Sweet Tomato Beef Recipe

Tomato beef is one of those meals I make when I'm in a rush. The beef needs to marinate in rice wine, soy sauce and ginger for a few minutes. Once you're ready to cook, sprinkle on a little tapioca starch and sauté the beef with ketchup-hoisin mixture and fresh tomatoes.

The sweetness and tanginess from the fresh tomatoes and ketchup make the dish absolutely delicious. I added sugar snap peas for crunch and served with steamed jasmine rice. It’s a great weekday meal when you’re pressed for time.

Beet Green and Sugar Snap Pea Salad Recipe

Did you know that beet leaves are edible? This season, my husband Lulu planted chiles, zucchini, squash, tomatoes and beets. The beets came out a lot smaller than I expected but maybe it's just because Lulu wasn't patient enough to wait. The beet roots were so small that I decided against serving them by themselves. However, there were plenty of beet greens. I boiled the beet leaves as I would with spinach and made a salad.  You could probably eat the beet leaves raw if they're crisp and young, but to ensure the girls would enjoy the salad I boiled them a bit. Just make sure to pick young leaves, as they are quite tender, with little bitterness. Interestingly, when boiled they taste almost like rau mồng tơi, which is a Vietnamese green if you're familiar with Asian cuisine.

I finished the beet leaf salad with sugar snap peas for crunch and mandarin segments. It was an educational experience for me, and I can definitely say that beet leaves are quite under-rated. They're packed with vitamins A and C and iron.

I reserved the small beets that Lulu had harvested and made beet risotto for dinner. It’s a tasty way to extend the value of a small quantity of beets.

Chicken Chow Mein Noodles

I prepare Chicken Chow Mein with king mushrooms, tofu, broccoli, sugar snap peas, green beans, carrots and red bell peppers. The dish couldn't be simpler to make, and is definitely a family favorite. It's a great alternative to pasta, and it's an excellent way to make use of leftovers. I often combine the leftover chicken from my poulet roti with whatever vegetables we have on hand.

Chow Mein is one of the few dishes I can cook where it's very easy to make both vegetarian and meat versions simultaneously. I just set aside a portion of the dish before I add chicken to the rest.