Beef with Broccoli

This started off with a recipie but diverged so much I feel I can take credit. It's a narrative with a lot of photos to be sure to read to the bottom for all the ingredients for the sauce.

take 1 lb steak (I use round steak because it's cheapest) and slice it thinly.
Coat the meat with a thin coating of flour (optional, not sure I'd repeat this again) and
allow to marinate in:

1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp tomato powder/tomato paste
1/2 tsp ground dried habenero peppers (to taste)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbs white wine.

Now prepare the vegetables!

You will need
1 lb froze broccoli florets
1 medium onion, diced
8oz mushrooms, sliced (hint - try slicing with an egg slicer!)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1. heat some oil in a wok and fry the onions over medium low heat until just golden. Remove and put them back in their bowl.
now, fry the mushrooms on medium until golden brown and put them back in their bowl.
While you're waiting for the mushrooms cover the frozen broccoli with saran wrap and microwave it for several minutes until the broccoli is warm and steamed.

After you've put the mushrooms back in their bowl, add the chopped garlic to the pan
And then the marinated beef and cook until the beef is done.
Now add back the rest of the vegetables, including the broccoli.
Allow the veggies to cook until warm and then coat with the special sauce made by combining

3 tbs oyster sauce
2 Tbs white wine
1 tsp Worchestershire sauce
2 Tbs OJ

Toss to coat and heat through and you're done! Grab your rice from the oven*, and get ready to eat!

* I think i taught you how to make rice in the oven before: It's really much easier than you think.
preheat oven to 375. Place 1.5 cups brown rice in the bottom of a 9x9 glass baking dish. add 1/2 tsp salt and 2 tbs butter, cut into pieces. Pour 2 1/3 cups boiling water over the top and cover tightly with foil. bake 1 hour. Done perfect everytime (recipe courtesy of America's Test Kitchen)

buckwheat buttermilk pancakes

This is from 'Whole grain Baking" courtesy of King Arthur Flour and my local library. Buckwheat is gluten free and while the flour didn't look yellow, the pancakes sure did.

1 cup buckwheat flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbs sugar

2 cups buttermilk
1 egg
2 tbs oil

1. whisk together the dry ingrediants in a small bowl.

2. Add the wet and mix well. Be sure to use a larger bowl as it will bubble up and almost over the bowl!
Cook over medium heat in a well greased skillet. Flip, marvel and the fluff, and serve hot with maple syrup.

The way life, and beef stew, should be

I am finally settled enough in Maine to post something, and no sorry, it's not lobster (yet). It is an impressive feat, but I have managed to make a beef stew I like. Like the other good beef recipes it's from the Pioneer Woman. I'll copy the full version here, with, of course, a few edits and commentary.

* 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
* 1 Tablespoon Butter (oops, out of it, skipped)
* 2 pounds Stew Meat
* 1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
* 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
* 1 can Beer, 12 Ounce Can (I used a bottle of Amber lying around)
* 4 cups Beef Stock (3 cans beef broth)
* 2 cups Water (additional, If Needed) (NOT NEEDED!)
* 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
* 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
* ½ teaspoons Paprika (umm, a bit generous on this)
* ½ teaspoons Kosher Salt (omit if you forgot to buy low sodium broth)
* Freshly Ground Black Pepper
* 1-½ teaspoon Sugar
* 4 whole Carrots, Washed, Unpeeled, And Roughly Sliced
* 4 whole New Potatoes, Quartered
* Minced Parsley (optional) (yea.... I skipped this)

Preparation Instructions

Heat oil and butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Brown meat in two batches, setting aside on a plate when brown. Cut pieces in half. Set aside. (wow, did all that!)

Add diced onions to the pot. Stir and cook for two or three minutes until softened, then add garlic for another minute. Pour in beer and beef stock, then add Worcestershire, tomato paste, paprika, salt, pepper, and sugar. Add beef back into the pot. Stir to combine. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. (I actually used the stove but this is begging for a crock pot if you have 6 hours)

*UPDATE: The liquid should cook down to a thicker state. If it gets too thick/reduces too much, add additional water as needed.

** Margaret update - the liquid was no where near cooking down after 1.5 hours of aerobics+shower, so I left the lid off for another hour and then proceeded

Add carrots and potatoes, then cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes. (If stew gets dry, just add a cup of hot water at a time to replenish the liquid.) Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

MARGARET TIPS - make a roux with 2 tbs butter and 1/4 cup flour browned, and then add stew juice mixing constantly, then pour this back into the stew for a thicker, more gravy like sauce.