Friday Stir-Fry

Today on the blog, we have a super delicious, healthy meal you can make in less than 30 minutes! And that includes the marinade time! A perfect recipe for a busy Friday, whether it's lunch or dinner, or if you're planning on going out or staying in!

I make this beef stir-fry on a consistent basis, especially during the chillier seasons, and have been using this recipe for years. It is originally from the amazing Gimme Some Oven food blog, though I've adjusted a couple of items such an opting out on shiitake mushrooms and what to serve it with. You can have any type of rice, quinoa or even noodles with this dish, but being part Korean, Korean sticky rice is what I call for. It's the only rice I use in Asian cuisine. 

This is such a quick and easy recipe. I know some of you may not be a fan of kale, but don't knock it till you try it! It goes perfect with the ginger beef and none of the flavors are overpowering. They are all there and so-so good! Check out some of the photos I took of this yummy dish! Mmm...

Ginger Beef, Mushroom & Kale Stir-Fry

This delicious ginger beef, mushroom, and kale stir fry is quick to make and full of great flavor!

Prep: 5 mins Cook: 25 mins Total: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Marinade Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth (or chicken/beef broth, or water)
• 3 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. corn starch
• 2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper

Stir-Fry Ingredients:

• 1 lb. thinly sliced flank steak or sirloin, cut diagonally across the grain into thin strips
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 10 ounces baby portobello or button mushrooms, halved
• 3 cups chopped kale
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced

Directions:

To Make The Marinade:

Add all marinade ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine. Pour marinade into a large bowl or ziplock bag, then add in the steak and gently toss to combine. Cover/seal and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

To Make The Stir-Fry:

Once steak has marinated, heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Remove steak from marinade with a slotted spoon, reserving the marinade, and add to saute pan with garlic. Saute for about 2-3 minutes until browned, stirring occasionally. Remove steak with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add mushrooms, kale, and reserved marinade to saute pan, and stir to combine. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the kale is wilted, the sauce has thickened, and the mushrooms have cooked, stirring regularly so that sauce does not burn. Add in the steak, and toss to combine.

Serve immediately over sticky rice, garnished with chopped green onions.

I think my favorite part after cooking is not to taste, but to relish with the idea of it while I photograph whatever dish I've just made. It makes the first bite that more enticing. I'm already salivating at the mouth just writing about it!

Alright, that's it! I have to dig in. Bon Appetit! :)

We hope everyone has a great weekend! Catch y'all on Monday, where we will be doing our first giveaway! Stay tuned to find out what it is and how to enter your chance to win! It's going to be oh so chic!

Love & xx's,

maQ + suz

Breakfast Taco Tuesday Recipe

Summer's coming to a close and I'm trying to use up all the 'fruits' of my friend's labor. He has one killer garden on the rooftop of our apartment building. We actually spent the 4th of July up there with a bunch of neighbors and friends and watched the fireworks. This past weekend he gifted us a gigantic bag of tomatoes and I'm trying to use as much as I can before they start to get old. I hate wasting food!

Ever since I was a little girl I despised breakfast. To be honest, for several years, my ideal 'breakfast of champions' was coffee & cigarettes. For a long time, the very thought of eating something in the morning revolted me. Now older, I'm trying to take better care of myself and have really gotten in the habit to eat 3-square meals a day. However, when I'm having a good writing day, I can't move, let alone bother to feed myself, and yes, still will sometimes skip a meal if it's going very well. I'll always stay hydrated though. Fun fact: I haven't had a soda in 2 months! Keeping it healthy with water and non-sugary drinks!

One of my favorite quick-and-easy, on-the-go breakfasts are tacos! Yes, I'm one of those New Yorkers who's running around while simultaneously shoving food into my mouth.

Check out the recipe and photos below.

Let's Eat!

Breakfast Tacos (Serves 4)

4  flour tortillas (8 inches) 

1  cup canned refried beans 

1  tablespoon butter 

8  eggs, beaten to mix 

Salt and pepper, to taste 

1  cup shredded Sharp Cheddar cheese

12  cherry tomatoes, halved 

1. To heat the tortillas: Place a tortilla directly on a medium gas flame for a few seconds, or until it starts to puff and is slightly charred at the edges. Using tongs, turn it and let it heat for a few seconds on the other side. Or, heat the tortillas in a heavy, ungreased skillet over medium heat. On a plate lined with a cloth napkin, stack the tortillas and fold the napkin over them to keep them warm. Continue until all the tortillas are warm.

2. In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the refried beans, stirring often, until they are hot.

3. In a skillet over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the eggs, salt, and pepper. With a large spoon, stir the eggs until they form small curds.

4. On each of 4 breakfast plates, set 1 tortilla. Spread with 2 tablespoons of beans, 1/4 of the eggs, 2 tablespoons of cheese, and 6 cherry tomato halves. Fold in half. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.

* You can also add in salsa, onion, avocado, bacon/sausage etc. Use what you like! :)

Enjoy!

Love & xx's,

maQ + suz

Photo of the day: Banana Nut Muffins

These homemade banana nut muffins are brought to you by your very own foodie lover/cook fanatic. ;) Love to bake when I have the time! <3 Suz

Turkey Gumbo

Hey Everyone! With all that leftover turkey from this year's Thanksgiving I knew I had to do a totally yummy leftover recipe - and what better leftover than something from the south? ;)

It's what's for dinner this week!

Gather up some kielbasa, bell pepper (I used green), celery, white onion, couple cloves of garlic. Chop everything else up except the garlic - this we mince :)

Next, in a big pot on medium heat, stir in butter with flour every 30 seconds for 10 minutes until the mixture turns into a peanut butter-like color.

See?

Add everything from the first step including some diced tomatoes (canned is okay), along with a bay leaf, and some oregano & thyme.

Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 1 hour.

Lookin' good! :)

After an hour, put in some sliced okra.

Cook the okra for a couple of minutes, in the meantime shred the leftover turkey meat.

Add into the pot!

Add some white rice into a bowl, then serve gumbo on top.

And there you have it folks! A simple but delicious fixer-upper of your turkey leftovers!

Stay tuned for next's weeks: It's What's For Dinner Part 8!

<3 Suz

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New Traditions Already Behind

Hey Everyone! I know I mentioned in my last blog I was going to keep my home cookin' a weekly thing - alas, got pretty sick topping that off with work and life just moving along as it should, I got a little behind. So, here we are two weeks since the first time I did this; I present to you what's for dinner tonight!

Seared pork loins with garlic, thyme & honey, granny smith apple and yam casserole with harvard beets.

Enjoy the weekend! Hope you are all doing well. xo

Suz

Granny Smith Apples

Cooked yams

The start to the casserole dish.

Preparing the pork.

Pork loins being seared with garlic, thyme and honey.

Getting the beets ready.

Casserole's final product.

Close - up.

Voilà!