Thai Beef Salad

August20

Use leftover steak to make a delicious Thai Beef Salad - Mama's High Strung

Whenever I make steak, I always make extra so that with the leftovers I can prepare my favorite summer dish: Thai Beef Salad.

The beauty of this salad is that you don’t have to include all of the ingredients. If you don’t have fish sauce, use soy sauce. Don’t like jalapeños… leave them out. You can add what you do have… like red or green peppers, cooked zucchini, broccoli or green beans. This is pretty much a “clean the fridge” type of salad with a whole lot of flavor.

 

 

 

Gadget Tree: Grill Like a Champ with SteakChamp

May23

How do you like your steak… still mooing or like a piece of shoe leather?

At this time of year there are plenty of strange (and strangely wonderful) gadgets to boost your grilling mojo. Here’s one I really like: The SteakChamp.

Steak Champ at Sur la Table

The German-made SteakChamp is a high-precision steak thermometer that will help you cook your steak exactly the way you want it, either on the grill, in the oven or in a pan on the stove. The stainless steel probes come in four models to suit your temperature preference (rare, medium rare, medium and medium well), and are tuned to USDA temperatures guidelines.

But before I continue, may I digress a moment? The word “probe” has always bugged me. It reminds me of aliens, or something like that. Okay… back to the best tool for grilling the perfect steak, the SteakChamp.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Remove your meat from the fridge about half an hour before cooking. The meat should be at least 1½-inches thick.
  2. Select the SteakChamp probe (there’s that word again) for the level of doneness you want (rare, medium rare, etc.). Insert the SteakChamp into the center of the meat sideways, until it is completely inside the meat and only the end of the SteakChamp protrudes.
  3. Sear both sides of the meat on high heat for 2 minutes.
  4. Reduce the heat to medium. When the SteakChamp begins to double flash, remove the meat from the heat. Let the meat rest until the double flashing signal stops. Remove the SteakChamp and serve your perfect steak.

This is a great video to show you exactly how the SteakChamp works on a grill:

Visit the SteakChamp website to see how this gadget works on top of the stove and in the oven. You can find it at Sur la Table.  Follow the directions and you’ll be grilling like a champ all summer!

 

posted under Gadget Tree | 2 Comments »

Plated + Served: Roasted Potato and Kale Salad

January16

Summer may be far, far away, but you needn’t be deprived of the crunchy happiness of a delicious salad.

The sweet curly kale and roasted potatoes play nicely off the subtle bite of the chili vinaigrette. The tomatoes add a little color (I know, I know, they’re not in season but it makes the salad look brighter). I added chopped thick-cut bacon to give it a little depth, but you don’t have to if you want to make it vegetarian.

This is a great recipe to serve hot or cold… say, later this summer when it’s miserably hot and you’re complaining about the heat!

 

 

Try This: Shishito Peppers

August1

Here’s the perfect nibble while you’re waiting for the drinks to be poured: Sautéed Japanese shishito peppers.

Shishito Peppers

What makes these grassy, nutty tasting peppers so special is how incredibly simple they are to prepare. Throw them in a skillet with hot (not smoking) olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and some sea salt. Once they’ve blistered and popped, they’re ready.

You also can get all fancy-do and grill them or sauté them in sesame oil with a splash of tamari… but why mess with such an easy-to-make Spanish tapa? Bring the skillet to the table so everyone has the fun of picking them up by the stem and devouring them in one bite.

Find these peppers in Asian markets almost year round or in farmers’ markets right now.

Don’t shy away just because I said “peppers.” Only about 1 in 25 will knock your socks off… which adds to the excitement of eating them! Roulette, anyone?

posted under Try This | 2 Comments »
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Hi…
I’m Christina Chavez

I was a TV journalist for many years, but with a house full of kids I decided to come off the road, go to culinary school and follow my passion for cooking. Mama’s High Strung is all about food… everything from creative recipe ideas to some really cool kitchen gadgets and cooking tips. I live in Chicago, but I love to travel and write about my food discoveries! You can reach me by email: mamashighstrung@gmail.com