CU Independent » Recipes

Bakin’ With Bacon: Chocolate fudge bacon cupcakes

Claudia Rebora — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 08:18:41 +0000

Bacon and chocolate go together like pancakes and peanut butter, which is delicious if you have never tried it. Due to this lovely pairing, whenever I see something with chocolate I tend to imagine what it would be like with bacon.

The recipe is a sheet cake recipe, but I wanted to be able to mess around with the bacon throughout the recipe so I went with the cupcake version.

Before you begin making the cake, bake the bacon in the oven for about 15 minutes or until crispy, then crumble it into pieces to be added to the cake mix and frosting later.

Chocolate fudge bacon cupcakes. (CU Independent/Claudia Rebora)

Preheat the oven to 350ºF

Makes 24

Ingredients:
1 cup of water
1 cup of butter
1/4 cup of cocoa
2 cups of flour
2 cups of sugar
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 cup of sour cream
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla

1. Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a mixing bowl.
2. In a saucepan, combine the water, butter, and cocoa and bring it to a boil. Occasionally stir the ingredients in the saucepan to make sure that the flavors are mixed well.
3. After it reaches a boil, remove the saucepan from the heat and combine it with the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl.
4. Beat until smooth.
5. Add sour cream, eggs, and vanilla to the mixture and beat well.
6. Pour ingredients into a paper lined or greased cupcake pan (use butter or Pam).
7. Add a pinch of bacon to some of the cupcakes and mix with a spoon.
8. Bake for 25 minutes.

While the cupcakes are baking start making a fudge frosting.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of butter
1/4 cup of cocoa
6 tablespoons of milk
1 teaspoon of coffee crystals
1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon
16 oz. powdered sugar (or less depending on how much frosting you want to make)
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Combine the butter, cocoas, coffee crystals and milk in a saucepan.
2. Bring to boil and remove from heat.
3. Add the cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla, beating the frosting until it’s smooth and creamy.
4. Frost the ready cupcakes.
5. Sprinkle a pinch of bacon on the frosted cupcakes that do not have bacon inside.

Using my roommates and friends as my official testers, both types of cupcakes were tasted. The four of them who were around by the end of this really liked them, as I did. My roommate liked them better than the muffins, which I would agree with due to the flavors.

The two types of cupcakes gave different types of flavors. The cupcake with the bacon on the inside and fudge frosting on top had the slight taste of bacon, where as the cupcake with the bacon on the frosting had a stronger bacon chocolate taste. I asked the testers which one they liked better, but it turns out they were both good, and you can’t choose just one.

Bacon on the inside or bacon on top, either way you make these chocolate fudge cupcakes is a win. Now impress your friends with something tasty and simple, and enjoy these homemade cupcakes.

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Claudia Rebora at Claudia.rebora@colorado.edu.

]]>

Good spirits for the holiday season

Crystal Anderson — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 07:08:21 +0000

Thanksgiving is over, which means its officially time for hanging lights, furiously wrapping presents and enjoying the sweet treats that come with the holiday season.

To help make your weekends even more holiday-themed, the CU Independent has compiled a list of the best seasonal beers and DIY drinks we could find. Whether you’re throwing a white elephant party or just looking to unwind with a festive twist, these flavorful drinks are sure to fill you and your friends with some holiday cheer.

Seasonal Beers

1. Avery Brewery’s Old Jubilation: This locally-brewed beer is a reddish-brown English Old Ale with a warm hint of hops, hazelnut, and cocoa flavors. Reminiscent of a warm evening by the fire, this beer glides down your throat with ease. Pair Old Jubilation with any of your favorite meat dishes.

2. Jubelale: This winter brew from Deschutes Brewery is a dark amber porter-stout mix with a malty flavor and a balanced amount of hops. It is a fun warm mix of spice and fruit flavors. Slightly sweet, Jubelale goes well with cheese and meat platters.

3. New Belgium Snow Day: This combination of New Belgium’s Midnight Wheat, Styrian Goldings, Centennial and Cascade hops bring you a dark carmel tasting mahogany beer. It is an unexpected twist of a hops and sweet malt. If you’re looking for something slightly unusual, you might want to try Snow Day.

4. Samuel Adams Winter Lager: This lager is a sweet brew with strong hints of orange and ginger that will warm your insides. The orange zest, ginger and cinnamon spice up this beer in a festive way. If you have a tendency to lean toward sweeter beers, give Winter Lager a try.

5. Odell Brewing Company’s Isolation Ale: This beer is a cold refreshing drink that combines the sweetness of caramel and malt ales. It doesn’t taste very hoppy and is somewhat calming. It feels like a cold snowy day and the smell of fresh snow in the air, Isolation Ale is a perfect drink to try when staying in.

Top DIY Holiday Drinks

For those of who want an alternative to beer, there are many other winter drinks that are just as tasty and are made with a variety of ingredients.

An example of a hot toddy served in a Mason jar with tea added. (Courtesy of backtoherroots.com)

1. Hot Toddy

A hot toddy is like a tea alternative. The flavor is light, but has a bite from the lemon and a smokey flavor from good whiskey. Made with honey, it’s a warming drink that is as comforting as the end of a cold day.

1 oz. Whiskey

8 oz. Hot water

1 Lemon Wedge

2 tbsp honey (to taste)

Heat the water in either a kettle or the microwave. Once it is hot, pour it in a mug. Add the whiskey and honey. Squeeze the lemon wedge into the whiskey mixture and stir. Taste, if not sweet or strong enough, add more honey or whiskey. There is no right way to make a hot toddy; make it fit your preferences.

2. Hot Buttered Rum

This drink is rich and filling. Made with butter, dark rum and brown sugar, this drink is sure to warm you up in no time. Best enjoyed on a cold winter night with good friends.

To find instructions check out About.com’s recipe here:
Colleen Graham’s Hot Buttered Rum Recipe

For a different take on the same drink try this recipe from the Food Network:
Emeril Lagasse’s Hot Buttered Rum Cocktail

3. Mulled Wine / Cider

For a potentially non-alcoholic alternative, try adding mulling spices to your favorite fresh apple juice. These spices can be found pre-packaged at liquor stores and some supermarkets seasonally. Most mulling spices even have wine suggestions so the blend of spices like cinnamon, orange zest, and cloves, can be added to an alcoholic drink. These spices will give your drink of choice a cheery holiday flavor.

4. Pepped up Hot Chocolate

Though some of these drinks may seem fancy, there is an alternative for those who want a quick and easy warm up. A dash of peppermint schnapps is a good way to turn any hot cocoa into a minty marvel that tastes fancier than it actually is. I recommend using a milk based hot chocolate recipe. Water-based hot chocolate recipes can become too diluted when the schnapps is added.

Contact CU Independent Staff Writers Crystal Anderson and Ana Faria at Crystal.anderson@colorado.edu and Ana.faria@colorado.edu.

]]>

Four terrifyingly tasty Halloween treats

Alaina Ambrosio — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 06:54:46 +0000

Every good Halloween party needs a few spooky snacks to help set the mood. That’s why CUI has compiled four recipes, some found and some original, and adapted them to Boulder’s altitude for your Halloween bash!

Outside inspiration:

Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Chocolatey peanut butter cup goodness. (CU Independent/Alaina Ambrosio)

This is a vegan-friendly version of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. The chocolate and peanut butter in these cups is very prominent, so if you’re not a fan, do not attempt to make these goodies. For those of you brave enough to try them out, the recipe can be found on The Kind Life website.

Recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Spicy Cheddar Witch Fingers

For savory-inclined buffs, this recipe is sure to please. Spicy Cheddar Witch Fingers are a scary, altitude-friendly addition to any Halloween smorgasbord. If you’re interested in trying this cheesy snack, check out the recipe on Food and Wine Magazine’s website.

Recipe for Spicy Cheddar Witch Fingers

Treats of our own:

Katarzyna’s Pumpkin Cookies

Whoever has leftover pumpkin morsels from jack-o-lantern carving will be delighted to find this recipe. My great-great-grandma Katarzyna always made these cookies for my mother, whose birthday happens to be on Halloween. Since my mom always speaks fondly of these delicious treats, I decided to give them a try.

Cooking time, start to finish: 45 minutes

Makes about 18 cookies.

Pumpkin Cookie Ingredients:

1 cup raisins (I used golden raisins)

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 ½ cups sugar (I used cane sugar)

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon grated ginger

250 grams canned pumpkin (about 1 cup)

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 pinch salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

Directions for Cookies:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Fit two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, mix the butter and sugar. Then add the egg, vanilla and grated ginger. Once combined, stir in the pumpkin.

3. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.

3. Fold the dry mixture into the pumpkin mixture. Once the mixture is uniformly combined, add the raisins.

4. With an ice cream scoop, place about six spoonfuls of the batter on each baking sheet. Bake for 16 minutes or until cookies are slightly golden around the edges.

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:

4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature

4 tablespoons (about half a stick) unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup sifted confectioner’s sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon non fat half-and-half creamer

Directions for Frosting:

While the cookies cool, prepare the frosting.

1. Combine the butter and cream cheese.

2. Mix in the sugar, vanilla, and cream.

3. Once the icing is lump-free and the pumpkin cookies are completely cooled, spread a thick layer of icing on each cookie. Enjoy!

La Tenerina d’Anna

This decadent chocolate cake hails from Ferrara, Italy, and is called La Tenerina, a name deriving from the Italian word for soft or tender “tenera.” During my year abroad in Italy, my Italian quasi-aunt, Anna, taught me how to make this sophisticated and delicious dessert. To add a Halloween twist, cut out a spooky design using parchment paper and cover the exposed areas of the cake with powdered sugar.

Cooking time, start to finish: 45 minutes

Makes 1 cake

Ingredients:

7 ounces good quality, dark chocolate (about 2 ½ bars)

14 tablespoons unsalted butter (almost 2 sticks)

1 cup sugar

3 eggs (separated, save both the egg whites and yolks)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a cake tin and sprinkle with a thin layer of sugar (whatever size you have in your kitchen works fine).

2. In a medium pot, boil some water. Dice the butter and chocolate and put in a medium bowl. Place this bowl on the surface of the boiling water, and mix the contents until melted.

3. Remove the bowl from the boiling water and leave to cool while you prepare the rest of the cake.

4. Combine the three egg yolks and sugar. Next, pour the flour into the chocolate mixture. Mix the sugar combination into the chocolate.

5. Beat the remaining egg whites until stiff peaks form. In order to reach peaks more quickly, add a pinch of salt before you begin mixing. If possible, use a hand mixer. When at the right consistency, fold the egg whites into the chocolate batter.

6. In your prepared cake tin, pour the chocolate mixture.

7. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 285 degrees and bake for another 15 minutes. The Tenerina is finished when it appears to be congealed. Let it cool and serve in bite sized squares. Enjoy!

If you have any recipes you would like to share for Thanksgiving, please contact:

CU Independent Staff Writer Alaina Ambrosio at Alaina.ambrosio@colorado.edu.

]]>

What’s for dinner?

Ana Faria — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 15:05:00 +0000

Lime Chicken Quesadillas

Just chicken, onions, peppers and lime pep up ordinary quesadillas and make dinner a cinch.

Ingredients:

1 Onion
1 Red bell pepper
2 Chicken thighs
2 stalks green onions
1 teaspoon.
Cayenne Pepper
1 teaspoon Pepper
1 teaspoon
Chili Powder
2 tablespoons
Lime Juice
Sharp Cheddar Cheese (shredded or grated)
Refried Beans
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt

A delicious quesadilla adorned with a lime wedge and black olive slices. (CU Independent/Ana Faria)

Tools:  Grill press (or something heavy and flat to press the quesadillas down)
2 frying pans
Knife
Cutting board
Bowl
Pastry brush

Begin by seasoning the chicken with salt, spices and limejuice. Let them sit for up to an hour. Once the chicken has time to sit in the seasonings, chop it into bite size pieces. Set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat in one of the frying pans. Slice the onions and the red bell pepper into bite size pieces and then add to the hot oil. Stir a few times and then add the chicken. Cook all these together for about eight minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. There should be no pink left inside of the chicken.

Chop the green onions into small pieces and add to the chicken mixture. Chop off the very tops and the rooted ends and throw those away. Stir. The green onions shouldn’t cook very much. They add a light flavor and a beautiful bit of color to the chicken.

Ground cumin (1 teaspoon) or whole cumin seed (1 teaspoon) added to the chicken can add more flavor to the chicken mixture while sliced jalapeno peppers and olives can help pep up the prepared quesadilla.

Heat the second frying pan over medium high heat. Using a small amount of the oil, brush the tortilla until a sheen of oil covers one side. Sprinkle with salt. Turn over and spread a thin covering of beans onto the tortilla. Place the tortilla in the frying pan oil side down. Sprinkle cheese over the beans and then add some of the chicken mixture on top of the cheese. Fold the quesadilla in half. Using the grill press, flatten for about two minutes. Flip the quesadilla and repeat. Place on a plate and serve.

Serve with sour cream and a lime wedge.

Although this recipe is simple, it easily pleases and makes a quick weeknight meal that will impress.

If making quesadillas for multiple people, prepare the quesadillas without folding like you would pizza and place another tortilla on top of the loaded one. Heat until the cheese is bubbly and flip to crisp both sides. To keep warm once the quesadilla is finished, place on a cookie sheet in a 325°F oven until ready to serve. When ready to serve, cut the quesadilla in half and then again into wedges.

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Ana Faria at Ana.faria@colorado.edu.

]]>

Success comes to those who tailgate

Kate Burr — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 04:15:00 +0000

The CU Buffs will take on the CSU Rams this weekend, which can only mean one thing: It’s finally time to tailgate.

(Courtesy: Ripboard.com)

Nobody wants to eat store bought food with no flavor, but tailgating seems like a lot of work. Preparing tailgating food however, is easier then you might think. There are many simple and easy snacks to make before leaving for this weekend’s college-rivalry showdown.

DIPS

With a beer in one hand and chips in the other, the last missing ingredient is dip. For the traditional potato chip, you need French onion dip. Not only tasty, French onion dip is one of the simplest dips to make. All you need is one 16 oz. container of sour cream, a half-cup of mayonnaise and one package of French onion soup mix. Mix everything together and you have yourself homemade onion dip.

If you are a corn chip lover, salsa and guacamole are great dips. They require more ingredients, but are just as easy to make.

Salsa

Instead of traditional salsa, it is nice to embrace the little amount of summer we have left and introduce mangoes into the mix. Mango salsa has that extra island flavor and goes well with the salt from the corn chips.

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped pitted peeled mango
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
2/3 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 teaspoons olive oil

Procedure:

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, season with salt and pepper and there you have it.

Guacamole

Not only does guacamole pair well with corn chips, but it is has bright and exotic flavors, similar to salsa. It even has that same quick preparation time that our stomachs love.

Ingredients:

3 ripe avocados
1 tomato
1/8 cup of finely diced onion
Salt  Pepper
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon or lime juice

Procedure:

Like the salsa, mix all the ingredients in a bowl, season with salt and pepper and your guacamole is complete. Don’t forget to save the pit and place in center of bowl. It keeps the guacamole fresh and stops it from turning brown.

DESSERT

With your dips completed, we can now move on to the best part. As college students, many of us don’t have grills to bring to the game. If you do, hotdogs and hamburgers should satisfy the needs of any tailgating college student.

For those who don’t, skipping right over to something sweet is a great alternative. A dessert that never fails to satisfy taste buds and lasts throughout the day is Puppy Chow. It requires only five ingredients and takes 10 minutes to make.

Puppy Chow

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1 cup peanut butter
2 cups powdered sugar
12 oz. chocolate chips
14 oz. Chex cereal

Directions:

1. Melt the butter, chocolate chips, and peanut butter together in a pan until smooth.
2. Pour the cereal into the mixture and mix it around so it coats the Chex
3. Put it all into a Ziploc bag, pour in the powdered sugar, seal tightly and shake until you can’t shake any more.

With these great recipes in hand, you will surely impress your friends and have a great morning of tailgating. Don’t forget to eat everything up. You will need your energy to cheer the Buffs to victory!

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Kate Burr at Kate.burr@colorado.edu

]]>

What’s for dinner?

Ana Faria — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 16:40:29 +0000

DIY: Homemade mac and cheese

It’s tempting to reach for that box in the cabinet that promises quick and cheesy pasta, but sometimes the boxed method of mac and cheese just doesn’t cut it. Instead, try thinking outside of the box with this yummy take on mac and cheese.

Ingredients:

Delicious mac 'n cheese. (CU Independent/Ana Faria)

1 pound penne pasta (Cavatappi works well too)
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
One-half onion diced
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon Parmesan Cheese
1 cup cheddar Cheese
One-half cup mozzarella cheese
1 small can evaporated milk
1 roll Ritz crackers
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste

Equipment:
Large pasta pot
Large sauce pan
Small bowl (for melting butter)
Colander
Whisk
Large Ziploc bag
13 x 9 inch baking dish

Butter the baking dish, set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

To begin, boil water in the large pasta pot. Once the water has come to a rolling boil add the penne and about 1 tablespoon of salt. This is the only chance to keep the pasta from getting bland. Cook for 8 – 9 minutes or until al dente. Strain. The pasta should not be mushy—it should have a bite to it—as it will go in the oven later. Pour the pasta into the buttered baking dish.

In the large Ziploc bag mash the crackers until they are crumbs. Add 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese. The simplest way to mix everything into the crackers is to add it into the bag, zip it up, and then shake it thoroughly.

While the pasta cooks, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in the large sauce pan over medium heat. Once melted, add the diced onion and cook until soft. Once the onion is soft, it will look slightly translucent. Add the flour and cayenne pepper, and then stir. The mixture should clump together. Add the can of evaporated milk along with the regular milk. Whisk. This will thin the mixture out.

Add the cheeses to the milk and onion mixture. Stir together while they melt. If the cheese gets rubbery, add some of the pasta water. The water will thin out the sauce, but the starches from the pasta should keep it from getting runny. The sauce will have a thick consistency but should be easily stirred. The consistency is akin to a cream soup. Salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the cheese mixture over the pasta in the baking dish, distributing evenly. Sprinkle the Ritz crackers over the pasta and bake for 20 minutes or until it is bubbly and the crackers are toasted.

Remove from the oven and enjoy!

If regular mac and cheese is too boring, add different things to mix it up. Add shredded meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken to make roasted-chicken mac. To do this, add 2 stalks of chopped celery to the onion and add the chicken when the pasta is transferred to the baking dish. Browned ground beef with taco seasoning can turn the meal into taco mac. Or try ham and chopped red pepper to create a brighter and heartier flavor.

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Ana Faria at Ana.faria@colorado.edu.

]]>

What’s for dinner? Asian turkey burgers

Kate Burr — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 04:59:53 +0000

After finishing a day of classes, a night of homework and worrying about exams, thinking about what to cook for dinner often gets put on the back shelf.

I know firsthand that the last thing you want to do after a long day of class is slave over the oven and cook dinner, but I propose to you a solution.

I am not going to introduce to you a recipe for chicken breasts on a George Foreman grill. I am, however, going to introduce to you something that is easy to make and is jam-packed with flavor.

I present to you Scallion Pancakes and Asian Turkey Burgers. Many people overlook turkey burgers because all too often they come out tasteless. But, by adding in a few Asian ingredients, the meat definitely kicks it up a notch. In this case, the scallion pancakes can act as a side for the burger or as a substitute for the bun, something I like to do.

Asian Turkey Burgers:

1 1/2 lbs ground turkey, 85 percent lean

1/2 cup Panko Bread Crumbs

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 scallions, finely chopped

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon minced ginger

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Procedure

1. Get in there and get dirty. Using your hands, mix together all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Scoop out about 1/3 lb of the mixture and form into a patty. Repeat with the remaining meat mixture until all of the meat is used.

2. If you have a grill then don’t be afraid to use it. Grilling 5 to 7 minutes per side should do the trick, but if using a stove-top, I like to brown each side of the burger and then finish it off in the oven. I recommend putting it in for 15 minutes at 350 degrees, or until cooked through.

Scallion Pancakes:

Delicious scallion pancakes! (CU Independent/Kate Burr)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup warm water

2 cups thinly sliced scallions

¼ cup sesame oil

Procedure

1. In a bowl, knead together the flour and the water until it forms dough. Knead the dough by doubling the dough over and pressing it down continuously until it is smooth and elastic. Drizzle some sesame oil over the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.

2. Cut the ball of dough into four equal parts and roll out each part individually. Brush the top of the dough with oil and sprinkle finely chopped scallions over the rolled out dough.

3. Roll up your dough so it forms a snake-like shape and then coil the dough up. Roll the coiled dough flat again creating a round pancake. This allows for the scallions to evenly mix throughout the dough.

4. After that, heat up some vegetable oil in a medium sauté pan. When heated up, place the pancake in the pan. Be careful not to burn yourself for it will most likely splatter. Cook the pancakes until browned on each side.

5. Cut the pancakes however you prefer and serve immediately.

With only three ingredients, these scallion pancakes are inexpensive to make and they taste great. They also go along extremely well with the Asian turkey burger. Try out these recipes to introduce new flavors to your kitchen in the simplest way.

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Kate Burr at Kate.burr@colorado.edu

]]>

Recipe of the week: Stir-fry

CUIndependent — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 02:24:58 +0000

(CU Independent/Ana Faria)

Tantalize your taste buds with this tasty steak and veggie stir-fry.

Serves three to four.

Ingredients:
1 head bok choy (Chinese cabbage)
Handful (about 1 cup) sunflower or bean sprouts (optional)
1 yellow onion
5 cloves garlic
1 flank steak
½ to 1 cup teriyaki sauce
3-4 carrots
3 stalks celery
½ can sliced water chestnuts (drained)
2 tbsp sesame oil
4 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
½ cup water
Plain white rice

Cookware: Vegetable peeler, Wok or large skillet, Cutting boards, Sharp knife, Sealable plastic bag, Wooden spoon, Measuring cup, Measuring spoons

This recipe is one that should be started at least two hours before, as the meat needs an hour minimum to marinate.

When choosing meat for this recipe, it is not essential that flank steak be used. Any reasonably priced, thin-cut steak works well for this recipe. When choosing meat, make sure that it has a bright-red color without excessive blood in the packaging or dark, bruise-like spots. If in doubt about a cut of meat, ask the grocery store’s butcher. Most are happy to help and can even offer cooking tips.

If steak is too expensive, two chicken breasts can be used instead. Chicken will be done when the juices run clear and the chicken has turned white in color.

Crush three cloves of fresh garlic. To do this, place the clove under the flat part of the knife and press down. The peel should crack and come off easily. Slice off both the ends from each clove and chop roughly.

Place the meat it in a plastic bag. Sprinkle garlic over the meat in the bag. Pour in ½-1 cup of the teriyaki sauce. If it is a smaller cut of steak, use less sauce; if larger add more. The intention is to cover the steak in sauce so that the flavor can be absorbed during the marinating time. Seal the bag and make sure the sauce covers the meat by squeezing and manipulating the bag.

Be aware of what the teriyaki sauce tastes like. Some brands are sweet with very little bite, while others tend to be salty. It is important to know what the chosen sauce tastes like so the salt taste is controlled. Adding too much soy sauce to an already salty dish can ruin it.

Place in refrigerator for two to 12 hours. The longer the meat marinates, the stronger and better the flavor will be. Just be sure you cook it before the ‘best before’ date on the meat’s packaging.

When the meat has marinated for at least two hours, take it out of the plastic bag and slice into bite-sized strips. Cutting the meat in advance will make cooking quick and simple.

At this time, prepare rice according to package directions. Due to the 20- to-30-minute cook time for rice, it is important that it begins to cook first.

Peel the carrots with a vegetable peeler and cut off the ends before cutting into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

Next, wash and chop the celery. Chop off the leafy end at the top of the celery and the wide, pale portion at the base. This should leave about six inches of celery stalk to work with. Slice the stalk lengthwise (top to bottom) and then chop into bite-sized pieces. Repeat with remaining celery and set aside.

To peel the onion, first cut off both the rooted end and the top portion. Next, run the knife’s edge across the first layer of onion perpendicular to the cut ends. This should release the first layer and let it peel off easily with the skin, leaving a perfectly peeled onion. Cut in half and chop both halves, making sure to separate any pieces that are stuck together. Set aside.

Wash the bok choy briefly under cold, running water. Using a sharp knife, chop the bundle of bok choy, starting at the leafy head and finishing where the stalks begin to turn white. Again, bite-sized pieces are preferred. The white, hard portion could be chopped and added to the stir-fry, but it takes much longer to cook than the leafy, green portion, which is also tastier. For this recipe, the white stalks should be discarded.

Crush, peel and chop 2 cloves of fresh garlic.

Now that the vegetables are chopped, it’s time to start cooking.

Place the wok on a burner over medium-high heat and add 1½ tbsp of sesame oil to the bottom of the pan. This is approximately three turns around the pan. Next, add one tbsp vegetable oil. This is approximately one quick turn around the pan. A turn around the pan is when the oil is poured from the bottle into the pan in a circular motion.

Add chopped fresh garlic. When the garlic begins to sizzle and pop, it is time to add meat.

Cook the meat for approximately eight minutes or until cooked thoroughly. Stir occasionally. Due to the wok’s shape, it is important to make sure the meat moves around the pan.

Do not be afraid to pull a piece out and cut it in half to determine if it’s thoroughly cooked. The meat is done when it’s turned a dark, grayish-brown color. Some pans will give the meat a nice golden sear on top of the brown color, which is simply the sugar from the teriyaki sauce caramelizing.

When the meat is finished, put it aside in a bowl and return the wok to the burner. Add one tbsp of sesame oil and two tbsp of vegetable oil. Add the chopped onions. Cook for approximately four minutes. Stir occasionally.

Since the pan was not cleaned between cooking the meat and the vegetables, the vegetables will pick up some traces of the meat leftovers from the pan. It is not a problem, as everything will come together in the end.

When the onions have begun to turn a pale, translucent color with gold on the edges, add both the celery and the carrots. Continue cooking and stirring for another four to five minutes. Add the bok choy, sunflower sprouts and a half-cup of water. Cook and stir until the bok choy wilts and the water steams off. The water is intended to help the bok choy cook down and wilt properly.

When the bok choy is wilted, add the sesame seeds, garlic powder and soy sauce. Stir.

If the teriyaki sauce used is very salty, reduce soy sauce to one tbsp.

Return the cooked meat to the vegetable mix. Add the drained water chestnuts. Stir.

To plate, simply spoon the cooked rice onto a plate and put the stir-fry on top.

If desired, half a cup of peanuts can be added at this point.

If a bit of class is desired, use a small bowl to mold the rice. First, rinse the bowl in cold water. Do not dry it. The wetness in the bowl prevents the rice from sticking. Pressing the rice down into a compact mass, fill the bowl until satisfied. Place the plate on top of the bowl and turn both the bowl and plate over. When correctly done, the bowl should lift off of the rice leaving a nice, compact shape on the plate.

Serve and enjoy. For a sweet and fun way to end this meal, purchase fortune cookies and distribute these among those served. As the meal finishes, read out the fortunes and enjoy the cookies.

This Asian-inspired meal is one designed to please. The effort comes from the prep, but has a relatively simple cooking method that anyone can accomplish.

Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Ana Faria at Ana.faria@colorado.edu.

]]>

Recipe of the week: Stir-fry

CUIndependent — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 11:00:25 +0000

(CU Independent/Ana Faria)

Tantalize your taste buds with this tasty steak and veggie stir-fry.

Serves three to four.

Cookware:
Vegetable peeler
Wok or large skillet
Cutting boards
Sharp knife
Sealable plastic bag
Wooden spoon
Measuring cup
Measuring spoons