Name: Tempura Asparagus with Soy Dipping
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Yield: 4-6 people
Ingredients: 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce; 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar; 2 tbsp water; 2 tsp brown sugar (lightly packed); 2 cloves minced garlic; 2 tsp sesame oil; 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger; 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions; as needed canola or peanut oil; 1 cup ice cold water; 1 cup all purpose flour; 1/4 cup white wine; 1 large egg; 2 tbsp cornstarch; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1/4 tsp salt; 2 bunches asparagus

Beef & Snow Pea Stir Fry

by Compelled to Cook | May 5, 2023 | FEATURE RECIPE | 0 comments

Beef & Snow Pea Stir Fry

Hello everyone!! It’s been awhile since my last blog post and I am excited to share my Beef & Snow Pea Stir Fry. At times life calls for focus elsewhere, and far away to elsewhere I went. There was a time when I would have exhausted myself to do it all, but to what end I had to ask myself. As I get older, I realize that I am a priority as much as anything and doing something for the sake of just getting it done is not the same as doing it for the joy it brings me. Sooo, now that I have moved, dealt with the death of my mother, moved again, cleaned up a hoarder’s home, renovated my own home and assisted my father with a broken femur, I am ready to get back to me. And by me, I mean food of course LOL!

I’ve truly missed being part of the foodie community and participating in my passion. This creative outlet and meaningful pursuit bring me a lot of joy. I’m also very excited to share that I’ve finally stepped into the world of video. It’s been great to learn and challenge myself, and I’m sure that my “being on camera” nerves will calm as it becomes my norm. You can find me on YouTube @compelledtocook and as time goes I will include videos here on the blog for some of my existing posts. My channel is very new and I still have plenty to learn and improve upon, but I hope you’ll join me in my endeavour. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a great recipe video. If you’ve been hanging around wondering if I’d ever post again, I thank you for your patience, and if you’re new to my blog, I welcome you.

Beef & Snow Pea Stir Fry is quick, simple and flavourful. Thinly sliced beef gets fried quickly over high heat to keep it tender, while crisp and healthy snow peas balance the umami “ish” sauce. Let’s talk about the beef for a moment. There are several cuts that work well, and I have a couple of tricks to create tender, silky beef. My cuts of choice are tenderloin, strip loin or flank steak. Regardless of the cut you choose it is imperative that you cut it thinly across the natural grain of the meat to ensure a chewable bite.

The second trick is to add a small amount of baking soda (mixed with soy sauce) to the slices and allow to marinate. The baking soda helps to break down the meat fibres and create a silky texture. If using tenderloin, the need to marinate is less because it’s already a very tender cut of meat, however, I still do. Just marinate it for a shorter length of time, about 30-60 minutes. If using other cuts I recommend marinating for 1-2 hours. Please know that more soda does NOT mean more tender. It only adds a sharp taste to the meat, so resist the urge to do so. Beef and Snow Pea Stir Fry is wonderful served over rice or your favourite noodle. Enjoy!

Author: Compelled to Cook

Beef & Snow Pea Stir Fry

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 10

Marinating time 1

Total Time 1 30

Servings 4

Ingredients

Beef

10 ounces beef, thinly sliced across the grain, see notes
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp baking soda

Stir Fry

10-12 ounces snow peas
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup beef broth, cold
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
3/4 tsp sugar
1/4-1/2 tsp red chili flakes
as needed canola oil
as needed scallions, thinly sliced
as needed sesame seeds

Instructions

Beef

Toss beef with ginger and minced garlic.
In a small bowl stir together soy sauce and baking soda. Pour over beef and mix well to evenly coat the beef slices (I use my hands to ensure it's mixed well). Set in the fridge to marinate for 30-120 minutes depending on cut used. (see notes)
While the beef is marinating whisk together beef broth and cornstarch (see notes). Stir in oyster sauce, sugar and chili flakes.

Stir Fry

Prep snow peas by trimming the ends and removing the side string.
Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat and add a generous splash of oil. When the oil is hot add the beef, separating the slices with your hands as you add it. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until just cooked through and starting to brown. Remove to a clean bowl and cover.
Add the 1/4 cup of water and snow peas to the wok and cook uncovered for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until most of the water has cooked off and the peas are starting to soften but are still slightly crisp (they will continue to cook in the sauce).
Add the sauce to the snow peas and cook for about a minute, stirring until the sauce fully thickens. Add the beef and stir to combine and warm.
Serve over rice or desired noodles and garnish with scallions and sesame seeds.

Notes

-Several cuts of beef will work. I enjoy tenderloin or strip loin, however, flank steak will work well too. Be sure to cut the beef into thin strips across the grain.

-If using tenderloin, marinating for 30-60 minutes is enough, it's already a tender cut. If using strip loin or flank 1-2 hours is best.

-Cornstarch dissolves better in cool liquids, so if your broth is hot, allow it to cool first. It will also dissolve better in the broth as opposed to the thick oyster sauce.

Product Favourites!

Wor Wonton Soup

by Compelled to Cook | May 16, 2021 | SOUP | 2 comments

Wor Wonton Soup

You’ll want to skip the takeout when you can make flavour-packed Wor Wonton Soup at home. It’s incredibly easy and quick once all the components are ready. I prefer to make homemade wontons and pork for this recipe because both are just so much better than store-bought in my opinion. I’ve included links for both, so I encourage you to be adventurous and try both. For this soup, I’ve chosen to use broccoli and carrots for my vegetables, however, feel free to sub in baby bok choy, water chestnuts, snow peas or baby corn to suit your liking.

Prepped pork wontons, pork char sui, shrimp and vegetables ready for Wor Wonton Soup.

The biggest trick to Wor Wonton Soup is the timing. I’ve dabbled with several different timing arrangements and found that the vegetables will cook in the same time it takes the wontons to cook. Therefore, adding them to the simmering broth at the same time is essential. Overcooking either is undesirable, to say the least. The same can be said for the shrimp and pork too. The shrimp will cook in no more than 2 minutes and the pork only needs to be warmed as it’s already cooked. So be sure to stick around the pot, the whole process takes only 4-5 minutes, so it’s not the time to do even the quickest of choirs.

I’ve included links for the Pork Char Siu and Pork Wontons. The extra pork can be tightly wrapped in a sealable bag and frozen for up to two months. The wontons can also be frozen in a single layer and then placed in a sealable container for up to a month. Extra wontons are easily cooked in a little broth, deep-fried or pan-fried. Trust me, they will not go to waste!! This is a wonderful soup that eats like a meal and it’s easier than you might think. Enjoy!

Pork Char Siu

Crispy Wontons

Author: Compelled to Cook