I have a cold. Its the dead of summer and I have a cold. Screw chicken soup. I was hungry. I don't know if you all have noticed, but I've been a hungry beast lately. Unless I am unknowingly pregnant, what gives? Well, all the more reason to eat my dear. And who says a measly chicken stock is the only cure after the flu stork drops you off a gift? Certainly not I. With a little bit of scavenging, and a satisfying trip to the farmer's market, I came home feeling drowsy and fatigued, yet hungry, eager and ready for a hearty meal.
Let me shed light on the elephant in the room. I am not a big meat girl anymore. Scratch that. I am not a big RED meat girl. Weight gain, veggie food festival, detox books, and one new relationship later, I have found that I am heading quite hastily down the "flexitarian" path. You've all heard the term. Vegetarian half the week, and whatever else flies on Funday Sunday and a few other days. I mean really, what is eggs benedict (my first time trying it was this month!) without a good Canadian bacon once a month right? (More on that later.) And who can enjoy date night without cozying up to a nice juicy burger with a chocolate peanut butter milkshake? Ahh, I digress. Its just that thinking back on it, I don't think I ever really was a big fan of meat. Of course I ate it daily growing up, but did I really have a choice? Sure, there are toddlers on the Upper East Side whose mother's love to tout around town that their little girl decided to go vegan all on her own. At the age of 4. Okay. I guess I would have too if I accidentally saw a cow getting dismembered on Sponge Bob Squarepants. But let's get real. Toddlers aren't proclaiming their vegan ambitions out of the blue, some form of trauma takes place to ignite the curiosity of a plant led life. And I, my friends, suffered through no trauma. In fact, I was one of the brainwashed idiots who actually thought McDonalds had chefs cooking burgers fresh daily. I was eleven. Sue me.
So when I say I concocted a beef recipe that is the best you've ever, and will ever taste, trust me, therein lies a story.
It all starts at the farmer's market. Sometimes setting out on course with a plan works for me, at most times not. The bustling crowds, the sweet herb-filled air, the bountiful samples, the scurrying debris....its a chaotic orgy of organic goodness. Its the one place in this city that I don't mind the chaos. It makes me feel submerged. Part of an exclusive club of discerning foodies who want their food fresh from the Earth, the way intended. And when I see shiny, bright, organic green bell peppers perched next to saturated red onions and fiery hot peppers, spicy fresh garlic, I know I am in for a treat. You can never go wrong overdosing on jewel-toned vegetables, they always come in handy. And little did I know, I was about to find out that they cure even the most stubborn of cold symptoms.
I am not big on overly sophisticated dishes, ingredient guzzling entrees, or meals requiring your utmost technicality skills. I want to buy, chop, and eat. Especially when I am so drowsy I might as well be the rice grains circling the sink dispenser. So when I came upon a few articles on my new beloved website by Lance Armstrong's foundation,
Live Strong, I was delighted. Vitamin C, an antioxidant, promotes a strong immune system and lives in our bell peppers and tomatoes, not just OJ. Spiciness helps alleviate congestion. Say hello to Asian infusion! Garlic contains antibiotic and anti-viral properties that loosens up mucus and fights viral infections. Protein-rich foods like lean red meat help produce white blood cells that fight off the flu. Whaaaat? Did anyone see my fridge...I had all those ingredients just waiting to come out and play. Time to make their wishes come true.
If you are suffering through flu season, desire a flexitarian-friendly meal, or simply want to taste the best damn Korean-inspired, all organic, farm-to-table stew that makes you feel like the Martha Stewart of your household, wait no more. Open your mouth, grab your fork, and thank me later. Until next time...
SLOW AND STEADY BEEF STEW
serves two
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 pound organic or sustainable grass-fed beef brisket or stew cuts
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 tbsp sesame oil
4 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1pc star anise (I used a 5 spice for extra kick)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 whole garlic, minced
1 red onion, minced
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 tomato, chopped finely
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 stalk baby leeks, sliced (optional)
6 cups veggie stock (or beef stock for non-flexitarians!)
freshly ground black pepper
salt, to taste
METHOD:
1. Saute garlic until its golden brown and crunchy, set aside garlic.
2. In the same pan add onions and saute until translucent. The add both peppers and tomatoes.
3. Add and brown the beef.
4. Pour in the soy sauce and beef stock just enough to cover the beef.
5. Add the star anise and brown sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer for 45-60 minutes or until beef is really tender.
6. Add sesame oil, sesame seeds, leeks, cayenne pepper and the crispy garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for additional 5 minutes.
7. Serve hot over brown rice with biscuits on the side. See below.
Buttermilk Biscuits
Adapted by Dorie Greenspan
Makes about a dozen biscuits
Ingredients:
1 ¾ cups bleached all-purpose flour
Scant ⅓ cup cake flour
4 teaspoons (aluminum-free) baking powder
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 stick (½ cup)unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces, chilled
⅔ cup buttermilk
Method:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400ºF.
In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, sugar, and sea salt. Add in the cold butter. Using your finger tips or a pastry cutter, quickly cut and rub the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles pea-size pieces (or oats); it’s okay if the pieces do not all look alike.
Pour in the buttermilk. Using a fork, mix everything until it just comes together, but keep in mind, it will look messy. Lightly dust a work surface with cake flour or White Lily flour. Turn the dough out, lightly dust the top with flour, and gently knead the mass until it comes together.
Using a rolling pin or your hands, quickly flatten the dough out into a rectangle. Fold the short ends over the middle (like a letter) to make three layers. This is the first turn. Give the dough a quarter turn and flatten into a rectangle once again repeating the folding process. Repeat the flattening and folding once more.
Shape into a rectangle ½-inch thick. Cut out the biscuits using a 2 to 2 ½-inch biscuit cutter (being careful not to twist the cutter as you are cutting the biscuits) or using a sharp knife, cut the biscuits into squares.
Gently move each biscuit to a parchment (or silicone mat)-lined baking sheet and place about 1-inch apart for biscuits with a crust or place the biscuits close to one another about ½-inch apart. Lightly brush the tops of each biscuit with some milk or buttermilk.
Bake for 10-15 minutes until they are tall, puffed and are blushing with a lightly golden brown color around the edges. If you intend on making smaller biscuits, check on them around 9 minutes of baking.
Serve immediately.
So here it is dolls! Again. August 1, 2010 marked our first ever WHIPPED CHALLENGE and you can read all about here. August is soon approaching and I couldn't help but try to bring back one of the most inspiring experiences I've had since blogging yet. I met so many wonderful bakers and foodies. I have the greatest readers. If it weren't seas, oceans, and land that seperated us, I'm quite sure we would all be fast friends, wining and dining together daily. Oh right, and whipping up concoctions in the kitchen. So let's dust off our oven mits and give it another go! What do ya say? 
