Family Favorites - Pepper Steak

Tonight I made a meal that I've enjoyed for as long as I can remember. It's a family favorite, and a recipe passed down to me from my mom. When I was younger I wouldn't eat peppers (or tomatoes or onions), but thankfully my parents never catered to my taste buds; my brother and I had to eat whatever was cooked, whether we liked it or not. My mom and dad (who made our breakfast and lunch every day) refused to be short-order cooks. I am thankful that I wasn't allowed to be a picky child because now I'm not a picky adult. I enjoy eating different types of food and trying new things.

But don't be fooled; I totally picked all peppers, onions and tomato chunks out of my food.

I'm glad my taste buds have evolved, if not, I'd miss out on a lot of great flavors.

So I'm introducing you to one of our favorite family meals, and I'm going to try to make this a weekly feature. I've also got something new to debut this Wednesday, so stay tuned!


Pepper Steak
Recipe courtesy of Mom
1 large flank steak, cut into thin strips (it's easier to cut when partially frozen)
3/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup cooking sherry
2 shakes of ginger
4 teaspoons sugar
8 teaspoons cornstarch
2 green bell peppers, cut into bite-size pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into bite-size pieces
Rice

Combine soy sauce, sherry, ginger, sugar and cornstarch in a large, shallow pan (I use a 9x13 dish). Marinate steak in this for at least one hour (I usually let it marinate 4-8 hours, in the fridge).

Start rice so it can be ready when your meal is done.

Put meat and marinade in a large skillet and brown the meat. Once the meat is browned, turn down the heat, cover and cook until almost done, 20-25 minutes, adding hot water as necessary to maintain the sauce. Add peppers and cook until crisp-done.

Serve over rice.

Chop-chop salad

This salad is one of my favorite summer side dishes. It's easy, healthy, pretty and travels well to picnics and potlucks. It's the perfect accompaniment to your favorite grilled food, and if you omit the bacon, it's a vegetarian dish, too.


Chop-Chop Salad
Recipe from family friend Sue Chaney
1 head broccoli
1 head cauliflower
6 green onions
1/2 pound bacon (or bacon bits)

Dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable or corn oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Chop broccoli, cauliflower, onions and bacon into small pieces. Combine in a large bowl.
Toss with dressing just before serving.

Oven-Roasted Asparagus

I am always on the hunt for quick, easy, healthy side dishes. I always seem to make the same ones over and over again (roasted potatoes and steamed broccoli are my faithful standbys), but as much as we like them, sometimes you just need something different.

And that's where this recipe comes in. I usually only make it in the spring and summer. Something about asparagus just says "spring" to me. I have no idea if asparagus has a season or not, but I say it's spring!

Until I made and ate this asparagus, I had no idea that I liked it so much. This recipe is super easy, quick and delish. The asparagus gets nicely roasted but doesn't get soft - soft asparagus is a no-no in my book.

I hope you enjoy this as much as we do!

Oven-roasted asparagus
Recipe courtesy of Southern Living
3 pounds fresh asparagus*
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted*

Wash and dry asparagus. Snap off and discard tough ends; place asparagus on a lightly greased baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil; sprinkle with garlic, salt and pepper.
Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or to desired degree of tenderness. Transfer to a serving dish; sprinkle with almonds. Makes 8-10 servings.

*Patrick and I certainly can't eat 3 pounds of asparagus, so I usually buy just shy of 1 pound for the two of us. I eat quite a bit with dinner, and then we have a few left for leftovers. When using less than 3 lbs. I just reduce the rest of the ingredients as needed. For example, I made this the other night and used just under one pound of asparagus. I used a little less than a tablespoon of olive oil, one garlic clove, 1/4 tsp. salt and just a couple of shakes of pepper. I don't use almonds because I'm not a fan of nuts with my veggies, but if you like them, have at it!