Mounds of Food

I love it whenI literally have to mound a meal onto my plate, piling on the pieces, trying to stop stray pieces of steak or carrot from rolling onto the bench because the plate can not contain the deliciousness. Admittedly, my plate is not large, and the food is mainly vegetables, but despite this it makes the meal feel generous. The only problem with this is that mounds of food don’t photograph well. I’m thinking that maybe chefs are onto something with their minimalist presentation – it makes the food look better.

Tonight’s Korean steak is meant to be served in lettuce cups. I failed at making the lettuce cups. No matter how carefully I tried to separate the lettuce leaves, they split into pieces. That’s why the recipe turned into Korean steak on a heap of lettuce instead of being daintily spooned into delicate bowls of lettuce. It’s not attractive but it tastes good.

Celery and carrots are quickly cooked in a fry pan with a  little water and then marinated steak is added, followed by spring onion and sesame seeds. The marinade is sweet, spicy & salty with soy, garlic, ginger, sugar, cayenne pepper and sesame oil. Serving the cooked meat and vegetables on top of lettuce was a refreshing, summery change from rice and something I haven’t tried before but definitely will again.

Korean Steak Recipe (adapted from GoodHouseKeeping.com)

(serves 2)

Ingredients

• 225g steak, cut into small cubes
• 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger, minced
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 stalks celery, chopped finely
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1 spring onion, chopped finely
• 1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds
• Lettuce leaves

Method

1. Cut steak into small cubes and marinate it in soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger & cayenne pepper
2. While steak is marinating, chop celery stalks finely, grate the carrot and slice the spring onion
3. Heat a fry pan to a medium-high temperature and add celery, carrot and 1/4 cup water. Cook for 2-3 minutes until celery is heated through and beginning to cook
4. Add steak and its marinade. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring often, until the steak has just browned on all surfaces
5. Add the spring onion and sesame seeds and cook for a further minute
6. Serve in lettuce leaf cups (good luck) or on a pile of shredded lettuce. Enjoy.

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Something Fishy…

This recipe was meant to be last nights dinner. I had it all planned out and had even cut up the onion, opened the tin of salmon and sliced the tomato when I realised that I only  had one egg left. Fail. So into the fridge all the ingredients went and out came frozen left overs from last week. At least this meant that when I went to cook lunch today everything was nicely prepped for me.

This quick recipe was another recipe inspired by the random items left over before grocery shopping day. The little salmon quinoa cakes are baked in a muffin pan. The quinoa helps add a little crunch to the outer shell of the cake and prevents them from being watery. If you don’t mind spending a little extra, use red salmon instead of pink. I think the taste is far nicer.

Salmon Quinoa Cake Recipe

(serves 2)

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup quinoa
• 1/2 red onion, finely diced
• 210g canned red salmon, drained
• 1 cup baby spinach
• 1 heaping teaspoon of whole grain mustard
• 4 egg whites, lightly whisked
• salt and pepper, to taste

Method

1. Boil quinoa in 2/3 cup of water for approximately 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed
2. Microwave onion for 2 minutes in a medium bowl to soften
3. Add baby spinach to quinoa once it is cooked and keep over heat until the spinach has wilted
4. Add baby spinach, quinoa and all other remaining ingredients to onion
5. Stir gently to combine. I tried to keep small hunks of salmon instead of making it into a paste but it’s up to what texture you prefer.
6. Spoon mixture into 6 muffin holes, lightly sprayed with cooking oil
7. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown

I served my salmon quinoa cakes with tomatoes roasted in balsamic vinegar, rosemary and olive oil, on top of some iceberg lettuce leaves. This was the perfect fast, high-protein lunch after a heavy morning gym session.

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Bean Snacking

Firstly, sorry about the pun, my Dad would be proud. Secondly, edamame is a recent snack discovery of mine. I’d eaten edamame (immature soy beans) in Japanese restaurants but recently found you can buy edamame from the frozen section of most supermarkets. They are easily prepared by microwaving or steaming them.

I often throw edamame into stir fries, but my favourite way to enjoy edamame is on their own with a bit of salt and vinegar. Sounds strange but it’s strangely addictive and it’s very satisfying to know that a snack that tastes so good is good for your body too. Usually I prefer fruit over vegetables since I have such a sweet tooth. This is definitely an exception!

Sweet and Sour Edamame Recipe

(serves 1 as a snack or side dish)

Ingredients

• 1/2C edamame beans
• 2TBSP water
• 1TBSP vinegar
• Freshly ground rock salt

Method

1. Put edamame and water in a microwaveable dish, cover and microwave for 4 minutes
2. Drain and stir vinegar through edamame
3. Add salt to taste (I use quite a liberal amount but I like things salty)