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.

Related articles

• Looks Are Deceiving … (orderenvy.wordpress.com)
• Tuna with pineapple salsa & snow peas (orderenvy.wordpress.com)

A Little Bit fishy…

Let me start this post with a word of caution. If you happen to make Jamaican Lentil Stew with Coconut and realise at the step where it says to add curry paste, that you have no curry paste, DO NOT be tempted to substitute laksa paste. The dried shrimp in the laksa paste WILL be noticeable and make your whole stew take on a slightly fishy, not-quite-right taste. NO amount of curry powder or any other seasoning will take this away….

On a slightly more successful note I thought I would share with you one of my lunch time favourites. Sardine Spread. Sounds gross (and looks terrible) but it is really nice! I promise! This spread is good on crackers, in a sandwich or wrap or to eat with carrots or celery sticks. Sardines are super good for you – they are rich in omega-3, calcium, protein and vitamin D, so eat up.

I made this yesterday for lunch and put it in a wrap along with some lettuce, snow peas, tomato and cucumber – was good!

Sardine Spread Recipe

(makes enough for 2 sandwiches)

Ingredients

• 1 tin sardines in spring water
• 2 TBSP reduced-fat cream cheese
• 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 squirt lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste
• gherkin, chopped finely (optional)

Method

1. Drain sardines and put in a small bowl
2. Add remaining ingredients and mash with a fork until the mixture forms a smooth paste
3. Eat