Chinese-Russian Fusion

So, here I am, sitting at my desk and typing merrily away on my computer’s keyboard.  It is just going on 6:30am, and I have already experienced many joys of nature.  First and foremost is the backyard neighbor’s “elephant rooster” waking up the household at 5am.  I call it an “elephant rooster” as it trumpets like one from around 5am, sometimes even 4am, and continues throughout the day.  I do not understand rooster language, but obviously this one has much to inform the neighborhood about.

Letting out the dogs to do their morning absolutions, I prepare the food for the indoor pets, as well as the outdoor kitty family.  The kittens are already up, jumping and playing, while Mama Callie looks on with sleepy eyes.  Putting down their food dish, the kittens will not eat until I pick up each one, give kisses and a belly rub, which earns me some very loud purr action.

About an hour later, the coffee, vanilla caramel flavor this morning, is brewing and the food dishes are being washed up.  Gazing out the kitchen window, I am greeted by the lovely sight of a hummingbird at the water feeder.  It enjoys sipping at the sugar water (only natural cane sugar, no red food dye); its wings beating furiously, yet I can still make out the iridescent colors of its plumage.  Oh, now I have just shocked myself as I have spelled “iridescent” correctly, and not even had my first cup of coffee as yet.

While the temperature outside is still cool, a slight breeze swaying the tree branches, I know it will be another hot, dry day.  After experiencing such joy from nature this morning, I remember the fires burning in our forests, and my heart aches.  The trees, plant life, the wild life; spring saw the birthing of animal babies; were their parents able to get them away in time?  Whether by nature’s own doing (lightning), or the sheer stupidity of man (abandoned camp fire), fire destroys, and the loss is heart breaking.

…and now to thoughts on food.

Pepper steak, a stir-fried Chinese American dish consisting of sliced beef steak cooked with sliced green and/or red bell peppers plus seasonings of soy sauce and ginger.  Sliced onions area common addition; bean sprouts for a little more texture.  The dish originated from Fujian cuisine, where it was known as qingjiao ròusi, the meat of choice being pork.  A similar dish, called chin-jao rosu is found in Japanese Chinese cuisine.  As Chinese restaurants began to expand throughout the United States, around 1948, diners were introduced to pepper steak.  However, due to religious, or health, reasons, many could, or would, not eat pork, and beef is definitely all-American.

While researching the origin, I came upon a definition of pepper steak which simply is, “strips of steak sautéed with green peppers and onions”.  However, a second definition gives this dish a French twist, “steak covered with crushed peppercorns, pan-broiled, and served with brandy-and-butter sauce”.  This refers more to Steak au Poivre.  In 1961, Julia Child introduced this recipe to America when it was published in the New York Times.  It is featured in her cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and now it is bragging time.  She actually put out two books, Part 1 and Part 2, and I happily found a first edition of each at an antique shop, of all places.  In 2002, food blogger, Julie Powell challenged herself to cook, daily for an entire one year, a recipe from these Julie Child cookbooks.  The movie, Julie and Julia depicts the adventure, and while a well done movie, there is no way I personally would ever take up a challenge like this.

However, I do challenge myself to come up with new ways of cooking up an “old” recipe.  Did you ever get in the mood for a dish, but wanted another one as well?  Do you cook up both, pick just one, or do something unique like combining?  Well I ended up combining ingredients that would fit pepper steak, but also Russian stroganoff; and all due to not having any fresh, or canned, mushrooms!  Basically I fused a Chinese dish, pepper steak, with a Russian one, stroganoff, and came up with…oh, the smell, the taste, it was all intoxicating!

I have written up stroganoff before, but as a reminder, credit for the recipe has been given to three people. The history behind this dish is vague: #1 – 1850s created by a chef for Count Grigory Stroganov who had rotten teeth and needed the meat to be very soft.  #2 – 1891 created by French Chef Briere for Count Pavel Alexandrovich Stroganov; using shallots.  #3 – 1871 Elena Molokhovets writes a cookbook for young housewives; her recipe uses mushrooms, onions, bouillon, allspice and mustard.

My recipe calls for the dish to be cooked in a crock pot for eight hours; the beef becoming so tender, it simply melts in the mouth.  So now, I present to you, Pepper Steak Stroganoff.

 

Pepper Steak Stroganoff

 Ingredients:

2 lbs. lean beef roast, cut into one inch cubes

3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp. each red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce

1 cup each green and red bell peppers, cut into half inch slices

1 large red onion, cut into half inch slices

2 cups beef stock

½ tsp. ground black pepper

2 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 lb. wide egg noodles

4 Tbsp. butter

12 oz. sour cream

Preparation:

Spray 4-quart crock pot with nonstick cooking spray.  Add in beef, sprinkle flour over cubes, vinegar, Worcestershire, bell peppers, onions; in that order.  Mix together stock, black pepper and garlic; pour over all in the pot.  Cover, set on low, and cook for 8 hours.

At the 7 hour mark, cook the egg noodles according to package directions, drain, and place in bowl; gently mix in butter until melted and noodles coated.  At the 8 hour mark, add sour cream to crock pot, mix well, and serve over egg noodles.

Makes 8 servings.

Mary Cokenour

 

 

 

Escaping Persecution Creates a Melting Pot of Foods.

Heads up, this will not be about the Mormons and their travels to Utah in 1847.  No, I am going ahead in time to 1914 with the establishment of “Russian Settlement”.  It is not known if the settlers there had another name of this now ghost town in the Park Valley area of Box Elder County.  By 1917, the residents had moved to either California, or towards Salt Lake City; continual crop failures, children sent to outside schools, supplies not shipped in as promised broke them.  The only remnant that the town ever existed is a little white fence built around two gravesites, Anna Kalpakoff, who was accidentally shot by her husband, and her sister-in-law, Mary Kalpakoff, who died during childbirth. 

These settlers were Molokans, a Russian Protestant-like Christian sect; this particular group belonging to a sub-sect called the “Jumpers and Leapers”.  These believed they were visited by a manifestation of the Holy Spirit, held revivals with intense zeal, reporting miracles that rivaled the stories from Christ's apostles.  Molokans were also pacifists; they refused to bear arms, or join with any of Russia’s military forces.  Life in Russia became exceptionally difficult, for any religious sect, after the publishing of Karl Marx’s “Communist Manifesto” (1848); with Lenin finally overthrowing the Emperor and his court in 1918.

As with any other persecuted religious groups (Amish, Mennonite, Puritans, Quakers, Mormons), moving elsewhere to find freedom was a very good idea.  As with any immigrants that came to the United States, they brought with them culinary goods they could carry and recipe books.  America is called “The Melting Pot”, a gigantic living, breathing, working version of the child’s book, Stone Soup.  Picture this, the country is the cooking pot being filled with ingredients from every ethnic, religious, racial populace that has settled its lands.  Our language which we call English, is a variation of Olde English, Spanish, French, German, Latin and a few others thrown in as seasonings.  While we are all American, sometimes we tend to forget where our ancestors truly came from; we have forgotten, or not bothered to learn ancestral histories.  We also tend to forget that our ancestors were not that welcomed by residents already well-established here; they had to fight for their, and your, rights.

There is your mental meal to chew upon, now something to prepare for dinner to make your stomachs happy.  Since I have brought up Russia, a popular meal prepared with either beef cubes, strips or ground is “Beef Stroganoff”.  The history behind this dish is vague: #1 – 1850s created by a chef for Count Grigory Stroganov who had rotten teeth and needed the meat to be very soft.  #2 – 1891 created by French Chef Briere for Count Pavel Alexandrovich Stroganov; using shallots.  #3 – 1871 Elena Molokhovets writes a cookbook for young housewives; her recipe uses mushrooms, onions, bouillon, allspice and mustard.  None of the recipes include the use of egg noodles, rice or ground beef; those are strictly American inclusions along with the invention of cream of mushroom soup and crock pots.

Personally I have made many versions of Beef Stroganoff using lean meat or ground beef; in a skillet or crock pot; sauce made of sour cream or cream of mushroom soup.  To avoid any disappointments, always make sure to drain any excess oil after browning the beef; who enjoys a slimy sauce really?  When using beef cubes or strips in a skillet, tenderize the meat overnight with a drizzle of red wine vinegar; breaks up the fibers and even Count Grigory’s teeth would   appreciate it.  Ground beef (90% or higher lean) is the quickest to brown in a skillet and this is the recipe I will now share.  Enjoy!

 

Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients:

 

1 package (12 oz.) extra wide egg noodles.

1 lb. lean ground beef (90% or higher)

1 medium onion, diced

1 package (8 oz.) mushrooms, chopped

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. ground black pepper

3 Tbsp. beef stock

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce

1 container (16 oz.) sour cream

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preparation:

Prepare noodles according to package instructions; begin browning meat, medium-high heat, in 12 inch, deep skillet.  When meat is partially browned, add onions and continue to brown until no pink shows in meat; drain any excess oil.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add mushrooms, garlic, black pepper, beef stock and Worcestershire; mix and let cook for 5 minutes.  Add cooked egg noodles and sour cream; mix thoroughly; remove from heat and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bonus Recipe:  Beef Stroganoff for Crock Pot

Ingredients:

3 ½ - 4 lbs. lean beef, cut into ½” cubes

½ cup flour

½ cup olive oil

1 bag (12 oz.) frozen, diced onions

1 can or jar (8 oz.) of sliced mushrooms

2 Tbsp. minced garlic

2 tsp. ground black pepper

3 beef seasoning packets or bouillon cubes

2 cups water

1 can (10 ¾ oz.) cream of mushroom soup

1 cup sour cream

1 ½ lbs cooked, broad egg noodles

 Preparation:

Mix beef cubes and flour together; heat oil in large skillet, medium-high heat, and brown all sides of cubes; drain excess oil

Set 6 quart crock pot on low, place in all ingredients, except sour cream and egg noodles. Cover, cook for 8 hours, stir in sour cream.   Let cook for 15 minutes; serve over egg noodles.

Makes 8 servings.

 

Mary Cokenour

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I Want Stew, He Wants Stroganoff; Compromise.

There are times you want to prepare a particular meal, but what do you do; you ask someone what would they like. Chances are they are going to tell you what they want, and it will not be what you were craving. Again, what do you do; the answer is (a) ignore them, (b) make what they want, (c) come up with a compromise. So it was with a top round roast, my desire for beef stew, but my husband's desire for beef stroganoff. Now if you think about it, a stew and a stroganoff are pretty similar in nature; the differences are more origination of the recipe and the cooking liquids.

With cooking techniques, beef stew can be created in the Oven, on the stove top, or in a Slow Cooker. It's pretty much the same for Beef Stroganoff. They have many of the same ingredients, so creating a compromise recipe of the two isn't a difficult task.  Two worries; how would it taste and how can I make it so it will freeze well?  The first question wouldn't be answered until I actually finished the dish.  The second question was answered by not using any pure dairy items such as milk or sour cream.  By using cream of mushroom soup and mixing it with red wine, instead of milk, I created a cooking medium that would freeze without separating or breaking on reheating.

Cooking time is between 6 to 7 hours with my Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker.  At 6 hours, while the potatoes were at the just beginning to get tender stage; the meat was still chewy.  At 7 hours, however, the potatoes were melt in the mouth as was the beef; the onions were supple and the peas did not become mushy.  The scent wafting throughout the house during the cooking process was enough to drive one's taste buds mad with wanting.

Compromise can be a very tasty experience.

Beef Stew Stroganoff

Ingredients:

2 ½ lbs. top round roast; trimmed of fat, cut into 1 inch cubes

3 Tbsp flour
3 large russet potatoes; cut into 1 inch cubes, parboil
2 large onions, chopped
1 (8 oz) bag frozen peas
2 (10.5 oz) cans cream of mushroom soup
1 cup red wine
1 (4 oz) can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 tsp ground black pepper

Preparation:

Set a 6 quart slow cooker (crock pot) on low; spray interior with nonstick spray.  Mix the beef cubes with the flour; place inside the cooker.   Layer the potatoes on top of the beef; spread the onions and peas next.  In a medium bowl, mix together the soup, wine, mushrooms and black pepper; spread mixture evenly over top of all.

Cook for 6 to 7 hours, until beef and potatoes are tender.

Makes 10 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Treasures on my shelf and I didn't even know.

This morning the dogs decided that mommy needed to get up at 6AM; sure, why not? Once I'm up, that's it, I'm up; so got busy getting laundry into the washer, feeding the indoor and outdoor pets (however one of the kittens is missing, and I'm a bit upset over that, and then tackled the cooking. By 8am I had my 2-6 qt crock pots going, one containing Beef Stroganoff, the other Chicken Cacciatore. Yes, yes, I'll post the recipes, just hold your horses cause I'm not done telling you about my morning.

Anyway, I decide to take a break, so turn on the boob tube (that means television)to see if anything interesting was on. The movie, "Julie and Julia" which had inspired me to start this blog was on; really like the movie, so figured I'd watch it again. By now Roy was up, and decided to watch it with me. I wanted him to understand the book references, so went to my cookbook collection and pulled out my copies of "Joy of Cooking", and Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking", volumes 1 and 2.

How I purchased these books was by antiquing; every year, on Black Friday (day after Thanksgiving), my mom and I would go to Hershey, Pennsylvania and browse the various antique shops. A 1943 "Joy of Cooking" - $1.50; both volumes of Julia's books - $8 each; and then I checked the print date on them. Stunned silence, and that doesn't happen often to me; volume 1 was the 2nd reprint from November 1961; volume 2 is a first edition (says it right inside the book) from 1970. Gold, I had golden books in my collection, and didn't know until now.

That's my thrill for today, and don't believe anything will top that; well, except if the missing kitten(named Peanut)returns. So, here are the two recipes I promised to post; revamped for the crock pot.

Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients:

4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved lengthwise
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
½ cup white wine
2 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes with Italian herbs
1 (12 oz) can tomato paste
3 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. hot pepper flakes
1 and ½ cups each of red bell and Italian frying peppers, cut into 1 inch strips
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 large onion, diced
Cooked rice or pasta

Preparation:

Set a 6-qt slow cooker on low, place chicken breasts on bottom. In a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, except for the cooked rice or pasta; mix thoroughly. Spoon mixture over chicken, replace lid and let cook for 6-8 hours; chicken will be fork tender. Mix occasionally; making sure the chicken gets incorporated into the sauce-vegetable mixture.

Serve over the cooked rice or pasta.

Makes 8-10 servings.

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Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients:

3 ½ - 4 lbs. lean beef, cut into ½” cubes
½ cup flour
1-12 oz bag frozen, diced onions
1-8 oz can or jar of sliced mushrooms
2 Tbsp minced garlic
3 beef seasoning packets or bouillon cubes
2 cups water
1-10 ¾ oz can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream
1 ½ lbs cooked, broad egg noodles

Preparation:

Set crock pot on low, and place in all ingredients except the soup, sour cream and egg noodles. Cover and cook for 3 hours; stirring occasionally. Add the soup and cook for 4-5 additional hours; until meat is very tender. Stir in sour cream; let cook for 10 minutes; serve over egg noodles.

Makes 8 servings.

Mary Cokenour