Ingredients: A pound of boneless sirloin beef steak, a tbsp of vegetable oil, a clove of finely chopped garlic, quarter tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper, 2/3 cup beef broth, 1 tbsp cornstarch, 2 tbsp water, 1 tbsp soy sauce, a quarter tsp ground or grated ginger, 6 oz. frozen Chinese pea pods that have been thawed and the water drained out of them and hot rice to go with it.
Method: trim beef-fat and cut along the grain into two-inch strips; cutting across grain will require thinner slice measuring 1/4 inch; keep aside while you heat a wide pan on high heat for a couple of minutes before adding the oil and rotating the cookware to let it coat evenly with the grease, before adding the beef and garlic. Saute till brown and add in salt, pepper and the broth before heating to a boil. Add in the cornstarch, water and soy sauce in beef mixture, stirring continuously to avoid lumps until the mix thickens and comes to a boil; keep on boil for a minute, still stirring so sauce is just right. Toss in the ginger and pea pods, cooking another couple of minutes before serving with rice.
2.Shrimp Scampi
Ingredients: a tbsp olive or vegetable oil, 3/4 lb uncooked, de-veined medium sized shrimp, peeled and tail shells removed, a medium green onion that is finely chopped, a clove of garlic also finely sliced, 2 tsp each of fresh or basil and parley or 1/2 each if using dried version; a tbsp of lemon juice, 1/8 teaspoon salt and if you like the taste, then grated Parmesan cheese.
Method: in a wide pan, heat the oil on a medium flame before adding the shrimp and the other ingredients (not cheese), cooking for a few minutes and stirring till the shrimp turns pinkish. Avoid over-cooking as they can get tough otherwise - now take off the skillet from the burner and sprinkle cheese.
3.Pesto Chicken Sandwich
Ingredients: 10 oz ready-to-serve Italian pizza crusts that measure 7" in diameter, a tbsp of olive or vegetable oil, half cup finely chopped celery stalk, a cup of cut-up cooked chicken, one third cup basil pesto, 2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese and half cup shredded lettuce.
Method: warm up the pizza crusts and heat the oil in a wide pan over medium-high flame to stir-fry the celery for a few minutes; once it's crisp and done, lower the flame before adding in the pesto and chicken and cooking some more, till all ingredients are nice and hot. Place this mixture on pizza crusts, topping with cheese and lettuce then cut the crust in half to serve.
