Hunan Beef with Cumin

Georgia Glynn Smith

Ingredients

1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine or good medium-dry sherry
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon potato starch
12 ounces boneless short rib or other beef steak
1 ¾ cups peanut oil
2 teaspoons minced ginger
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
2 fresh red chilies, seeded and finely chopped
2 to 4 teaspoons dried chili flakes
2 teaspoons ground cumin Salt
2 scallions, green parts only, finely sliced
1 teaspoon sesame oil


Preparation

Step 1

In a bowl, mix the wine, salt, soy sauces, flour and one tablespoon water. Cut the beef across the grain into thin slices and add to marinade.

Step 2

In a wok, heat peanut oil to about 275 degrees. Add beef and stir gently for two to three minutes, then remove from oil with a slotted spoon and drain well.

Step 3

Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of oil in wok. Over a high flame, add the ginger, garlic, fresh chilies, chili flakes and cumin and stir-fry briefly, until they are fragrant. Return beef to the wok and stir well, seasoning with salt to taste.

Step 4

When beef is sizzling and fragrant,add scallion greens and toss briefly. Remove from heat and stir in sesame oil.

Source

Clean Eating PB&J Smoothie

I wanted to share with you guys a super simple but yummy smoothie recipe. I love smoothies because they are easy to drink while I'm taking care of the kiddos, they are packed with protein, they are an easy way to get in some flax and spinach, and they are cold and refreshing after a sweaty workout!



Try this one out and let me know what you think!

Oh..I call this PB&J because in place of grape jelly in my house..we use organic strawberry preserves. It's so good and no one misses grape jelly!

Clean Eating PB&J Smoothie

1 cup unsweetened almond coconut milk
1 cup baby spinach
1 1/2 cups frozen strawberries
2 tbsp. Tru Nut powdered peanut butter (PB2 or 1 tbsp. all natural creamy Peanut butter will also work)
1 tbsp. flax seed meal
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I use MRM all natural Whey)
1 stevia packet (optional)

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy! Enjoy!

5 cooking mistakes you should avoid in the kitchen

              
You might think you are doing all right in the kitchen but you might be missing out few things that can degrade your dish and its nutrients.
Mistakes like burning, scorching, or boiling might be visible to the naked eyes but we will highlight those mistakes you may be making in the kitchen that those talented chefs do not.

Not Letting Your Meat Rest After You Are Done With Cooking
If you allow your meat to rest for a while after you cook, the juices get distributed evenly and the taste is enhanced during the rest period. Meat should be allowed to rest for at least 20 minutes before consuming.

Not Tasting Your Food
Even if you are making a well experimented recipe you should always taste while cooking. Not all the spices and salt have same intensity of flavour. You should always check whether the flavours are developing or not.

Overcrowding the Pan
If you overcrowd the pan with too much of things your food will not cook evenly as it lowers down the temperature. In case you need to cook a lot at once, try using two pans instead.

Over-mashing Potatoes
Nobody likes glue in place of potatoes. The more you mash your boiled potatoes the more starch will be released creating a gooey mess. For making the best mash, use boiled but firm potatoes and mix in your fat only to the point of perfect consistency.

Not Seasoning the Pasta Water

You might think that all the seasoning is required in the sauce but it's a huge mistake not to season your pasta water while boiling. While you add salt to pasta water you actually add flavour to your pasta.