Beef Negimaki

Have I mentioned I love Chinese and Japanese food?

Of course I have. How could I not?

I used to work in an office in a strip mall.  On the other end of the strip mall, there was a little Japanese / Teppanyaki place I used to frequent quite often.  It's been awhile since I've been there. Too long, in fact. They had fantastic Bento box lunches, sushi, and I remember this is where I tried Negimaki for the very first time.

Negimaki, also called negima, is simply strips of beef marinated in a teriyaki sauce and rolled with scallions. Traditionally, the beef is broiled, but you can certainly grill it or sear it in a frying pan just as easily.

I make these little bundles of happiness when I need a nice and easy dinner. Serve them with rice and a veggie and you'll have happy tummies all around.

Beef Negimaki

serves 4 portions

12 scallions with ends trimmed 1 pound boneless beef top round steaks 3/4 cup classic stir fry sauce 3 tablespoons sugar 3 tablespoons water

Place each steak between sheets of plastic wrap and gently pound until 1/8 inch thick.

Lay 3 scallions down the length of each piece of meat; tightly roll up from the long side. Cut alternately straight across and diagonally in 2" pieces. Secure with toothpick. Place in large zip-lock bag.

Stir sauce, sugar and water in bowl until sugar dissolves. Add 1/3 cup of this mixture to Ziploc bag; refrigerate 30 minutes to one hour.

Heat skillet over medium high heat. Add negimaki for about 4-5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Discard marinade.

Microwave remaining sauce to use for dipping.

Chipotle Beef Sliders

If you know me, you know I am not a big fan of hamburger or ground beef. It's a taste and a texture thing for me, I guess. I am really, really picky about my burgers, too, when made with ground beef.  If a burger is made with ground turkey, chicken, pork, lamb, salmon, shrimp...whatever else, I am not as picky. But when it's beef, there is almost no pleasing me...

Most restaurant-type burgers are waaaaay too thick. I don't like that much beef in one bite, even if the flavor is something I like. So I never, ever order a burger when eating out. I strongly dislike 98% of the fast food chain burgers out there (don't get me started on a McDonalds rant...) but I love how thin the meat patties are! In case you were wondering, the only fast food burger I will willingly eat (and sometimes actually crave!) is a Double Steakburger from Steak-n-Shake. With cheese. And lettuce, tomato, onion, ketchup, mustard and pickle. No mayo better touch that puppy.

Now, I can hear you saying, "Well, just make thin patties at home!" and I can tell you that I have done just that and still just not fond of hamburgers with ground beef. It's a mental block I have in my brain and I can't get past it....

....unless they're mini burgers and they're made like this:

Chipotle Beef Sliders

makes 10 sliders

1 package of Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
8 tsp minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, divided
1-1/2 pounds ground beef
10 slices pepper jack cheese
1/2 cup mayo

Place 2 rolls in food processor and pulse until crumbly. Transfer crumbs to a large bowl and add the salt, pepper and 6 teaspoons of the peppers with sauce.  Crumble the beef into the bowl and combine. Shap into 10 patties.

Combine mayo and remaining (or more if you like spicy!) chipotle and set aside.

Grill or pan fry burgers over medium heat 3-5 minutes per side, depending upon how you like them done. Add cheese slice to each and grill/cook until melted (about another minute).

Spilt the remaining rolls. Toast them if you'd like, on the grill or in the oven.  Spread some chipotle mayo mixture on the bottom half of the rolls.  Place patties on top of sauce. Cap off that slider with the top half of the roll.

I added tomato to mine just because I like it...

Chinese Beef Noodle Soup

Florida really doesn't get what you would call a winter. No snow, of course, which is a major bummer if you like that sort of thing (which I do). In the rare occasions where the thermometer dips below 50 around here, my Mom loves to make her Crockpot Vegetable Soup. I love it. I will try to remember to post the next time she makes it.

I am not big on a lot of soups, but I do have some favorites. I do tend to steer away from soups with noodles in them, but with me, that's just a texture thing.

The Chinese Beef Noodle soup was a big hit.  Even you aren't a 'soup' kind of person, this is an easy and comfort food alternative. And you may even rethink your interest in soup...

Chinese Beef Noodle Soup

serves 4-6

1-1/2 pounds of beef stir fry or fajita strips
28 ounces of low sodium beef broth
2 cups water
2 red bell peppers, cut into thin strips
1 small can of whole water chestnuts, drained
1 bunch scallions, cut into 1 inch pieces
4 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp fresh minced ginger
1 tsp chili paste with garlic
6 ounces dried Chinese noodles
Dark sesame oil for drizzling

In dutch oven, heat 2 tsp oil over medium high heat. Quickly sear the beef until just browned. Add beef broth, water, peppers, water chestnuts, scallions, soy sauce, pepper, ginger, and chili paste. Stir to combine. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to a high simmer and cook one hour.

Turn off the burner. Stir in the dried noodles (break if needed). Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir to combine everything and separate noodles.  Ladle into bowls and drizzle each bowl with some dark sesame oil. 

You could also make this in a slow cooker - just dump as you would above into your slow cooker after browning the beef and set on low for 6 to 8 hours.