Thin Sliced Steak – Yakiniku Style (Japanese Barbecue)

Eating out with my family make up a huge chunk of my childhood memory. Growing up, Japanese cuisine was big in Indonesia and was one of my family’s favorites. And as far as I could remember the cuisine had a lot more varieties than just the very popular sushi and bento boxes that we have been so accustomed to here these days. My favorite was Yakiniku.

In college, a friend of mine taught me how to make yakiniku at home. (Thanks again for it, Vick!) Each time I make it I am reminded of why I like the dish so much. Aside from the good memories it brings, this easy and savory meat dish is just so full of flavors! The sesame oil gives this warm and nutty aroma while the mixture of soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and cayenne pepper infuses the meat with such an exciting taste.

I like to cook my thin sliced steak on the grill outside. The meat tends to get very smoky when it is done inside, on a gridiron or on a portable gas stove at the table, just like how it is at yakiniku restaurants.

Here’s my super easy version of yakiniku.

Ingredients for the steak:

  • 1 1/2 pounds of thin sliced beef
  • 1 teaspoon of minced garlic
  • ¼ cup of low sodium soy sauce
  • ¼ cup of sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon of ginger powder
  • 1 tablespoon of cayenne/chili powder

Ingredients for the sides (any of these will work fine):

  • Asparagus
  • Cucumber (peeled and sliced)
  • Lettuce

Steps:

  • Mix all of the ingredients for the steak in a resealable bag (or a bowl and then cover with a plastic wrap) and let it sit in the fridge overnight
  • Grill the meat over high heat. It won’t take long at all to cook since the beef are sliced very thin. So please don’t wander off too far from the grill
  • Remove the hardy bottom part of the asparagus
  • Drizzle asparagus with olive oil, salt, and pepper
  • Grill the asparagus for 4 minutes on each side
  • Serve the cucumber and lettuce on a separate plate as a side
  • Best served with rice

Serve 2 generously

Harini Riana1 Comment

Quinoa Stuffed Bell Pepper

Whoever invented stuffed vegetables was a creative genius. The compact goodness, with plentiful stuffing choices, makes a great meal. I have a list of stuffing and vegetables that I’d like to pair together. But this week the mood for a good cheesy, creamy,  either grain or pasta based, stuffing was heightened. So the search for the right ingredients began.

Curiosity led me to try quinoa for my vegetable stuffing base. I have heard about the grain a lot but have never tried it before. So I had to see what the excitement was all about. I grabbed a small bag of quinoa from the market and learned from the back of it that the grain makes a great substitute for rice and couscous. Right there and then, my cooking planning process began. I stood in the produce aisle, totally switched off from my surrounding, meditating on my next steps. An image of stuffed red bell peppers entered my mind. Next I imagined mixing the cooked quinoa with unsalted butter, light shredded mozzarella, halved grape tomatoes, onions, and a little bit of chop parsley. Then I visualized stuffing the mixture of quinoa into the bell peppers and liking the end result. Here’s the product of my food meditation 🙂

The real cooking process was as easy as I had pictured it in my mind. And even better, the result was as tasty as I had hoped for. Quinoa’s subtle nutty flavor and soft crunchy texture pair well with the sweet  and tender red bell peppers and tomatoes and with the savory cheese. I imagine the grain would be great in different styles of cooking too. Ideas already pop up in my head for the next quinoa-based meal. I’ll be sure to write them down and give them a try. More to come later!

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of quinoa
  • 2 cups of chicken stock
  • A handful of chopped parsley
  • ¼ chopped onions
  • A handful of halved grape tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter
  • 2 handful of light shredded mozzarella
  • 3 red bell peppers (remove the top and the seeds)
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Cayenne pepper (optional)

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • In a small pot, cook 1 cup of quinoa with 2 cups of chicken stock. Stir and bring to boil. Close with a lid and let cook for 20 minutes (I followed the cooking instruction on the bag).
  • After 20 minutes, turn the heat off, add butter and stir until it melts
  • Add the shredded mozzarella
  • Add the grape tomatoes, onions, parsley, salt, and pepper into the mixture and mix well
  • Scoop the mixture and fill up the bell peppers
  • Top with a little bit more of mozzarella
  • Using your fingers, coat the outer part of the pepper with a little bit of olive oil
  • Place the stuffed bell peppers on a baking dish, add a little water on the bottom of the dish (like two tablespoon of water). Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the bell peppers become a bit wrinkly and soft.

Harini Riana2 Comments

Sweet Peppers with Artichoke Hearts Salad – A Side to My Mini Burgers

I’m finding more things to like: roasted sweet peppers. They make such a wonderful side dish. These pretty and colorful little things complement savory dish very well. Recently I mixed them with artichoke hearts, another fave, and served alongside my turkey and halibut mini burgers. The result? The three make a  superb combination, light but substantial. Definitely a great springtime dinner menu.

Inspired by a fellow blogger’s post at We Call Him “Yes! Chef!”

Here’s what we will need:

  • A bunch of sweet peppers (mini or regular ones are fine – I happened to have the mini ones for at the time)
  • A jar of marinated artichoke hearts (halved)
  • A tablespoon of olive oil

Steps (while my turkey patties and halibut fillets are grilling outside):

  • Drizzle olive oil on the peppers and mix with both hands. Place on a baking sheet
  • On a separate baking sheet, place the halved artichoke hearts
  • Set the oven to broil
  • Place both peppers and artichoke hearts in the oven for about 5 minutes or until the peppers’ skin turn darker
  • Take both out of the oven
  • Place the peppers in a bowl and cover with a plastic wrap to steam. Then the skin can come off easily
  • Chop the peppers and mix with artichoke hearts
  • Serve on the side of these guys:

Harini Riana2 Comments

Mini Burger Series – Halibut Burger

Yesterday, I posted an article about my turkey mini burger with a mention of halibut mini burgers that I also did. Though Jeff and I love a good meaty and juicy beef burgers, we also enjoy other kinds. We take pleasure in having food variety. It definitely makes mealtime a lot more exciting. So here’s another alternative to the regular beef burger.

Spring has returned to earth. It definitely came back a lot earlier this year. The warmer air and bright sun create a perfect strolling weather to check out blossoms all around. Spring also means the start of grilling season for us. I love grilling outside. (Well, actually, Jeff does a lot of the grilling in our little patio 🙂 ) Recently, I made this delicious, light but yet filling, halibut mini burgers along with my turkey mini burgers. Halibut is definitely one of my favorite white fish. I enjoy its mild flavor and its substantial but fluffy texture. A perfect selection for my mini burger.

Ingredients:

  • 2 large fillets of halibut (divide into 4 servings)
  • Olive oil to coat the fillets
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • A sprinkle of ginger powder
  • A sprinkle of dried rosemary
  • Lemon juice (from half a lemon)

We will also need 4 burger buns or dinner rolls

Sauce (inspired by Rachael Ray’s)

  • 2 tablespoon of mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoon of mustard
  • 1 teaspoon of dill
  • 1 teaspoon of chopped pickle
  • Lemon juice (from half of a lemon)
  • 1 teaspoon of Sriracha hot sauce

Steps:

  • Mix the fish with all ingredients, cover with plastic wrap, and let marinate in the fridge for at least half an hour.
  • In a small bowl, mix mayo, mustard, dill, chopped pickle, lemon juice, and Sriracha for the sauce. Refrigerate until the fish is ready.
  • Spray the grill with olive oil so that the fish won’t stick
  • Grill the fish for 5 minutes on each side
  • Grill the buns/rolls for a minute or two
  • Spread the sauce on the top and bottom of the buns/rolls and drizzle a little on the fillet. Add cheese if you prefer. Stack up the burger.
  • Serve with roasted sweet peppers with artichoke hearts salad

Harini Riana5 Comments

Mini Burger Series – Turkey Burger with Spicy Mayonnaise Sauce

I think food variety is key to exciting meals. So I try to expand our home-cooking menus. Thankfully, Jeff and I are pretty open to enjoying various types of food. It definitely makes cooking and eating to be a lot more fun.

One day the mood for burgers happened to strike me. Jeff and I both love a good burger. This time though, instead of going to our usual burger joint that night, I decided to make the burger. We just had a beef dish the day before so I thought of other meat alternatives to make a delicious burger. Turkey immediately came to mind followed by a meaty fish, like halibut. Couldn’t choose which one to make, I decided to do two mini burgers: turkey and halibut. I added roasted sweet peppers with artichoke hearts as the side salad. (Next posts: Halibut Burger and Roasted Sweet Peppers with Artichoke Hearts)

Ingredients for Turkey Burger:

  • 1 ½ pounds of lean ground turkey
  • Ginger powder
  • Chili powder
  • A teaspoon of minced garlic
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Green onions (chopped the white area and discard the green part)

We will also need:

  • 7 burger buns or dinner rolls
  • 7 slices of cheddar cheese

Ingredients for the sauce:

  • 2 tablespoon of mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon of dijon mustard
  • A sprinkle of dill leaves
  • 1 teaspoon of Sriracha hot sauce

Steps:

  • In a big bowl, mix all of the ingredients for the burger and make five to seven patties from the mixture (depending on how big you want the patties to be)
  • In a smaller bowl, mix the ingredients for the sauce. Cover with a plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator until the burgers are ready to serve.
  • Grill the patties for seven minutes on each side.
  • Place the cheese on top of the patties when they’re almost done.
  • Warm up the buns or rolls on the grill for a minute or two.
  • Spread the sauce on the top and the bottom of the buns, drizzle a little on the patties, and stack the burgers.
  • Serve with roasted sweet peppers and artichoke hearts salad.

Harini Riana2 Comments

Chayote Squash in Spicy Broth

Chayote squash in spicy broth with shrimp (optional)

Revised by author on 8/29/2013

Another squash dish that I love is this chayote spicy soup. When I think of chayote, I always associate it with a cooling effect. Maybe because of its green color or its soft, watery, and refreshing texture once cooked. Though native to Latin America, this pear-shaped squash is often used in Indonesian cuisine too.

One favorite recipe of mine is to cook chayote in spicy broth. It makes such a wonderful side for a meat dish like my braised and broiled beef tongue. This squash recipe could also be turned into a main dish just by adding large shrimp. Serve with warm jasmine rice…mmm, perfection!

We will need:

  • 2 chayotes (peeled, cored, and quartered). Cover the quartered chayotes with salt for 5-10 minutes to get rid of the sap, rinse with water, and then julienne.

Chop and mix in a food processor:

  • 4 shallots
  • 1 tablespoon of minced garlic
  • 3-5 red hot finger peppers (substitute with 1 red bell pepper if you want it milder)
  • 3 Thai peppers (substitute with 1-2 red hot finger peppers)
  • ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder
  • Salt

For aroma:

  • 1 inch of galangal root (peeled and smashed)
  • 1 lemongrass (get rid of the very top and bottom part and then halve)

For the broth:

  • ½ can of light coconut milk
  • 1 box of chicken stock
  • 2-3 cups of water

Steps:

  • In a medium pot, mix chicken stock, spices from the food processor, galangal root, and lemongrass. Bring to boil.
  • Add coconut milk and stir to mix
  • Add the julienned chayote and cook for 5 minutes (Chayote cooks really fast – be careful not to overcook)

Serve 2

Harini Riana2 Comments

Braised and Broiled Beef Tongue

Braised and then Broiled Beef Tongue set on top of Chayote Squash

(Harini’s version of Empal Lidah – Origin: East Java)

For serious meat lovers, beef tongue has been known for its tenderness and succulence. Jeff “introduced” me to this meat a few years back. He ordered a delicious beef tongue dish (I don’t recall the name now) once when we dined at Chicago’s Colombian restaurant, Las Tablas (on Lincoln Ave.), and then again at El Llano (also on Lincoln). He said that the plate reminded him of a couple of Indonesian dishes he enjoyed so much: braised and pan-seared beef tongue and a beef tongue stew. I had never tried these dishes before and was intrigued. Jeff’s story  inspired me to make the braised and pan-seared one. The only difference I did was that after braising, I broiled the meat instead of pan searing it. Jeff and I would have this dish every now and then. When we have it, I usually pair it with a chayote squash in spicy broth and serve them together over white jasmine rice.

Chayote squash in spicy broth with shrimp (optional)

The way I like to cook beef tongue is to make the meat to be tender in the inside and crispy on the outside. Braising the meat for at least two hours and then broiling it a little bit inside of an oven work for my preference.

Here’s how I cook the meat:

First we will need:

  • 2 pounds of sliced (skinless) beef tongue. A little note about beef tongue for those who have never cooked it before: some grocery stores meat department may only carry the whole meat (not sliced).  If so, you’d have to remove the skin and fat by cooking the whole meat in a large pot for about 30 minutes, remove and let it cool, chop it into big chunks, and then cut off the skin and fat. The skin comes off easier when the meat is hot.
  • 2 cups of white vinegar

Chop and mix in a food processor:

  • 1 tablespoon of minced garlic
  • 6 shallots
  • 6 candlenuts
  • 1 teaspoon of coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon of ginger powder
  • Salt
  • Black pepper

For aroma:

  • 1 Lemongrass (Cut and throw away the very top and bottom part and then halve it)
  • 2 lime leaves
  • 1 inch of galangal root

Steps:

  • Place the whole meat in a large pot and cover it with water
  • Bring to boil and let cook for 30 minutes and then dump the water
  • Put the vinegar in a larger bowl that can be used to soak the meat
  • Cut the whole meat into larger chunks
  • Cut off the skin, trim away the fat, and throw them away
  • Slice the meat into 1/2 inch thick
  • Wash with water and then soak them in the vinegar bowl for 10 minutes and then drain
  • Return the meat in the larger pot and cover it again with water over medium heat
  • Add the chopped and mixed spices from the food processor along with lemongrass, lime leaves, and galangal root
  • Stir and mix well
  • Cover with a lid and let it cook for about 1 ½ to 2 hours or until liquid is reduced by ¾
  • Place the braised meat on an aluminum-foil-layered tray, broil in the oven with the door slightly ajar for about 5 minutes or until the outer part of the meat turns golden brown
  • Best served with white jasmine rice

Serve 4

Harini Riana1 Comment

Couscous Salad – A Side Dish

Cooking gives me a chance to expand my creativity and sense of taste. For someone who gets easily bored with food, learning and trying many combinations of ingredients, spices, and herbs is important. Recently I tried to expand my salad creativity. Though preparing salad isn’t cooking, finding a good balance and combination of color, taste, and texture matters as much as it is in cooking.

One day I had been in the mood for a hearty salad. I had couscous, garbanzo beans, grape tomatoes, baby arugula, and artichoke hearts. For the vinaigrette, I wanted something lemony and tangy but with a kick. I thought of my good friend Deniz while making this salad. Many moons ago, she taught me that couscous and garbanzo beans (and other fresh veggies too) made such a good combo.

I did this version of mine in no time at all. The result was this substantial and nourishing salad that worked well as a side dish to my grilled halibut or sea scallops (which I also served with my roasted butternut squash with Gouda and pine nuts).

Here’s how I make the salad:

  • Bring ½ cup of chicken stock to a boil
  • Turn off the heat and pour ½ cup of couscous, stir, cover, and let it sit for a minute. Once the couscous absorbs all of the liquid it swells up and becomes cooked and tender.
  • In a salad bowl mix the cooked couscous, a can of garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed), a handful of grape tomatoes (halved), a cup of baby arugula, and a few marinated artichoke hearts.
  • In a smaller bowl whisk ¼ cup of olive oil, salt, black pepper, a teaspoon of minced garlic, chili powder, lemon juice (from one lemon). Add a tablespoon of Sriracha hot chili sauce or a teaspoon of Tabasco hot sauce for an extra punch.
  • Drizzle the vinaigrette on the salad and mix
  • Serve 2-3 people 

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Spicy Beef Stew

(My version of Rendang. Origin: West Sumatra)

Rendang, a favorite

“It seems like many cultures have their own versions of beef stew.” my guy said last night as we tried a delicious Middle-Eastern style Okra and Beef Stew. I nodded in agreement as I thought of other beef stews, like the French beouf bourguignon or the Indonesian rendang, a spicy beef stew from the West Sumatra region (and surely, there are plenty more delicious stews from all around). Their taste might be different from each other but they all make wonderful, substantial, and nourishing meals. 

The beef-stew talk last night got me thinking about my spicy beef stew. I looked at my blog and realized that I have yet to write about it. This dish is one of my favorite dish. Traditionally prepared for special occasions, this stew takes a long time to cook. But, just like any other slow-cooked meal, the meat gets to be rich tasting and tender that it just melts in your mouth. This particular dish is less watery than what a stew would typically look like but wait until you taste the sauce. Oh the sauce! After cooking, the liquid that the meat stew in becomes this thick, spice filled, and mouthwatering sauce that I could just eat with rice or bread alone.

A few years back, my mom taught me how to make the dish from scratch. Well, actually, she only told me the five main ingredients: ginger root, galangal root, lemongrass, red hot peppers, and turmeric. When I asked about how much of each I should use, she said that I should try and figure it out myself! She said that was how her mother taught her. I guess we’re big on learning-by-doing in this family. It worked out though. After years of tasting, tweaking, and perfecting, I think I have developed a version that my guy and I like very much. 

Here’s my version of the stew.

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds of stew beef
  • 7-10 long red peppers, like Cayenne peppers (substitute with two red bell peppers if Cayenne is not available)
  • 5-7 Thai peppers (Note: Spicy. Please adjust accordingly)
  • 2 inches of ginger root (peeled)
  • 1 inch of galangal root (peeled)
  • 1 lemongrass (remove the the very top and bottom part)
  • 5-6 shallots
  • 2 tablespoon of minced garlic
  • 1 can of light coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
  • Salt

Steps:

Chop and mix the following in a food processor:

  • Long red peppers (or bell peppers), Thai peppers, ginger, galangal, shallots, and garlic
  • In a large pot, heat up a tablespoon of Canola oil over medium heat
  • Saute the chopped and mixed spices from the food processor for a minute or two
  • Add beef and stir to make sure it is well coated with the spices
  • Fill up the pot with water enough to cover the beef
  • Add lemongrass, turmeric, and salt
  • Stir well and then bring to boil
  • Add the light coconut milk and stir well
  • Reduce the heat just a little bit, cover the pot with a lid, and let it cook for another hour and a half to two hours until the liquid is reduced by 2/3 (until 1/3 of liquid left)
  • The meat should be fork tender when it’s done
  • Best served with white jasmine rice

Note: Since I enjoy the sauce from this dish SO much, I make my version to have more sauce than how the original would have.

Serve 2 generously

Harini Riana2 Comments

Mini Beef and Turkey Meatballs

I love these mini meatballs. They are great to serve as appetizers or to enjoy with pasta. Best of all, they are easy to prepare.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 pound of ground sirloin
  • 1/2 pound of ground turkey
  • 2 slices of bread (whatever kind you have to make toast: white, whole wheat, etc)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ginger powder
  • 1 tablespoon of minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon of black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon of chili powder
  • Salt
  • 1 bunch of asparagus (blanched)
Here’s how I prepare the meatballs:

In a big bowl, mix ground sirloin, ground turkey, egg, ginger, garlic, black pepper, chili powder, and salt. Dampen the bread with drinking water and mix them well with the other ingredients. With two hands, massage the mixture together until everything gets incorporated. Preheat oven to 350. Using your hands, shape the meatballs and place on a baking tray. Bake for 20-30 minutes. Serve with the asparagus and pour a little tomato pasta sauce on top of them.

For tomato sauce recipe, please see:

 Sweet Tomatoes!

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