Vegetarian Moo Shu

Adapting a Chinese food favorite for home made, lighter, meat-free option.  Using some pre-made items, like sauce and veggie mixes.  I do not use the traditional pancakes with this recipe..I just serve in a bowl or with brown rice.

Ingredients:
1 bag of pre-made cole slaw mix of your preference (I like the ones with carrots or even tiny bits of kale)
1 8 oz package mushrooms (can be button, shiitake, etc, or a blend of your favorites), sliced
1 package fresh bean sprouts
2 stalks green onion, sliced (separate green and white sections)
2 large eggs, whisked
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 tbs sesame oil
1/4 to 1/2 c hoisin sauce (to your taste)
2 tbs soy sauce (optional)

Instructions:
1.  Scramble the eggs in a pan over medium heat until cooked through and set aside.  You can scramble into an omelet shape and slice later, or you can cook the eggs into "crumbles"
2. In the same pan, add some veg oil or peanut oil and a bit of sesame oil and heat over medium.  All the veggies in this order so that harder ones can soften more.  I cook each about a minute and add the next item...

     -- Red bell pepper
     -- sliced mushrooms
     -- bean sprouts
     -- cole slaw mix
     -- white parts of green onion

3.  Add hoisin and stir in thoroughly.  The amount of sauce should cover everything, but not be thick.
4.  Add scrambled eggs.
5.  Reduce to low and cover the pan to let the ingredients cook together until soft, but still have nice bite.
6.  If you like, you can add a little soy sauce, or additional sesame oil for flavor (be careful how much of each are added as their flavors are strong.  Stir in all ingredients thoroughly).
7. Top with green parts of green onion

Other things that you can adjust for your taste, include:
 - more scrambled egg
 - fancy mushrooms
 - for more onion add more of the green tops into the cooking time
 - other veggies that you like.  I can see adding more carrot or a julienne of zucchini,
 - top with toasted sesame seeds (toast them in a pan on the stove top and sprinkle)
 - top with meat or tofu.  I separated the portions I was going to save in the fridge and added a small portion of pre-cooked chicken and incorporated into what remained on the stove.  If you want to add meat, I would season and saute the slices of chicken or pork and remove from the pan before starting the veggies.  Then incorporate the meat at the end.  If you want to do tofu, just drain and press some firm tofu, cut it into bars and cover in seasoned cornstarch.  You can fry in a pan to get a crust and add to the veggies at the end.  I like making the entire dish vegetarian and adding meat later so I can choose whether to eat meat or not.
  - you could add minced garlic or ginger if you like the punch of flavor
 - if you dont like bagged cole slaw mix, you can definitely make this out of cabbage, carrots, broccoli slaw and probably even brussels sprout mixes.

Converting Cuban Ropa Vieja to Instant Pot or Crock Pot

Ingredients
1 flank steak
1 large yellow onion, julienned
1 green bell pepper, julienned (if you have red bell pepper, or prefer red, that’s fine)
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper
1 small can tomato sauce (the really little ones)
2 tbs tomato paste (if you only have kind of tomato – sauce or paste – you can always make do; I just think adding a little paste makes it richer)
1 tsp Powdered Cumin
1 tsp Powdered oregano
Optional garlic powder if you don’t have fresh garlic on hand
½ c cheap dry white cooking sherry (I buy the cheap $1.99 Goya brand in the Hispanic aisle, but any other dry sherry is fine)
Olive oil
Lemon juice 
1 dried bay leaf
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Optional green olives stuffed with red pimentos 

Marinate your flank steak in a little lemon juice, salt and pepper (1/2 hour to overnight)


For Crock Pot

• Drizzle olive oil to just cover the bottom of a crock pot and drop in the marinated flank steak
• Drop in onion / peppers / garlic and arrange around the steak
• Sprinkle spices over everything.  If you did not have fresh garlic, add about 1 tsp of powdered garlic. Add the bay leaf.
• Pour tomato sauce and tomato paste on top of the steak and veggies. 
• Pour cooking sherry in.
• If you like green olives, throw in a handful.  If you don't like a lot of salt, put in half the salt now and add some more later if it needs it.  Otherwise, throw in the salt too.
• Close up the crockpot and put on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. If you happen to be home, I like to mix around the sauce and veggies around halfway through.
• To serve, cut the steak down the middle length-wise, then shred the beef.  Mix into the veggies and sauce. Serve alone or over rice or quinoa

For Instant Pot

• Cover the bottom of the IP with olive oil and turn to saute on the Medium setting.  
• When it's hot, drop in the onion and bell pepper.  Saute until soft and put in the minced garlic. (For IP, make sure nothing is "stuck" to the bottom)
• Pour in dry wine/cooking sherry and mix in with sauteed veggies.
• Sprinkle spices over everything.  If you did not have fresh garlic, add about 1 tsp of powdered garlic. Add the bay leaf.
• Drop the marinated flank steak on top of the onion / peppers / garlic.  If you steak is too long, you can cut and layer it.
• Pour tomato sauce and tomato paste on top of the steak and veggies.  Stir it around a little. 
• If you like green olives, throw in a handful.  If you don't like a lot of salt, put in half the salt now and add some more later if it needs it.  Otherwise, throw in the salt too.
• Close up the IP and make sure the pressure valve is open.
• Turn to Slow Cooker setting.  Set temperature to high and set for approx 4-5 hours.  If you want to leave it overnight, try 7-8 on Medium.
• To serve, take the meat out on a cutting board, cut down the middle length-wise, then shred and put back into the veggies and sauce. Mix thoroughly.  
• Serve alone or over rice or quinoa

2010-12-28 Slow Cooking

Pot Roast
Originally uploaded by NeetsBeat

I received a Slow Cooker for my birthday and I've just been having a whale of time deciding what to christen it with. I finally settled on a Pot Roast.

It doesn't look that great in the pic but it was pretty tasty. I could tweak it a little for flavor next time.