Vietnamese Style Beef Stew

I have a love of Stew as it is one of those marvelous one pot meals that cooks on the stove for many hours and fills the house with the wonderful smell of something good to eat. I especially like stews when it is cold outside and we are having very stormy weather here in Seattle. Stews are one of those foods that is deeply warming and nourishing. And, because it cooks long and slow, it is considered almost predigested, which is so much easier for your Spleen and Stomach to handle.  So today I decided to make an Asian version of Beef Stew, much like the kind I sometimes order in one of my favorite Vietnamese restaurants. I asked them what was in it and they kindly gave me the ingredients, but without the amounts so I had to guess. I ended up with a stew that I liked even better than theirs, but I'm not going to tell them that. The biggest difference is that my stew is not as sweet as I'm more into savory flavors, but it still has the deeply exotic flavor created by the combination of Star Anise, Cinnamon and Fish Sauce. In Vietnamese restaurants, they serve this stew with a freshly toasted baguette - I used a Gluten free version and also some Asian Pickles and it was one of the most satisfying meals I have had in a very long time. This stew is so delicious that it will become one of my standards from this point on!

Vietnamese Style Beef Stew

2 1/2 pounds Beef Chuck, cut into 1 inch cubes

2 Tablespoons Oil

1 very large or 2 medium onions, chopped

1 Red Jalapeño, thinly sliced with seeds removed (can also use Green Jalapeño if you want it hotter)

2 whole Star Anise 

1 Cinnamon Stick

2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

2 - 3 Tablespoons Fish Sauce

2 Tablespoons Tamari

3 cups Beef Broth

3 large Carrots, peeled and cut into 1' chunks

12 Button Mushrooms, washed and stems cut
1 Tablespoon Cornstarch mixed with 2 Tablespoons Water

In a large heavy pot, heat the Oil and put in the Onions.  Cook for about 8 - 10 minutes or until they just start to brown on the edges. Add in the beef and cook until it just starts losing its' red color. Add in the Star Anise, the sliced Jalapeño, the Cinnamon Stick, the Fish Sauce, the Brown Sugar and the Beef Broth.  Bring to a boil and return heat to low. Cook covered for 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Add the carrots and Mushrooms and cook for 15 minutes more.  Stir in Cornstarch Slurry and stir, cooking for an additional 5 minutes. Serve with a crusty Baguette.  

Five Element Analysis

Beef is part of the Earth Element and the Carrots, Brown Sugar and Mushrooms add even more. And, stewing is a very Earthy form of cooking.  However, the Onions, Star Anise and Cinnamon bring in the Metal Element and the Jalapeño, Red or Green contributes the Fire Element and the Fish Sauce and Tamari add in the Water Element. Therefore, only the Wood Element is missing, so serve this with a regular Baguette if you aren't going Gluten Free as wheat flour belongs to the Wood Element or serve with some green vegetables or some sour Asian Pickles like I did to create a Five Element balance.

Spicy Millet Salad

I was recently in Hamburg teaching and my friends bought me this wonderful salad. It was so delicious that it was one of the first things I made when I came home. It's nurturing in a way that reminds me of Couscous but the good news is that it is a gluten free grain. It's also easy to make if you are a Vegetarian - just change out the Chicken Broth for Vegetable Broth instead. Millet is a very ancient grain used all over the world and it is simply not used enough in the Western diet. It is full of B Vitamins and Calcium and is very nourishing for the digestive system. I love Millet and I just couldn't stop eating this salad - it is that good! Hope you like it too....

Spicy Millet Salad

1 cup Millet

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2 cups Chicken Broth or Vegetable Broth

2 Roma Tomatoes, cored and minced

1/3 cup chopped Parsley

1/4 cup chopped Green Onion tops

2 Tablespoons minced Red Onion

1 - 2  Red Jalapeño or Red Fresno Chili, stem and seeds removed, sliced thinly

1/2 teaspoon Salt 

Black Pepper to taste

In a pot (with a lid), heat the Olive Oil and put in the Millet. Toast the Millet for a few minutes and then add in the Broth and Tomatoes. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Take off the heat and leave to sit for an additional 10 minutes. Then fluff with a fork.  Cool and then mix in Parsley, Green Onion tops, Red Onion and Red Chiles. Add the Salt and Pepper and mix thoroughly.  Let sit for at least 15 minutes or refrigerate to serve later. The flavors get better with some time.  

Five Element Analysis

Millet as a yellow grain belongs to the Earth Element. The Chicken Broth and Olive Oil bring in the Wood Element. The Fire Element is represented by the Red Chili and the Tomatoes. The Parsley, Green Onion tops and Red Onion contribute the Metal Element. Only the Water Element is missing, so this would be a great side dish to Fish.

Quince Poached with Honey and Lemon

I'm visiting my son and daughter-in-law in Germany and we had a fun day yesterday in Weisbaden shopping for specialty foods at the Karstad grocery store. One of the things I could not pass up was some fresh Quince.  Quince has a beautiful fragrant smell and while it is very hard when raw, it becomes soft and tender when cooked. It also goes from a pale yellow to a beautiful rosy color.  It is a magical fruit!

Today, I poached it in a mixture of honey and lemon instead of my usual sugar and cinnamon and I have to say that it was absolutely wonderful! Quince has other wonderful medicinal properties in Chinese Medicine. It relaxes the tendons and relieves all kinds of cramping - in the legs or elsewhere in the body and it relieves dampness. So here is another really healthy food and a delicious one too. I had it plain, but they had it with lightly sweetened whipped cream on top. It's also good on yogurt or oatmeal in the morning.  This is a simple way to add this wonderful and delicious fruit to your meals!

Quince Poached with Honey and Lemon

3 Quince, peeled, cored and cut into 1" chunks

2 cups Water

1/3 cup Sugar

3 Tablespoons Honey

Juice of 1/2 large Lemon

Mix Water, Sugar, Honey and Lemon Juice together in a medium sized pot. Heat and cook until the Sugar is dissolved. Add in the Quince and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the Quince pieces can be pierced easily with a fork.  This can take from 1 - 2 hours.  Cool and serve as a dessert or as an addition to oatmeal or another warm breakfast cereal or yogurt. It can also be canned.  

Five Element Analysis

Quince is considered a Sour Fruit and is Greenish/Yellow when ripe so it is a Wood food and the lemon adds even more Wood. Sugar and Honey contribute the Earth Element so this then is a Wood and Earth food that will bring these elements to a meal missing them to create a Five Element balance.

Delicata Squash and Chard Salad with Sweet Chili Dressing

I bought a Delicata Squash the other day and I've never actually cooked one before - I usually stick with Butternut or Acorn Squash. What's different about Delicata is that the peel is edible and beautiful with it's dark green stripes. And you know I love food to be beautiful! So, I decided to make it in a way that my German Grandfather, Frank Rubright liked to make squash. He would cut it in half, take out the seeds and cook the squash cut side down in an oiled cast iron skillet until it was done. Of course, I modified this technique just a bit creating a bit of steam as well to cook it a little faster. What ends up happening is that the layer of the squash that is in contact with the pan gets caramelized and the rest of the squash stays soft. It gives you two textures with one cooking method. Then, you cut of the squash into thin slices, add it to cut up Swiss Chard leaves and drizzle it all with a salad dressing made of Thai Sweet Chili Sauce, pieces of a Navel Orange and Rice Vinegar. This combination creates a delicious and different kind of dressing - a little bit spicy and sweet, with the Orange and Rice Vinegar adding some tang to balance the flavor. Since it's now Squash Season, this dish is one that you need to try!

Delicata Squash and Chard Salad with Sweet Chili Dressing

1 Delicata Squah (as small and narrow as possible), cut in half, seeds scraped out

1 Tablespoon of Vegetable Oil 
1/2 cup Water

1 bunch of Swiss Chard, washed, pulled from the stems and torn into small pieces.

1 Navel Orange, peeled and cut up into small pieces, reserve juice from cutting

2 Tablespoons Thai Chili Garlic Sauce
1 clove Garlic minced

2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
Pepper to taste

Oil a cast iron skillet and heat over medium heat until hot.  Put the Delicata Squash cut side down and cook until browned.  Then add 1/2 cup water and cover and cook until the water is    absorbed.  Remove squash from the pan and cut into thin slices - cut slices in half again if too large.

In a small bowl, mix together the Thai Chili Garlic Sauce, Garlic, Rice Vinegar, reserved Orange Juice and Vegetable Oil. Toss in the Orange pieces. Put Swiss Chard on a plate and add the pieces of Squash. Drizzle with the dressing to serve.  


Five Element Analysis

Squash belongs to the Earth Element and the sweetness of the Thai Chili Garlic Sauce makes this salad even Earthier. The Swiss Chard, Orange and Rice Vinegar contribute the Wood Element. The Garlic brings in the Metal Element and the Chili in the Thai Chili Garlic Sauce and Pepper add some Fire. Only the Water Element is missing so this would be great served with Fish or some other seafood, or Pork to create a Five Element meal.

Vegetable "Bone" Broth

I was just teaching at CICM in Reading, England and a number of the students there asked me how to make the equivalent of Bone Soup for Vegetarians, which of course is made out of bones, and the answer is lots of root vegetables!  The purpose of Bone Soup (a previous post) is to enhance the mineral content of the body. The Bone Soups made of bones work by leaching the minerals out of Pork Bones, Chicken Bones and Beef Bones. This Vegetable Bone Soup gets the minerals out of the vegetables instead and it is very good for your bones! So, what's important when you are making a Vegetarian Bone Soup is that you leave the peels on the vegetables as that is where most of the minerals are. I like to brown the first group of vegetables - Onion, Carrots, Parsnips, Leeks and Turnips and Celery in Olive Oil to get them a bit caramelized. Then I add in the liquid and the other vegetables. If you want to make it a richer flavor, you can add in some tomatoes, which I often do but didn't have any today here at my friend's house in Bath. You can also use many other vegetables and even potatoes depending on what you have on hand.  Basically, the more vegetables you add, the richer the flavor and mineral content of the soup.  Or, you use Vegetable Broth to enhance the flavor, but I like the clean, pure flavor of this soup without the prepackaged broth. I'm not a Vegetarian, but this soup really satisfies. You can just drink the broth, but I like to eat the vegetables too.  It feeds your Kidneys and Bones because it is full of minerals and best of all, it  tastes so good!

Vegetable "Bone" Broth

1 large Onion, peeled and chopped

2 - 3 Carrots, stem ends removed and chopped up (do not peel)

1 - 2 Parsnips, stem ends removed and chopped up (do not peel)

1 Turnip, stem ends removed and chopped up (do not peel)

2 stalks of Celery cut into small pieces

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Leek, White and Pale Green part only, cut in quarters and sliced, then washed

8 cups Water

2 teaspoons Sea Salt

1/2 Savoy Cabbage, chopped

Handful of Green Beans, stem end removed and cut into small pieces

Optional:  2 Roma Tomatoes, stem end removed and cut into small pieces. Winter Squash, cut into small pieces, and/or Broccoli and Cauliflower or Potatoes cut up with the peels left on.

In a large soup pot, put in the Olive Oil and heat.  Add in the Onion, Leeks, Carrots, Parsnips, Turnip and Celery. Cook until the onions soften and just begin to brown. Add in the Water and Salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Add in the Cabbage and Green Beans and any other vegetables and cook an additional 10 minutes or until all vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with Pepper before serving.  

Five Element Analysis

Carrots, Parsnips and Cabbage belong the Earth Element and the Turnip adds even more, although it is a pungent vegetable so it is also considered a Metal food. The Onion and Leek contribute even more of the Metal Element. The Celery and Green Beans bring in the Wood Element and a broth Soup by it's very nature is part of the Water Element.  Only the little bit of Pepper contributes the Fire Element, so it is wise to add the Tomatoes to make this a Five Element Soup!

Kelly's Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

I forgot to post this recipe last month while visiting my friend Kelly, but I liked it so much that I wanted to share it with you. This is a simple dish that makes Brussels Sprouts taste amazing and I liked it so much that I am going to serve it for Thanksgiving. It's a sauté of Bacon and Brussels Sprouts cooked together and then steam-fried briefly with Chicken Broth and sprinkled with pepper. Kelly used a package of Bacon pieces from Trader Joe's that was quite lean so she actually had to add some Olive Oil to make the sauté work.  The Bacon and Chicken Broth combination make the Brussels Sprouts more savory than usual and take away that boiled cabbage taste and smell that bothers so many people. It is a delicious dish and could make almost anyone a Brussels Sprout lover!

Kelly's Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

1 pound Brussels Sprouts, stem end trimmed and cut into quarters

1/2 cup of Bacon, cut up

1 cup of Chicken Broth

1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil (If needed)

Ground Pepper to taste

Put Bacon pieces in a large frying pan and cook until the fat starts to render.  Add Olive Oil if  the Bacon is lean. Then add in Brussels Sprouts and Saute until they just start to brown, stirring frequently. Pour in the Chicken Broth and cook on high heat until the Chicken Broth nearly evaporates, stirring often.  Sprinkle with fresh Ground Pepper and serve.

Five Element Analysis

Brussels Sprouts are a combination of the Wood Element because they grow on stalks and also the Earth Element because they are like miniature Cabbages and quite sweet when cooked. The Bacon adds in the Water Element and the Chicken Broth contributes more of the Wood Element.  The Pepper brings in just a hint of the Fire Element. This is not a balanced dish by itself and would be best served with a meal that brings in foods from the Metal Element and from the Fire Element to create balance. 

Baked Salmon with Tamari-Mayo Glaze

I have guests visiting from Germany right now and of course I want to show them the sights of Seattle, which always includes a visit to Pike Place Market. While I am there, I take advantage of the incredibly fresh seafood, so I usually bring home a couple of Salmon Filets to make for my friends and I want to make it easy so I usually bake the salmon. Years ago, I got a recipe for a glaze for Salmon that I forget to use. It's a combination of Tamari and Best Foods (Hellman's) Mayonnaise with a little Lemon Juice added to it. It's simple, but it is magical. The glaze turns into something else altogether and what it does that is best (no pun intended) is to coat the Salmon so it doesn't dry out during the baking process. To make it even better, turn up the heat at the last minute to broil to create a bubbling browned surface. It's so good! And, it's good for you too. Salmon is full of Essential Fatty Acids - Omega 3s and Vitamin D. So here's another way to make Salmon that is perfect when you have guests as it cooks so beautifully without any watching, leaving you time to get the rest of the meal prepared.

Baked Salmon with Tamari-Mayo Glaze

3 pounds of Salmon - filleted

2 Tablespoons Oil

1 cup Best Foods Mayonnaise (or Hellmans)

3 Tablespoons Tamari

2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice (Juice of one Lemon)

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Oil a large baking pan and then place Salmon Filets on it.  Spread half of the Tamari-Mayo Glaze on each piece of Salmon. Place in the oven and bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until fish just starts to flake in the largest sections. Turn the broiler on and cook for just a few minutes longer until the glaze starts to brown. Remove from oven and serve with additional slices of lemon and Tartar Sauce if desired (previous post).

Five Element Analysis

Salmon most definitely belongs to the Water Element and the Tamari adds even more. Baking it brings in a bit of the Fire Element.  The Lemon Juice contributes a bit of the Wood Element and the Mayonnaise represents the Metal Element. To make a balanced meal, be sure to add an Earth food and some more Fire Food too. I like to serve this with Potatoes and a big salad to create a Five Element balance.