Vietnamese-Style Beef Salad Recipe

Though I live in a house full of vegetarians, once in a while, I enjoy a tender and juicy steak. I’ve been getting the urge lately, so I bought a sirloin steak to satisfy my cravings. This time around I marinated it in an Asian-inspired sweet and savory sauce. I combined sugar, coriander, chiles, soy sauce, garlic, lime juice; the ingredients are very common in Vietnamese cuisine.

The meat doesn't require a long marinating time, which I love. A quick sear and you’ll have a perfectly juicy steak. I let the meat cool to temperature, then slice it into long strips against the grain, so the meat remains tender. The beef is scattered over a bed of mixed Vietnamese mint, cilantro and lettuce leaves, along with a bowl of rice vermicelli noodles, bean sprouts, shredded cucumber and pickled carrots and daikon. My condiment of choice though: nước mắm (Vietnamese fish sauce). It may not be on your list, but it’s one of my favorites. No matter what you serve with this steak though, you will have a delicious meal!

Pomegranate Chicken Recipe

I've been wanting to cook with pomegranates for some time, but for some reason I keep postponing the experiment. We've harvested a lot of sweet, juicy and delicious pomegranates in the last 4-5 months , but what can I say, I'm a procrastinator, so I’ve waited until the very last fruit ripened on our tree to give it a shot. I should learn from my mother-in-law, who has been diligently extracting the juice for my father-in-law regularly this winter.

Like I said, I only had one fruit, so I used it as garnish for a chicken dish. To reinforce the pomegranate flavor, I made a glaze for the chicken with pomegranate paste, sumac and orange juice. The acidity of the fruit is an unconventional meat tenderizer, but very effective. The chicken came out moist, flavorful and succulent. It’s definitely worth making again, and not waiting till the last minute to do so! 

Chicken Cordon Bleu Recipe

Cordon bleu is a French chicken dish. I used boneless chicken thighs but you could use chicken breasts as well or even turkey. First, the meat is sliced in half, horizontally, so the chicken can be stuffed. A thin slice of cold cut smoked turkey (or traditionally, ham) and cheese are inserted into the slit. Then, the piece of chicken is transferred from an egg batter to a breading dish.

I pan-fried the chicken and finished the cooking in the oven. The chicken came out crispy on the outside and moist on the inside with cheese oozing onto the pan. The smoked turkey adds saltiness to the dish and pairs perfectly with the melting cheese and the milder chicken.

Thanksgiving Leftovers: Shepherd's Pie Recipe

Shepherd's pie is my way of turning two Thanksgiving leftover dishes into one beautiful, delicious meal. We always have excess mashed potatoes and turkey and this is a great way to give them a second (or third in the case of the turkey) life.

To start, I make a brunoise, which is a blend of same-sized and shaped diced leeks, turnips, carrots. Tomatoes and shredded leftover turkey are also added to complete the mixture.

Layered over the turkey brunoise is a generous helping of fluffy mashed potatoes. A sprinkle of Dubliner cheese seals the dish. Finally, shepherd's pie is baked until golden. Voilà!! I actually prefer this to the original roast turkey. It’s got such an intense flavor and a wonderful contrast of textures and colors. It may be called shepherd’s pie, but it is a dish fit for a king.

Gnocchi in Bolognese Sauce

Bolognese gnocchi is comfort food at its best. And with the chilly temperature we've been having this week in the Bay Area, a warm bowl of potato gnocchi pasta in Bolognese sauce fits the bill.

It took some time to complete the meal but it was so worth it. I made everything from scratch. I started by simmering Bolognese sauce for over an hour. While the beef and tomatoes were cooking down in the sauce, I mashed potatoes and added flour to form the gnocchi. I also added roasted turnip to give texture to the dish.

I didn't add cheese to the dish because I've been trying to be healthy and hit the gym regularly, but I'm sure a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese wouldn't hurt the flavor. It’s up to you!