Tuesday Catch Up

I thought I'd just post up some pictures of the meals we've had so far this week.

Crispy Sweet & Sour Tofu

Sunday:

I wasn't amazed by the flavor of the Crispy Sweet and Sour Tofu, but the cooking technique was great for me to get the feel for. It would be great for making some mock fried "chicken".

Gim-Bahp

Monday:

The Gim-Bahp needs work in my rolling technique. Okay, I just need to not fill them too much. This was really good for lunch the next day after being refrigerated. They held together much better too.

Crockpot Honey Lentil Stew

Tuesday:

Crockpot Honey Lentil Stew is one of our new comfort foods. We're also putting it into the bulk meal list we're creating.

I've also finished my final assignment for college, and I will be graduating with a 4.0 GPA. I've held all A grades the entire time I've been in school. I've been very lucky though to not have had to work full time, and I have no children. I had a lot of great support as well (family, friends, and great teachers). I'm extremely thankful for every opportunity I've had, and for every person in my life.

Maui Community College was a blessing of an educational experience. I would recommend the school to anyone, and I wish I could continue going to school. Maybe there will be some way I can in the future. I love the learning experience.

I put my name in the hat for the honor of being valedictorian, but I never heard anything back on that. Even though that isn't something that was realized for me, I am extremely proud of the grades I earned.

I look forward to my future.

Spicy Beef and Broccoli

Tonight we had spicy beef with broccoli. This is so much better than anything we could get at any fast food Chinese take-out. The original recipe is from glutenfreeda.com and uses shrimp and soba noodles. Here in Hawaii, 100% buckwheat soba noodles cost 8 dollars per package. So, I use rice instead.

I also used Maui Cattle Company stir fry beef. This is the only beef I will purchase for my home use, and when dining out. It is local, free range, and they are some seriously happy cows. I have been up close and I see them all of the time happily grazing in the pastures. If you're on Maui, or visiting Maui, I suggest this beef be your only choice as well. The slightly higher price is worth it because the meat is so very tender, and juicy. I've never had a bad cut of beef from this group of ranches. Even their stew beef is outrageously tender.

Along those same lines, Maui Cattle Company is now selling half lambs (25lbs). This comes out somewhere over $100, but may be worth your money if you love lamb and want to get pasture raised, happy lamb meat. You can purchase it at Pukalani Superette, but I'm not sure where else on the island right now. If you know, please post and I will update my information.

Now for the recipe, with my changes:

Spicy Beef and Broccoli

• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• 1 Tablespoon dry sherry
• ¾ teaspoon paprika
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed and minced
• ¼ cup gf Chinese chili sauce (Sriracha)
• 1 lb. beef, diced for stir fry
• 2 Tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1-½ cups broccoli florets
• 1 cup sugar snap peas
• Vegetable oil for stir-frying

Cook Rice.

Mix together the sherry, paprika, minced garlic, and chili sauce. Add to the mixture the beef and coat well. Marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Stir together the water, cornstarch, sugar and salt.

Heat the oil in a wok over medium high heat. Add the broccoli and sugar snap peas. Stir fry until bright green, and crisp tender. Add the beef; cook until the beef is done through. Add the cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil. Cook until the sauce thickens. Add the rice to the pan; mix the ingredients together until a uniform mixture is formed. Serve.

Notes:

Can be served with Soba noodles instead.