Seared Steak Ramen

I think I may have to go out on a limb here and say that this may be my best and most favorite ramen that I've made yet! But I may just be partial to steak and a poached egg!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp dashi seasoning (found at most Asian markets, but sometimes at the local store)
• 1 Tbsp Chili garlic
• 1 Tbsp Sesame chili oil
• 1 tsp Sriracha sauce
• 1 small steak filet; season with salt and pepper (I used a top sirloin filet)
• 1 Tbsp EVOO
• 2 sticks fake crab
• 1 cup oyster mushrooms, sliced
• 2 stalks bok choy, sliced and whites and greens separated
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 1/4 cup asparagus, cut into 2" pieces
• 1/4 cup kimchi
• 1 jalapeno pepper, sliced
• 1 egg
• 1/2 package ramen noodles (noodles only, sometimes I only use half of the block for a one person serving)

Directions:

• Add all the ingredients through the tsp of siracha sauce into a small pot and bring to a boil.
• Lower the heat a bit and poach your egg. (I found this helps on the time this dish takes and also the egg is seasoned with the broth, but it usually takes on the chili oil coloring)
• After the egg is poached remove it, bring broth back up to a boil and then add the mushrooms and whites of the bok choy. Let cook for 1-2 minutes then add the noodles.
• At the same time, in a small pan, heat 1 Tbsp EVOO, when hot, add steak and sear for 1 1/2 minute per side. Remove and let rest.
• Add the noodle and mushroom mix to a big ole ramen bowl (if you have one). Let steep for another 1-2 minutes. This will continue cooking the noodles until desired doneness.
• First, slice the steak then add it and the rest of the toppings: crab, greens of the green onion, jalapeno, greens of the bok choy, asparagus, kimchi and poached egg.

So since the steak is just seared on the outside, it's pretty rare, but after adding it to the hot broth and swirling it around, it cooks a bit more. It is seriously delicious, plus the poached egg! OMG, seriously... If I haven't already said it... this is now my new favorite ramen!

Chicken Burrito Bowls

Well I'm sure no one is surprised with another Mexican dish :p This is an easy sub for Chipotle or Qdoba's burrito bowls... or at least in my mind it is. These were HUGE portions but still only topped out at 675 calories per serving. Also, I cooked the chicken in the crock pot and cooked it while I was gone for the day, but you could just cook two chicken breasts or pick of a pre-cooked chicken.

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken (I only used part of the breast meat for the dish and will use the rest for another dinner)
• Chili Powder
• Pepper
• Lowry's seasoning
• Cayenne pepper
• 2 medium onions, roughly chopped
• 2 cups baby carrots 
• 2 cups lettuce
• 1/4 cup red onion
• 4 Tbsp light sour cream
• 4 Tbsp salsa (we used Renfro's habanero)
• 1 medium avocado (cubed)
• 1 package Organic Basmati 90 Second Rice, divided by 2
• Juice of 1/2 lime, divided by 2
• 1/4 cup cilantro, divided by 2
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed, divided by 2
• 1 medium tomato, diced

Directions:

• If you choose to do the crockpot option, you'll want to add the onions and baby carrots to the bottom of a crock pot. Season the whole chicken with the chili powder, pepper, lowry's and cayenne. Place the chicken on top of the veggies and then cook on low for 8 hours.
• Heat the black beans, I did so by microwaving for 2 minutes. Then cook the 90 second rice.
• Squeeze the lime juice evenly between the two bowls, add the cooked rice and then add the cilantro to each bowl and mix.
• Next add the beans then the chicken and the rest of the toppings.

Now enjoy :)

Shredded Beef and Crab Ramen

 

 

Well as you all know, I've become a bit obsessed with ramen... aka... I ate it for brunch Saturday and Sunday this weekend. It's just so good!

 

This one I came up with because we had our shredded beef enchilada stacks and I had leftover beef that I didn't want to go to waste.

 

I've noticed the more and more I make ramen, the easier and easier it gets :)

 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 tsp dashi seasoning (found at most Asian markets, but sometimes at the local store)
• 1 Tbsp Chili garlic
• 1 Tbsp Sesame chili oil
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp Sriracha sauce, plus some for drizzling
• 1/4 cup leftover shredded beef
• 1/4 cup fake crab
• 1 cup baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup corn (I had some roasted corn leftover, but frozen would be fine too)
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 1/4 cup nori (dried seaweed), sliced
• 1 egg
• 1 package ramen noodles (noodles only, sometimes I only use half of the block for a one person serving)

Directions:

• Add all the ingredients through the tsp of siracha sauce into a small pot and bring to a boil.
• Lower the heat a bit and poach your egg. (I found this helps on the time this dish takes and also the egg is seasoned with the broth, but it usually takes on the chili oil coloring)
• After the egg is poached remove it, bring broth back up to a boil and then add the mushrooms and whites of the green onion. Let cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Add your noodles and corn and let cook for another minute.
• Add the mix to a big ole ramen bowl (if you have one). Let steep for another 1-2 minutes. This will continue cooking the noodles until desired doneness.
• Now add the toppings - beef, crab, greens of the green onion, nori slices and poached egg. Top with a bit more sriracha if desired.

Now slurp away!

Shredded Beef Enchilada Stacks with Avocado Pico de Gallo and Mexican Rice

 

I had my dad over last night for dinner and while he is a devout old Polish man, he sure loves his Mexican food... maybe that's where I got it from?

 

I decided to do a variation of my chicken enchilada stack recipe with my shredded beef taco recipe and I think the Frankenstein of a dish came out perfectly :)  This makes about 6 good sized servings.

 

Ingredients:

• 2lb Chuck Eye Roast - Boneless
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 can chipotle sauce
• 1 large can enchilada sauce (I would have made my own but I was being lazy)
• 2 Tbsp Chili powder
• 1 Tbsp Cayenne
• 1 Tbsp Cumin
• 15 white corn tortillas
• 1 8oz package shredded Mexican blend cheese
• 1 medium avocado
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 large tomato, seeded and diced
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 1/4 c cilantro, chopped
• 1 small lime, juiced
• 1 can rotel tomatoes
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2 Tbsp EVOO
• 2 cups Long grain rice (I used Jasmine)

Directions:

• Place the onion, chipotle sauce and 1/3 of the enchilada sauce into a crock pot. Cut the beef into 2 inch pieces and add then cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. After remove the beef, shred in a bowl and add the chili powder, cayenne and cumin. Mix to incorporate. Then add about 1 to 2 cups of the reserved liquid from the crock pot into the bowl of beef.
• Pre - heat the oven to 375 degrees.
• In a small dutch oven, add the EVOO over medium high heat until heated. Add the rice and cook without letting it burn for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the rotel tomatoes, chicken broth and tomato paste, mix until the tomato paste is no longer clumpy. Bring to a boil then turn off heat, cover and place in the oven for 40 minutes.
• In a shallow baking dish pour enough enchilada sauce to cover the bottom of the dish. In another disk pour the rest of the enchilada sauce so you can dip your tortillas.
• Dip your tortilla in the sauce then lay in the dish, layer with the shredded beef and then a bit of cheese, repeat three times ending with the fifth tortilla on the top. Do this three times to make three stacks.
• After all the stacks are complete take the remaining enchilada sauce from the dipping bowl and pour on top of each of the stacks, then top with more cheese.
• Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. (This is usually perfect timing that the rice has been in the oven for 20 minutes already and then you place these in for the last 20 so everything is done at the same time!)
• After 40 minutes, remove everything from the oven. Uncover the rice and fluff with a fork. Let rest for 5 minutes.
• While the food rests, put together the avocado pico de gallo. Add the lime juice, chopped cilantro, diced tomatoes and diced green onions to a bowl and mix. For the avocado, criss cross cut the avocado in the skins then scoop out in portions so  you are left with little cubes of avocado, don't mash it and just incorporate it with the tomato mixture.

To serve, we cut the stacks in half and served with the rice and then topped the enchilada stacks with Avocado Pico de Gallo, fresh sliced jalapenos and sour cream.

 

I'm pretty sure my dad liked it since he took all of our leftovers haha.

Bacon Jalapeno Deviled Eggs with Sriracha and Chives

 

Well we had a few people over to watch the Lions game yesterday... as disappointing as it was heh and I had a last minute craving for deviled eggs. I had remembered that I had some leftover bacon and a jalapeno that needed to be used... so why not throw it all together :p

 

Ingredients:

• 15 eggs
• 1 c Hellman's mayo - I used the EVOO one
• 1 jalapeno - seeded and minced
• 1/4 c bacon bits - I cheated and had some "real bacon bits" already in my fridge
• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• Sriracha sauce
• 1/4 c chives, chopped
• 1 tsp Baking soda

Directions:

• Place eggs in cold water and add baking soda. Bring to a boil. Let boil for 1 minute, then cover and remove from the heat. Let rest for 20-30 minutes.
• Peel eggs and then slice in half.
• In a small bowl add the mayo, jalapeno, bacon bits, Dijon mustard and 12 of the egg yolks.  Mash the yolks and mix everything until smooth.
• Now here's my big trick, put the entire mix in a Ziploc back and then cut a corner off. Use it as a piping bag to put the mixture in the eggs :)
• Top with a dot of sriracha on each egg with mix and then add the chopped chives.

Watch out, these are very addicting... in fact I may have to make more tonight!