Day Twenty-Two: Asian Stew

This is a labor of love for sure and probably not the most economical meal! However you can't beat this winning combination of Asian flavors! Splurge a little; try it on a special occasion.

Courtesy of Food and Wine

Short Rib Stew with Caramelized Kimchi

1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 small Asian pear, grated (1/4 cup)
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for serving
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
6 pounds English-cut beef short ribs (twelve 4-by-2-by-2-inch pieces)
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
1 large daikon, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 baking potatoes (1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 cups (12 ounces) chopped napa cabbage kimchi
4 radishes, thinly sliced
Steamed white or brown short-grain rice, for serving

1. In a bowl, whisk the soy sauce, garlic, ginger, pear, pepper, 2 sliced scallions and 2 tablespoons of the sesame oil. Add the ribs, turn to coat and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes or refrigerate overnight, stirring occasionally.

2. Heat the canola oil in a large Dutch oven or enameled cast-iron casserole. Lift half of the short ribs from the marinade, brushing off the solids, and sear over moderately high heat until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer the ribs to a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining ribs; reserve the marinade separately.

3. Add the onion and 2 tablespoons of water to the pot and cook, stirring to release the browned bits on the bottom, 2 minutes. Return the ribs and any accumulated juices to the pot. Add the reserved marinade, broth and 6 cups of water; bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over moderately low heat for 1 hour, skimming occasionally. Uncover and simmer for 1 hour longer, stirring and skimming occasionally.

4. Add the daikon, carrots and potatoes to the stew and sim­mer briskly until the meat is very tender, the vegetables are tender and the sauce is thickened, 30 minutes longer.

5. Meanwhile, in a medium nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil over moderately high heat. Add half of the kimchi and cook, turning occasionally, until golden and lightly caramelized. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining sesame oil and kimchi.

6. Serve the stew topped with the kimchi and radishes and garnished with sliced scallions. Serve with steamed rice.

Day Nine: Stuffed Peppers

Running with the theme of deconstructed stuffed vegetables I found a recipe for stuffed pepper soup.

Stuffed Pepper Soup

1 pkg ready-to-serve long grain and wild rice

1 lb ground beef

2 cups green peppers, chopped

1 cup onion, chopped

1 jar chunky tomato pasta sauce

1 can Italian diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can beef broth

Prepare rice according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large pot, cook the beef, green peppers, and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the pasta sauce, tomatoes, broth, and prepared rice; simmer until heated through and flavor combine.

Day Eight: Country Cabbage Soup

Next to broccoli, cabbage is my favorite vegetable. I love it in slaw, on tacos, sautéed, boiled, and steamed. I wanted a new way to prepare it and found this recipe. Simple ingredients makes this a nice and easy weeknight soup. It reminds me of a deconstructed stuffed cabbage.

Country Cabbage Soup

2 lbs ground beef
2 cans (28 oz) cans stewed tomatoes
1 medium head cabbage, shredded
2 large onions, chopped
6 celery ribs, chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large saucepan, season and cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink;drain. Add the tomatoes, cabbage, onions, and celery and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in salt and pepper.

Korean Fusion in Little Five Points

As much as I enjoy being in the Little Five Points neighborhood of Atlanta, I don't know that I've ever eaten at one of its restaurants. A friend and I stopped into to OMG Taco on our way to East Atlanta Village. 

When I walked in the first thing I noticed was the artwork and decor. Street art adorned the walls and the counter was made to look like a food truck. I ordered bi bim bap. It is a signature Korean rice dish with sauteed veggies, marinated beef, and topped with an egg (raw or fried) and chili pepper sauce. The vegetables were crisp, not over cooked, the sauce was delicious and the beef was tender. I will go again to try the tacos. 

Vegetable Stuffing

Sorry if you came across this post looking for a tasty holiday treat. Honestly, I don't like stuffing at all, I just liked the play on words. Anyway, as you are aware I am not from the "old country", but I love comfort food as much as the next girl. Every country, region, city, town, village, family has their own comfort foods. I bought a huge head of cabbage from HMart the other week and I wanted a different way to prepare it other than the usual steaming. So I decided on stuffed cabbage. Its a eastern European favorite that is made differently in different regions. You can stuffed it with lamb, beef, or pork and bake it in broth or a tomato sauce. Here's a recipe for the Polish version:

 Polish Stuffed Cabbage

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 whole head cabbage, about 4 pounds
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup beef stock
Sour cream for garnish (optional)

Preparation:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Remove core from cabbage. Place whole head in a large pot filled with boiling, salted water. Cover and cook 3 minutes, or until softened enough to pull off individual leaves. You will need about 18 leaves.

When leaves are cool enough to handle, use a paring knife to cut away the thick center stem from each leaf, without cutting all the way through.

Chop the remaining cabbage and place it in the bottom of a casserole dish or Dutch oven.

Saute the chopped onion in butter in a large frying pan until tender, and let it cool.

Mix cooled onions with beef, pork, rice, garlic, salt and black pepper until well combined. Don't overmix or the meat will become tough.

Place about 1/2 cup of meat on each cabbage leaf. Roll away from you to encase the meat. Flip the right side of the leaf to the middle, then flip the left side. You will have something that looks like an envelope. Once again, roll away from you to create a neat little roll.

Place the cabbage rolls on top of the chopped cabbage in the casserole dish or Dutch oven, seasoning each layer with salt and pepper. Pour beef stock over rolls, cover and place in oven. Bake for 1 hour or until cabbage is tender and meat is cooked.

Serve with pan juices and a drizzle of sour cream, or mix the pan juices with sour cream and ladle it over the cabbage rolls.

Cabbage rolls freeze well before or after cooking, and can be made in a slow cooker (see your manufacturer's instructions).