noodles. This salad has a lot of tasty ingredients.

蕎麦サラダ (Japanese)

/soba sarada/

Serves 6 六

Salad サラダ :

3/4 pounds (340 g) (GF) organic soba noodles, cooked according to the package

dash of Himalayan salt

4 organic eggs

1 organic carrot, cut into very long, thin strips

1 organic cucumber, cut into long, little thicker strips than the carrot

1/2 (60 g) organic daikon radish sprouts, cut off any fibers

organic mixed salad greens

organic cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1/4 pound (130 g) organic mung bean sprouts

Dressing ドレッシング /doresshingu/:

5 Tbs. (75 ml) organic rice vinegar

2 Tbs. (30 ml) mirin (substitute: 1/2 tsp/2,5 g sugar:1 Tbs./15 ml vinegar)

3 Tbs. (45 g) white sugar

3 Tbs. (30 ml) sesame oil and soy sauce (or gluten-free liquid aminos)

optional: gochujhan (sweet and spicy fermented chili paste) (substitute: hoisin sauce + sugar)

i /long e/

一 /ichi/ 1. After noodles been cooked, wash them in cold water. Drain and wash two more times. Drain in a colander.

二 /ni/ 2. Bring to a boil over high heat, 5 cups (1200 ml) water in a pan. Stir in the vinegar and salt.

三 /san/ 3. Reduce the heat, still slightly boiling. Use a spoon to lower eggs and cook for 7 minutes.

四 /shi/ 4. Transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water.

五 /go/ 5. Crack the shells and let the eggs sit in the ice water for 3 minutes.

六 /roku/ 6. Whisk all the dressing ingredients. Set aside.

 七 /shichi/ 7. Cut the noodles in half with scissors.

 八 /hachi/ 8. Transfer to a serving bowl.

 九 /kyuu/ 9. Add half of the dressing. Toss in the vegetables. 

 十 /juu/ 10. Add the rest of the dressing. 

十一 Slice the eggs in half.

十二 Serve the salad in bowls, topped with to half-cut eggs.

いただきます 

/ētadakēmasu/

lit. I will humbly accept it

[said before eating]

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Party Nuts à la Spicy, Salty, and Sweet!

Teat your guest to some holiday nuts or just have them around when you like a snake.

Serves 16

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (175ºC)

1 cup (455 g) each organic: walnut and pecan halves; unsalted almonds and cashews

1/4 tsp. (1,2 g) cumin and cayenne pepper

1/2 cup (65 g) organic sugar

1/4 cup (60 ml) water

1 Tbs. (15 g) butter

1 tsp. (4 g) Himalayan salt

1/2 tsp. (2 g) black pepper

1. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking oil.

2. Mix all the nuts in a bowl.

3. Toss with the spices.

4. Heat the sugar, water, and butter over medium heat. Cook about a minute.

5. Pour over the nuts and stir to coat.

6. Transfer to the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

7. Stir nuts with the syrup and spread out in a single layer.

8. Bake for about 6 more minutes.

9. Cool before serving.

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