Full Circle

Its been approximately a year since I started this Blog and unfortunately I haven't given it the justice that I was suppose to.  Partly because I deviated from the plan and got a promotion which eliminated a lot of the free time I would have had for the Fit/EatRight/CookBetter Challenge that I set for myself a year ago. However I did accomplish somethings that I normally would not have for example applying to appear on Food Network: Chopped or going to the casting call for Master Chef and Hell's Kitchen; although nothing resulted from those without trying to take my cooking to the next level I would have never had the guts to even try. I  might not get out as much as would like working out but when I do I go hard and challenge myself even more. For example I plan to do the Ugly Sweater Run 5K on November 24 and I would love the support of my family and friends there to cheer me on.   



I have also perfected some recipes that I originally started cooking that need a little fine tuning which are pictured here:  

Beef with Broccoli 
Chicken with Broccoli 






Most people order either of these when they go to a Chinese restaurant and with me its one of the only things I will order from ChiTung restaurant in Chicago on 95th and Kedzie.

For the Beef I used a Flank Steak, trimmed and thinly sliced against the grain and for the Chicken I used skinless, boneless chicken breasts, thinly sliced against the grain. Now for a long time I questioned what it meant to cut against the grain and as I started working with different types of meat I found out how important it was to cut against the grain. Some cuts of meat have distinct lines in them. Flank steak, skirt steak, brisket and London broil are good examples. These long lines are fibers running through the meat, and they are difficult to chew through. These cuts of meat are usually sliced (before or after cooking) in a way that fibers are cut through. In this way, the meat becomes more tender and easy to eat. Lines are running from right to left down the length of the steak. If you slice this steak in the same direction as those lines, you'll have to chew through the fibers. Whereas if you cut across the lines, the knife will have already done that work. Think of it similarly to slicing a stalk of celery. The strings are less likely to get caught in your teeth if you cut those strings into smaller lengths. In case you were ever wondering about that. 

One other key item that I had to search for and actually order online was Chinese Rice Wine it is not something that is carried in any stores here in Chicago (specialty or regular grocery store) what I was using originally would be Rice Wine Vinegar which would add a lot of bitterness to the dish. I also experimented with the different sauces clear and brown. Well here are the recipes for you all to try at home just remember the few little tweaks I had to go through in order to get it the proper way....

For the Marinate:
Whisk 1 egg white, 1 tablespoon Chinese Rice Wine and 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Toss with your protein; cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

Prep 3 cups of Vegetables
Baby Corn
Water Chestnuts
Broccoli Florets
Quartered Mushroom Caps

For the Clear Sauce
Mix 3/4 cup chicken broth, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 2 tablespoons Chinese Rice Wine, 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon sugar

For the Brown Sauce
Mix 1/2 cup chicken broth, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, soy sauce,  hoisin sauce, and Chinese Rice Wine

Drain the excess marinade from the protein. Place sauce, vegetables and protein near the stove. Heat peanut or vegetable oil in a wok or skillet over medium heat. Add the protein; slowly stir until almost opaque (about 1 minute). Add 2 tablespoons of oil, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 tablespoon minced ginger, 2 minced scallions and a pinch of salt and sugar. Add the vegetable starting with the ones that take the longest to cook and stir until crisp tender. Add the sauce and stir until the sauce thickens and the vegetables and protein are cooked thoroughly.