Korean Beef Rice Bowl

Top rice with stir-fried beef and vegetables for a quick, Asian-inspired supper that's delicious and satisfying. If you can't find toasted sesame seed, stir regular sesame seed in a frying pan over low heat until golden, 1 minute.

Yield:

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1. 1 pound fat-trimmed beef flank steak
2. Korean marinade
3. 3/4 pound green beans, rinsed
4. 1 carrot (1/4 lb.), peeled
5. 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
6. 1 tablespoon Asian (toasted) sesame oil
7. 2 teaspoons sugar
8. Salt
9. 1 tablespoon salad oil
10. 1/2 cup fat-skimmed beef broth
11. 6 cups hot cooked rice
12. 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
13. 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seed

Directions

1. Rinse beef, pat dry, and cut across the grain into 1/8-inch-thick slices about 3 inches long. In a small bowl, mix beef with 1/4 cup Korean marinade.
2. Remove and discard bean stem ends and strings. Cut beans diagonally in 3-inch lengths. Cut carrot into matchstick-size pieces about 3 inches long.
3. In a 14-inch wok or 12-inch frying pan over high heat, mix 1/2 cup water, beans, and carrot. Cover and stir occasionally just until tender to bite, about 3 minutes. Drain; immerse in cold water. Drain when cool. In a bowl, mix with vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, and salt to taste.
4. Place wok over high heat; when hot, add salad oil. Add beef with liquid in bowl; stir until meat is no longer pink, about 2 minutes. Add remaining marinade and broth to pan; stir until boiling.
5. Scoop rice into bowls; add beef and sauce, then vegetables and seasonings. Sprinkle with onions and sesame seed.

Notes

Pad Thai with Tofu

Pad Thai is a dish of stir-fried rice noodles with eggs, fish sauce, tamarind juice, red chilli pepper, plus any combination of bean sprouts, shrimp, chicken, or tofu, garnished with crushed peanuts and coriander. Though the dish had been known in various forms for centuries – it is thought to have been brought to the ancient Thai capital of Ayuthaya by Vietnamese traders – it was first made popular as a national dish by Luang Phibunsongkhram when he was prime minister during the 1930s and 1940s, partly as an element of his campaign for Thai nationalism and centralization, and partly for a campaign to reduce rice consumption in Thailand.

Yield:

5 servings (serving size: 2 cups)

Ingredients

1. For the sauce:
2. ===================
3. 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
4. 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
5. 1 to 2 tablespoons hot sauce
6. 1 tablespoon mirin (sweet rice wine)
7. 1 tablespoon maple syrup
8. .
9. For the noodles:
10. ===================
11. 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
12. 2 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps (about 5 ounces)
13. 1 cup grated carrot
14. 1 garlic clove, minced
15. 8 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
16. 1 cup light coconut milk
17. 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
18. 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
19. 1 cup (1-inch) sliced green onion tops
20. 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
21. 1/3 cup dry-roasted peanuts
22. 8 ounces uncooked wide rice stick noodles (Banh Pho), cooked and drained
23. 5 lime wedges

Directions

1. To prepare sauce, combine first 5 ingredients, stirring with a whisk.
2. To prepare noodles, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, carrot, and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add sauce and tofu; cook 1 minute. Stir in coconut milk; cook 2 minutes. Stir in lettuce and next 5 ingredients (lettuce through noodles); cook 1 minute. Serve with lime wedges.

Notes

Steak, Shiitake, and Bok Choy Stir-Fry

Choose quick-cooking flank steaks for a speedy dinner packed with flavors from the Orient. Asian ingredients such as toasted sesame oil, shiitake mushrooms, and bok choy, combine to give this dish high-impact flavors.

Yield:

4 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups)

Ingredients

1. 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2. 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
3. 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
4. 4 teaspoons cornstarch, divided
5. 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
6. 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
7. 1 pound flank steak, trimmed and thinly sliced
8. 2 cups thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms (about 1/2 pound)
9. 1 cup thinly vertically sliced onion
10. 1 cup red bell pepper strips
11. 4 cups sliced bok choy (about 1 medium head)
12. 1 cup less-sodium beef broth

Directions

1. Combine ginger, garlic, soy sauce, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, oil, and crushed red pepper in a large zip-top bag; add steak to bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 20 minutes.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray, and add mushrooms, onion, and bell pepper to pan. Cook 3 minutes or until crisp-tender; transfer to a large bowl. Add bok choy to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until slightly wilted; add to bowl; keep warm.
3. Recoat pan with cooking spray. Add half of steak mixture to pan; cook 3 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a large bowl; keep warm. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add remaining steak mixture to pan; cook 3 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Add to bowl; keep warm.
4. Combine broth and remaining 2 teaspoons cornstarch, stirring with a whisk. Add to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute or until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Return steak and vegetables to pan; toss gently to coat.

Notes

Rice Noodles with Sesame-Ginger Flank Steak

You'll love this combination of flank steak, crisp vegetables and rice noodles coated in a fragrant Chinese-style sauce. To save time, look for pre-sliced vegetables in the produce section of your supermarket.

Yield:

6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups)

Ingredients

1. 1/3 cup rice vinegar
2. 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
3. 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
4. 2 teaspoons cornstarch
5. 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
6. 2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
7. 1/4 teaspoon salt
8. 3 garlic cloves, minced
9. 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil, divided
10. 1 (1-pound) flank steak, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch strips
11. 1 1/2 cups shredded carrot
12. 1 1/2 cups sugar snap peas, trimmed
13. 1 cup (1/4-inch) slices red bell pepper strips
14. 1/2 cup fresh bean sprouts
15. 4 cups hot cooked rice noodles (about 8 ounces uncooked noodles)
16. 1/2 cup chopped green onions
17. 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

Directions

1. Combine the first 8 ingredients, stirring until sugar dissolves.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan. Add half of steak; sauté 4 minutes or until browned. Remove steak from pan. Repeat procedure with remaining oil and steak. Add vinegar mixture, carrot, peas, bell pepper, and sprouts to pan; cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Return steak to pan. Add noodles; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Sprinkle with onions and sesame seeds.

Notes

Beef with Ginger

Chilling the beef in the freezer for 5 minutes makes it easier to cut into very thin slices.

Yield:

4 servings

Ingredients

1. 1 pound sirloin steak, chilled
2. 1/4 teaspoon salt
3. 1/2 teaspoon pepper
4. 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
5. 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
6. 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
7. 2 teaspoons lite soy sauce
8. 1/2 cup fat-free reduced-sodium beef broth
9. 2 teaspoons cornstarch
10. 6 green onions, cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
11. 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
12. 4 cups hot cooked long-grain rice

Directions

1. Cut steak diagonally across the grain into very thin slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Sauté ginger in hot oil a large nonstick skillet over high heat 2 minutes or until tan-colored. Add minced garlic, and sauté 30 seconds. Add beef; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in soy sauce.
3. Stir together beef broth and cornstarch until smooth. Drizzle over beef mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute or until thickened. Add green onions, and, if desired, crushed red pepper; cook 1 minute. Serve immediately over hot cooked rice.

Notes