Good thing I wasn't creating a menu to impress someone, borscht and stir fry? Well, Fern came home from the farmers market with a bunch of beets. I don't like beets as a vegetable but I love borscht so it was almost pre ordained. I was planning on some kind of beef stew but when I got to the store the best value was some stir fry beef shavings. Beef, ginger and broccoli is a favourite we haven't had for a while so I picked up some bean sprouts (Fern likes them), broccoli, mushrooms and ginger as well. I put some sour cream in my basket and headed out with not a single thought to the menu I planned.
When I got home I realized I was pairing Ukrainian and Asian dishes. I thought about the two flavour profiles and decided if I used only sesame oil, soy sauce and ginger in the beef the flavours wouldn't clash. So that's what I did. I sweated a shallot and a clove of garlic then added salt, paprika and the cubed beets and covered them with beef stock. I let that simmer for an hour then serve it with a dollop of sour cream. Simple and satisfying.
Next I sweated a shallot and two cloves of garlic. Then I seared the sliced mushrooms followed by the beef. I had the broccoli steaming so it could be added at the last minute and rice cooking in the microwave. I put the bean sprouts in with the beef and tossed it together. I sprinkled half a teaspoon of flour over the pan to thicken it a bit. I added soy sauce and grated ginger to the pan and finally the broccoli. I served over the rice. It was very good. I wouldn't say it was a harmonious pairing but it wasn't obnoxious either and we both finished full. The dogs loved both the food and the more food.
No comments:
Post a Comment