Beef and Snow-Peas

We LOVE, LOVE stir fry!!! They are so easy, fast, and yummy!!!  This is a classic recipe, and our family loves it! If we aren't making Thai Cashew Chicken (on blog, June 2012), we are making this!!! Serve over cooked Jasmine rice!!

SAUCE recipe 

1/2 cup, to 3/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup cooking sherry

1-2 Tbsps fresh, peeled, minced ginger

2 to 3 Tbsps brown sugar~ to taste

2 Tbsps cornstarch

2 Tbsps minced garlic

1/8 to 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes~to taste (we like it spicy!) 

2 pounds skirt or flank steak-cut into thin, bite size pieces-against the grain

1 large onion-cut into big pieces

10 ounces fresh snow peas-strings peeled off

Fresh, thin cut carrots- as much as you like

Make up sauce. Put cut steak into plastic ziplock bag with part of the sauce. (Only about 1/4 of sauce)  Close baggy, with as little air in it as you can get, and with your hands, massage it around, so all beef has some sauce on it. Let sit for 30 minutes. 

In wok, or sauté pan, put a few tablespoons of vegetable oil, or whichever oil you prefer, and heat up to medium~ throw in the thin cut carrots~ toss around, with large kitchen spoon, til soft. Remove from oil and put on a plate. Next, in a bit more heated oil, throw in the onions. Cook til opaque, but not soft! Take out of oil and put with the cooked carrots. Now for the snow peas~ add oil if needed, and only cook and toss around for about a minute. Take out of wok and put with the other vegetables. Add more oil to wok,  and throw in the beef. Toss, til they are no longer red on the outside. It's steak, so you don't have to cook it too long! Drain any oil, if needed, then pour rest of sauce over beef, and add all the cooked veggies! Stir, and serve over cooked Jasmine rice! YUMMY, YUMMY!! 😊

Pierogy Gratin with White Cheddar, and Rosemary!

My family loves potato au gratins, but sometimes it's time consuming to peel and cut up all the potatoes into thin slices. I thought, what if I use pierogie's instead of potatoes and use the same recipe I love for potato gratin! WELL, I think I'm a genius on this one! SCORE!! So much faster, and unbelievably GREAT tasting!!  I served it on Christmas Eve with my extended family as a side to our beef tenderloin and everyone loved it! You'll thank me for this one!! :) 

1  2 pound bag frozen potato and onion pierogies (or potato and cheese)

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 small onion, minced

2 cups sharp white cheddar, grated

1 stem of rosemary, needles taken off stem and chopped

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp black pepper

Take the frozen pierogies and sauté them in a big sauté pan with some olive oil, and sauté them until they are no longer frozen, and have some golden brown to them.

In a measuring cup, bigger than 1 cup, pour in the whipping cream, add the minced onion, rosemary, pepper and sugar.  (doesn't need salt, as the pierogies and white cheddar are salty. You can be the judge on that.) Stir.

Place cooked pierogies in a 13X9 pan, sprayed with Pam.

Pour the cream and onion mix over the pierogies, top with the white cheddar cheese.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes, until hot and bubbly! 

The final masterpiece!! I tell you~ you will LOVE IT!! Like I said~ you can thank me later!! ;)