You can check out the original recipe via the link, but below is my version.  I know it looks simple and you think “ah stir-fry, must add lots of veggies.” I say keep it simple sweetheart (you know I wouldn’t call you stupid) and let the simplicity surprise you.

Enjoy!

Ginger-Lime Beef Stir Fry

3 cups of prepared steamed rice (we like brown rice)

2 medium red bell pepper (go for the ones with the deepest colors, not the biggest of the bunch)

1 tsp vegetable oil

1 ½ pound boned beef top sirloin, fat-trimmed

1/3 cup lime juice and an extra splash

¼ cup honey

¼ cup hoisin sauce*

1 Tbsp soy sauce

3 Tbsp grated fresh ginger**

½ tsp hot chile flakes

¼ cup minced fresh cilantro

1.  Cook your favorite rice as desired.  I have to put the rice step first because our rice steamer takes forever and if I don’t do it first, all is lost.  Let’s just say it’s happened.

2. Rinse, stem and seed red bell pepper.  Cut pepper into strips about ¼ inch wide and 2 inches long.

3. Rinse beef and pat dry. Cut across the grain into 1/16- to 1/8-inch thick slices; cut slices into bite-size pieces.

4. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the lime juice, honey, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, ginger and hot chile flakes.  Set aside for the flavors to mix.

5. Pour oil into a 10- to 12-inch non-stick frying pan or wok over high heat.  When oil is hot, add bell pepper and stir just until tender-crisp to bite, about 3 minutes.  Pour from pan into a large bowl.

6. Add beef to pan.  Stir just until medium rare (just a little pink in center of pieces…don’t worry, it will still cook some more).  With a slotted spoon, transfer to bowl with pepper.

7. To meat juices in pan, add ginger-lime sauce.  Boil over high heat, stirring often until mixture is thick and reduced to about a ½ cup, about 7 minutes.  Add beef and bell pepper to pan and stir until every portion is well-coated, about 2-3 minutes.

8. Spoon beef stir-fry onto plates with rice and sprinkle with cilantro.

* Hoisin is a staple sauce in my pantry. It can be found in most grocery stores in the International/Asian section.  Look at the small jars, which is stupid because I could buy this in bulk. Yes, you can find it in small town Iowa.  Just try and thank me later.

** I have a ginger rule that may be complete BS.  I say to myself that 1 inch of ginger root (after peeling the skin off) sort of looks like what I imagine a tablespoon to be.  It’s called eyeballing it.  I tried to briefly verify this with the all-knowing interweb, but couldn’t find it.  Guess it’s a Not Just Another Jen ginger measurement.  Therefore in this recipe, grate approximately 3 inches (maybe a tad less) of a peeled ginger root.

However, before I get to the recipe I wanted to give you a head’s up.  Run, don’t walk to your local grocery store magazine rack and pick up Sunset’s Best Recipes 2010.  You know I’m a huge fan because, c’mon, they make me look like I can really cook!  There are lots of beautiful pictures (a total requirement for me), ingredients are readily available at many grocery stores, and many meals (well at least the ones I try) can be pulled together in less than 30 minutes.  This edition will only be available until early March.  So hurry up and get your copy soon.  You won’t be sorry.

Without further ado, my favorite meal this week was Almond-Crusted Sole (sounds fancy, doesn’t it?) served with rice pilaf (from a box) and sautéed zucchini (1 Tbsp. olive oil, cut zucchini, sauté to the tenderness that you like, sprinkle with a bit of salt and voila!).  Also notable, the boys loved it (even without ketchup, which they put on everything).

Almond-Crusted Sole

(original recipe @ link and my commentary in [brackets])

Serves: 4 Time: 20 minutes

4 Pacific sole fillets (6 oz. each) [my grocery store had a mix of regular size and small fillets, so I ended up getting 1 1/2 pounds and it was just fine]

About ½ tsp each kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper [regular S&P works too]

3 tsp olive oil, divided

Fresh lemon wedges

½ cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs) [really, it’s not that hard to find even on OK]

½ cup finely grated parmesan cheese [I use the shredded cheese from the Costco canister variety]

1/3 cup slivered almonds [I used sliced almonds left over from Witches Fingers]

2 tbsp minced flat-leaf parsley

1 tsp finely shredded lemon zest [score a lemon around its ‘equator’ and zest away]

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees with a rack set at the top level. Sprinkle both sides of fillets with ½ tsp each salt and pepper, then set on a baking sheet lined with foil.  Brush tops of fillets with 2 tsp oil and squeeze a little lemon on top.
2. Combine panko, parmesan, nuts, parsley, zest, remaining tsp. oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Cover fillets with almond mixture.  Bake until fish is opaque in center 6 to 8 minutes.  Serve with more lemon.

Cheers, friends and enjoy!

Asparagus with Orange and Basil Sauce [with Chicken]

Note: Delicate asparagus is gently scented with orange zest and basil (mint would also be nice). A sprinkling [or more] of subtle Asiago cheese allows each ingredient to shine equally.

¾ pound pencil-thin asparagus [or whatever your grocer sells banded with a rubberband]

1 garlic clove, finely chopped [or more]

Grated zest of 1 large orange [and the juice inside, you don’t want it to go to waste!]

¼ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

½ teaspoon salt, or to taste

Freshly ground pepper

½ cup fresh basil leaves, cut into strips

¼ cup freshly grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

1. Bend asparagus gently to snap off the tough ends (they break naturally at the right point); discard ends. Cut spears into 1 ½-inch lengths.  Set aside.
2. Combine garlic, orange zest, [juice from orange that you just zested], butter, salt and pepper in pasta serving bowl.  Set aside to warm to room temperature or, preferably place the bowl (be sure it’s heat proof) over the pasta pot to warm the ingredients and melt the butter while heating the water.  Once the water comes to a boil, remove bowl and set aside. [First of all, I only salt and pepper after the fact and to taste.  Secondly, I’ve only set my bowls on top of the boiling water once and it may be why it cracked.  Not recommended.  Use your brain because evidently I didn’t.]
3. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted [or not] water until almost al dente.  As asparagus and cook until tender, but still bright green, about 1-2 minutes [if it’s thicker than a pencil do 3 minutes].  Drain pasta and asparagus well and immediately add to sauce in bowl.  Sprinkle with basil and Asiago cheese and toss.  Serve at once with [lots of] extra Asiago cheese.
4. [ I use frozen chicken breast strips to add protein to this meal.  Simply place frozen strips on plate in microwave and defrost.  Pour in along with Step #3 above and toss.]

Serves 2 to 4.  Recommended Pasta: 8 ounces bowties (farfalle).  [or whatever kind of “meaty” pasta you have in your cupboard.  I don't recommend spaghetti or linguine type noodles.]

Serve with wine (of course) and enjoy!

1) easy

2) tasty

3) kids like it too

4) so very little prep & clean up

Here’s a good recipe from The New Creative Crock Pot Cookbook (2001) by Robin Taylor Swatt (oh thank you Sharon, my MIL, for getting me hooked on slow cooking).  Prep took about 10 minutes.  Throw it in the pot and stir occasionally.  Oh, so easy.

1 1/2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts (in my case 2 breasts)

1-14 oz can of tomatoes, drained and diced

1-14 oz can of artichoke hearts in water, drained

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced

1 cup nonfat chicken broth

1/4 cup white wine (drink another 2 glasses for yourself)

3 Tbs quick cooking tapioca

2 tsp curry powder

1 Tbs fresh Italian parsley, chopped

1 tsp dried sweet basil

1 tsp dried thyme leaves

½ tsp salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in the Crock Pot slow cooker. Mix thoroughly. Cover; cook on Low 6-8 hours or on High for 3½-4 hours.  Makes 6 servings; 4 grams of fat per serving.

I served this dish on brown rice with a side of green beans (which were frozen and I simply put in the microwave for 4 minutes).  Also I only cooked the meal in the crock pot for 3 hours and it was just fine and yummy, delicious.

Cheers, friends!

P.S. I’d like to thank The Sister Project for the image that I lifted.  LOVE your site!

However yesterday there was an incredible theme to my day that kept rearing its head and would not go away.  So there’s a lesson here for me to hear.  Hopefully it will make sense to you as my writing skills are still developing.

It all starts with Jon Gosselin.  I really don’t want to talk about it all that much because the thought of giving either Jon or Kate anymore airtime makes me want to vomit.  This is just a place to start the story.  However, I begin with the quote for the day.

“I took a lot of abuse from her. I was put down,” Jon Gosselin tells ABC’s Chris Cuomo in an interview set to air next week.”

He bugs me so terribly that two words come to mind.  Douchebag and Fuktard (thank you Sista Sista for that great word!).

I dunno. Do you think that Guy Ritchie has been mouthing off to the press that Madonna told him what to do?  To me, the simple fact of the matter is that he (both Jon and Guy) married a strong woman.  [can’t stand the thought of putting Madonna and Kate in the same sentence.  Madonna is The Queen afterall.  However, Kate’s got 8 kids.  She’s remained (somewhat) upbeat, attractive, and appears she hasn’t lost her mind yet.  She’s on the road to sainthood in my book. But how many kids does Madonna have now??? Anyway, I digress…]   I suspect that being attracted to a strong woman is probably what attracted those guys in the first place and I suspect that same quality is what also did them in.

So why does Jon have to publicly wail and lick his wounds?  In Las Vegas or Nice of all places?  Does he ever watch old episodes?  I’d yell at him too if he was moping around with that attitude and not keeping up.  Kate runs a tight ship, but the gal gets the job done.  There are eight kids, afterall!  I only have two and I think organizing and getting the kids underway everyday is tough!  Get on board or get off, I say.  However, why play the victim?  Or the playboy?  Go away, Jon.  Recover.  But keep the kids in perspective, Buddy.  You’re losing at your own game.  Go home., Jon.  Chill out with the kids and don’t pick up the phone.  I swear, he is like a bad drunk at a party.  You just want to tell the guy to go home before it gets any worse.

Strangely, Jon really got me thinking (along with some other conversations with friends along the day).  How stupid are we all?  We complain about the very thing that we asked for and then we don’t take responsibility for our relationships taking a downturn.  That doesn’t seem right to me.  For example, we (I think I’m not the only one who’s done this) fall in love with someone and that very quality that we loved is now what we say is pulling us a part.  We fall in love with someone that is…strong…or dependable, and we have a whole story, psychobabble, and reasons for why we want what we want.  We justify.  And then months or sometimes years, it is that very quality that we start complaining about.  What is wrong with us?  I am an idiot.

I can see me doing that with my husband.  He is Steady Eddy.  It is one of his best qualities.  I am learning (oh how I’m learning…) that strong and steady wins the race.  However, if I am to complain about him there are plenty of stories of me rebelling against his some of his biggest strengths.

I mean, didn’t we realize what we signed up for?  It’s not like the person has really gone and changed all that much.  Maybe I’ve changed or my perspective has just changed.  Sometimes that sucks.  Really badly sucks.  But if you’re committed (in the sense that divorce is not an option ) then you probably have to work your shit out.  Communication is always going to be the answer the question, “So what’s missing?”  And I’m learning that generally starts with me needing to communicate more.  (like hey Jen, why are you writing a blog and not talking to your husband more…duh!)

So I’ve set up game night on Monday nights.  I’m committed to putting the kids down at 8:00 (earlier if I can make it work so I’m downstairs at that time).  Husband and I have fell in love playing cards or pool, so it’s a good way of spending time together.  Plus we both like to win and it’s a great metaphor for our relationship.  Monday was our first night. We played rummicube.  It ending up being a very good night (eventhough I lost).

The second thing I know that I need to be doing is to sing praises in my heart and out loud of the things that I love or appreciate about my husband.  I’m practicing to have more positive thoughts in and around him then those shitty, complaining, whining thoughts about him (or our relationship).  Remember, Pollyanna had a very happy life.  And if it works , I’ll do it.  I want the scales to tip in the positive direction.  Stay tuned…I’m sure I’ll write more about my struggles in this lesson.

So when we’re all stressed out about our relationships and not feeling like we’re getting what we want.  Or the other person is this that or the other thing (I’m saying this out  loud as much for my own benefit as my friends from yesterday) I think it’s important to, yes as cliché as it is or as painful as it may be, count your blessings and talk.  Why is this so hard for so many of us.  It seems simple.  Simple, but not easy.

So friends, thank you for helping me sort my shit out.  I’m going to have a very well deserved glass of wine and will be thinking good thoughts of you.  Cheers, friends!

P.S.  I think Guy Ritchie is hawt and a king in another life and time I would have gladly served.  Jon is still a douchebag even though I am an idiot too.  Go home Jon and out of the spotlight.  We don’t want to hear it anymore.