30 Minute Meal - I timed it!!!

Yes, a lot of generics.  Spend your own money!

6:00PM - Grab your ingredients.  

6:02 - Measure the correct measurements for your rice, start the salted water to boil.  (I really love Jasmine rice, but your fav would do well too, I'm sure.)

6:04 -  Heat oil in a large wok or pot.  Once hot, saute your pressed garlic for 5-10 seconds to start releasing the aroma.  Yum!

6:05 - Add your ground beef.  I usually double up the recipe because this also makes for great leftovers.  So, here you'll see two pounds of beef, two bell peppers, an entire head of cabbage (it cooks down more than you'd think), and the appropriate spices.

6:10 - Water boiling yet?  If so, add your rice and turn it down to a simmer.  (Obviously, follow your own directions or use a rice steamer.  Make a plan.)

 6:15 - hopefully by now your meat is nicely browned.  I don't drain it because the liquid (if there's any) thickens later.  At this point, add your cabbage and peppers.  Peppers that aren't green make the best presentation, but I take what's on sale/in the house!  Cook until tender.

6:20 - this picture is before the cabbage cooked all the way down, it was about halfway here.  Once your veggies are tender, add your soy sauce, water/corn starch as directed, and let it simmer for the last ten minutes to thicken your sauce.

6:25 - rice should be done.  Turn off the heat, add some butter (or whatever), fluff it, and let it sit (covered)

6:30 - Serve and enjoy.  :)

6:40, fight your significant other for seconds!!

Asian Persuasion Part 2: a success!

After the great Spring Roll debate of 2011, I was a little leery to try out another Asian inspired recipe from Pampered Chef.  Blasphemy?  Blashphe-you, my friend, I was down-heartened and it took everything in Thomas' power to get me to finish up dinner in the kitchen.  Truth be told, it wasn't that bad, I just took so long to roll all of those spring rolls that I didn't want to go back and do anything else.

Luckily, I have a great partner in crime husband who was willing to stir fry the beef for me to get me started.  In fact, he is such a sucker loves me so much that he put the beef in our Ginger Wasabi sauce the night before to marinade.  He fried it up, and it was perfect!  Such a great taste, and it was ready for me to continue on with the recipe for Asian Beef Noodles (I just didn't add any extra ginger since there wasn't any fresh in the house, but there was some in the sauce).

The best part about this recipe is that it was ready within 10 minutes, start to finish.

Second best: the taste!  After our less than stellar spring rolls, this was very flavorful, and exactly what I was looking for.  (The taste would have been the best part about this, but I was spent and 10 minutes for an awesome meal was exactly what I needed.)

Third best?  The leftovers.  Not only did I have four dishes of lunches, but they really re-heat well and are a good filler for your mid-day snackage.

And finally - when (since college/your post high school experience) can you say you endorse ramen noodles for a filling meal??!  On a scale from cupcakes to Capricorns, I'd give this recipe two thumbs up!