Korean Rice Bowls

My husband and I love Oriental foods.  He spent time in Korea while he was in the Air Force and says he got to experience some amazing foods.  So, I decided to try my hand at a recipe I found for some Korean Rice Bowls with Steak, Asparagus, and Eggs.  I modified it a little bit for what I had on hand, but they were quite tasty.
First, let's meet our ingredients:

Sesame seeds, sea salt, chili powder, strip steak, soy sauce, sesame oil, green onions, sugar, cooking Sherry, garlic, asparagus, vegetable oil, eggs, rice, and kochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)

Toast sesame seeds over medium heat for about 3 minutes.

After the seeds have cooled, grind them, the sea salt, and chile powder until about half of the sesame seeds are finely ground.

Cut steak into thin slices.

Whisk soy sauce, sesame oil, green onions, sugar, sherry, and garlic in a bowl.

Toss steak in the mixture.  Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Arrange asparagus on a baking sheet lined with foil.  Toss with vegetable oil and sesame oil.  Sprinkle the sesame salt over it all.

Broil for about 4 minutes.

Heat griddle to about 325 degrees; spray with cooking oil.

In batches, grill steak until just browned, about 1 minute on each side.

Once steak is cooked, crack eggs onto hot griddle.

Cook until whites are set but yolks are still runny.  (I overdid these a little because my husband and I can't stand raw eggs!)

Divide rice among bowls.  Divide asparagus among bowls.  Divide steak among bowls.  Top with fried egg.  Serve with pepper paste.

Recipe:

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

.75 teaspoon sea salt

.5 teaspoon chili powder

1.5 pounds New York strip steak

.25 cup soy sauce

3 tablespoons sesame oil, divided

2 green onions, finely chopped

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon cooking Sherry

1 garlic clove, minced

1 can asparagus spears

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

3 eggs

3 cups fresh cooked Jasmine rice

Korean hot pepper paste (kochujang)

1)  Toast sesame seeds in a small skillet over medium heat until golden brown, approximately 3 minutes.  Transfer to small bowl to cool.  Grind sesame seeds, sea salt, and chili powder in mortar with pestle or in spice mill until half of the sesame seeds are finely ground.  Return to small bowl.  (This can be done up to a day ahead.)

2)  Cut steak in approximately .125-inch-thick slices.  Whisk soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, green onions, sugar, Sherry, and garlic in medium bowl.  Toss steak in mixture.  Marinate at room temperature 30 minutes, tossing occasionally.

3)  Preheat oven on low broiler setting.  Drain asparagus and arrange stalks on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Toss asparagus with 2 teaspoons vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon sesame oil.  Sprinkle with the sesame salt.  Broil for 4 minutes.  Keep warm.

4)  Spray griddle with vegetable oil.  Working in batches, grill steak until just browned, about 1 minute per side.  Transfer to bowl; keep warm.  Spray griddle with vegetable oil.  Crack eggs onto hot griddle.  Cook until whites are set but yolks are runny, about 3 minutes.

5)  Divide warm rice among bowls.  Divide asparagus, then beef among bowls, placing on top of rice.  Top with fried egg.  Serve with Korean hot pepper paste.

This was pretty much the epitome of awesome.  Our apartment smelled like a quaint little take-out place.  The asparagus had a lovely flavor from the sesame salt, the beef was sweet and tender, the eggs had a nice kick from the flavors left on the griddle, the pepper paste was super spicy.  It was just wonderful.  It didn't really take that long to put together, either.  We'd definitely make it again!

Taste: 4.5
Difficulty: 3.5
Good-for-you-factor: 3.5
Fullness-factor: 4.5
Overall: 4.0

Lean Cuisine Sesame Stir Fry with Chicken

Today's lunch was pretty good.
It not only has sesame-flavored chicken, but broccoli, peppers, edamame, and delicious whole wheat vermicelli!
The chicken was cook perfectly, though there could have been a little more.  The pasta was also well done.  The veggies didn't come out quite as fresh as the last few days but they weren't bad.  The broccoli was a little overpowering, and I've never understood why, even at Chinese restaurants, broccoli always gets paired with sesame chicken.  I don't think it compliments the flavor very well.  Maybe it's just a cheap veggie. The sauce was sweet and enjoyable, though I would have liked a little more of it to go with all the chicken and veggies.  They weren't as liberal with the pasta in this dish as they were with the Roasted Honey Chicken of yesterday. 
This dish has 6g of fat, a little more than the last several I've done, but only 300 calories.  All around, I'd say it's pretty good for you.  I find myself feeling pretty hungry still, however, about an hour after I ate.  At 300 calories, I should feel full considerably longer, methinks.
I can't really see myself purchasing it again, though, to be honest.  I've already come across enough winners.  :)


Taste: 4.0
Appearance: 4.0
Good-for-you-factor: 3.5
Fullness-factor: 2.5
Overall: 3.5




Be sure to check in tonight - homemade chocolate chip pancakes are on the menu!

Lean Cuisine Szechuan-Style Stir Fry with Shrimp

This dish was awesome!  
A cautionary word - cook it thoroughly - the shrimp come raw, to avoid over-cooking!
So.  2g fat.  230 calories.  This dish was delicious!  The shrimp came out perfect and there were over half a dozen of them!  The vegetables were, once again, crisp and fresh-tasting.  The sauce was very sweet, with a strong, spicy kick.  And there were a ton of noodles!  I don't know how it managed to be only 230 calories with so much tasty goodness!
I'm definitely pleased that Lean Cuisine has been 2 for 2 this week on awesomeness!
It even looked good coming right out of the packaging!  I really hope the three entres planned for the rest of the week live up to this high standard - they all fall into LC's "Spa Cuisine" line-up, so hopefully they won't disappoint.


Taste: 4.5
Appearance: 4.5
Good-for-you-factor: 4.5
Fullness-factor: 4.5
Overall: 4.5




Be sure to check in again tonight - homemade Italian sloppy joe's are on the menu!

Lean Cuisine Roasted Honey Chicken

First of all, the hunt for a new blog name began today.  My friends have helped me come up with a few worthy contenders.  After some thought and careful consideration, the blog should have a new name in a day or two.
On to the reviews!
So for today's lunch, I had Lean Cuisine Roasted Honey Chicken.  I was convinced I would hate it after reading that it included rice pilaf, snap peas, etc.  Boy, was I in for a surprise.
Appearance-wise, this was the best-looking Lean Cuisine meal I've come across.  The vegetables looked healthy and fresh after cooking, The sauce and chicken looked appetizing, though, I'll admit, I should have stirred it all together before I snapped the shot.  
As for taste, it was wonderful!  The sauce was not too sweet, the chicken was well-done and not rubbery, the veggies were crispy, the rice was cooked perfectly.  I was thoroughly impressed with this meal.
And at only 4g of fat and 280 calories, it's definitely a keeper on the to-eat list....after I try all 150 varieties or so!


Taste: 4.5
Appearance: 4.5
Good-for-you-factor: 4.5
Fullness-factor: 4.0
Overall: 4.5




Be sure to check back in tonight - homemade stuffed peppers are on the menu!

Sweet and Sour Pork!

So the inaugural recipe for this cooking blog is Sweet and Sour Pork. 

Let's meet the ingredients:

For the pork: 

Cornstarch, egg, pork, vegetable oil, carrots, onion, and pineapple chunks

I inadvertently left out the garlic from this image, so,here you go:

For the sauce:

Cornstarch, brown sugar, chicken broth, vinegar, soy sauce

Start by combining the cornstarch and egg in a large bowl.

Add pork, which should have been cut into roughly .5 inch cubes.  Make sure the pork is evenly coated.

In a skillet (or work), heat 1 tablespoon of oil and cook half of the pork until it's no longer pink.

Remove from skillet and cook the other half.  Remove it from the skillet and set aside; keep it warm.

Add another tablespoon of oil to the skillet and stir-fry the carrots, onion, and garlic for about 3 minutes.

Add two tablespoons of water and saute for another 2 minutes.

Add the pineapple and pork back to the pan.

In another bowl, combine the cornstarch and brown sugar.

Add the chicken broth, vinegar, soy sauce, and pineapple juice.

Add to the pan.  Bring it to a boil and cook for 2 minutes.

Serve over hot, cooked rice and enjoy!

Recipe:

.25 cup cornstarch

1 egg, beaten

1.5 pounds boneless pork, cut into .5 inch cubes

3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

2 medium carrots, sliced

1 medium onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons water

1 8 oz can pineapple chunks

Sauce:

1 tablespoon cornstarch

.3 cup packed brown sugar

.25 cup chicken broth

.25 cup white vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

Hot cooked rice

1)  In a large bowl, combine cornstarch and egg until smooth.  Add pork; coat evenly.  In a skillet or wok, stir-fry half of the pork in 1 tablespoon oil until no longer pink; remove.  Repeat with remaining pork and 1 tablespoon oil; set pork aside and keep warm.

2)  Stir-fry the carrots, onion, and garlic in the remaining oil for 3 minutes.  Add water; stir fry for 2 minutes.  Drain pineapple, reserving .25 cup juice.  Add pineapple and pork to pan.

3)  Combine cornstarch and brown sugar.  Stir in the chicken broth, vinegar, soy sauce, and pineapple juice; add to pan.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Serve over rice.

My husband and I loved this recipe.  It took about 45 minutes from start to finish, including all the dicing and slicing.  It was full of flavor, and with enough fruits and protein for us not to feel guilty about stuffing our faces.  I will definitely make it again, and probably include more garlic and maybe some manner of pepper to give it an extra little kick.

Taste: 4.5
Difficulty: 3.5
Good-for-you-factor: 3.5
Fullness-factor: 4.5
Overall: 4.0