Coaching Cooking

There was some beef leftover from our delicious Valentine’s Day fondue dinner. I also had some pea pods, red onion and udon noodles plus soy sauce, sesame oil and sriracha chili sauce. At times, some of the most satisfying meals come from whatever is in the fridge.

Lazy Friday Beef Stir-Fry

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups cubed beef ribeye (or any cut of beef)
1/3 cup of sliced red onion
1 1/2 cups of pea pods, washed and ends trimmed
1 package of udon noodles (these can be found in the supermarket near the tofu, usually placed near the produce section by the other refridgerated Asian items)
3 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of sesame oil
1 tablespoon of sriracha hot sauce
2 tablespoons of canola oil or vegetable oil

Directions:

Cook the udon noodles in the microwave with 2 cups of water for about 4-5 minutes until the noodles are warmed. Drain the noodles and set aside.

Marinate the raw beef cubes in the soy, sesame oil and sriracha hot sauce for a few minutes while you prep the vegetables.

Heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil in a nonstick pan on high heat. Quickly cook the pea pods for a few minutes. Then set the pea pods aside until later.

Add the remaining tablespoon of canola oil to the pan and saute the onions until they are browned and tender. Then add the beef and cook for about 5-6 minutes so that all pieces of beef are brown on all sides.

Cook the beef until medium or medium-rare. You can test one cube of beef while the rest is cooking. Cut a cube of beef in half to check the doneness.

After the beef is cooked to your liking, add the udon noodles and pea pods and stir together. Continue cooking everything for a few more minutes so all the flavors combine.

This noodle dish tastes great with ginger ale or beer. Here’s a quick cucumber salad that makes a great side dish:

Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:
1 cucumber, washed, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
2-3 teaspoons of sugar
2 tablespoons of rice vinegar
1 tablespoon of sesame oil

Directions:

Combine all of the ingredients and refridgerate for at least 30 minutes. Serve cold. Add black and regular sesame seeds for color. You can also add chopped cilantro leaves on top.