Mongolian Beef

I have been in a cooking rut lately. I know what you're thinking (Whaaaaat? Isn't she supposed to LOVE cooking?!) and I am thinking the same thing. Mostly I'm just tired and by the time dinnertime rolls around I just don't have the energy to pull something together which stems from me not having the energy to put together a menu at the beginning of the week so dinnertime is now a dilemma about what to make and what I don't have in my pantry and refrigerator. But thank you Pinterest for coming to my rescue again!

Now, when I was first married and living in Utah, my cooking skills were nonexistant (pasta and sauce for dinner anyone? Like canned sauce with no meat or anything? Ew). I still cooked dinner most nights, but one of my husbands and my favorite places to eat was P.F. Chang's. Yum. I think I'm drooling just thinking about it. When we lived in Cleveland it was right down the street. Now that we're settled in Washington, the closest one is an hour away in Seattle. Boo!

I digress. So, when we went to P.F. Changs we would always order lettuce wraps (you can find the knock-off recipe here) and Mongolian Beef. We always ordered a few entrees so we could have leftovers, but we always ordered Mongolian Beef first. It was just so tasty! So when I found this recipe on Pinterest, I decided to give it a try.

Disclaimer: No where in this recipe did it mention P.F. Changs, and after making it I see that it isn't a knock off of the recipe. There are "knock off" recipes out there, and believe me when I say I'm going to make those too! This one is actually a little different, the meat isn't crispy like P.F. Chang's but it is still soooo good. Trust me! And another plus? It was all made in ONE WOK. For those nights that I'm not feeling ambitious, a one pot dinner sounds about right (minus the one I used to cook the rice). This is super easy and was made in no time.

The kicker? My kids looooved it. It's seriously a winner if my picky picky kids will eat it!

Mongolian Beef

by Girls in Aprons, from pinkbites.com

1 lb of flank steak, thinly sliced crosswise (or use whatever kind of steak you want!)
1/4 cup of cornstarch
3 teaspoons of canola oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon of grated ginger
1 tablespoon of chopped garlic (about 2 -3 large cloves)
1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup of soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
3 large green onions, sliced crosswise into thirds

Pat your steak slices dry and mix with cornstarch. Make sure they are all well coated, then place in a strainer and shake off excess cornstarch.

Mix together the water, soy sauce, brown sugar and red pepper flakes. Heat half of the oil in a large wok at medium-high and add the garlic and ginger. Immediately add the soy sauce mixture. Cook the sauce for about 2 minutes and transfer to a bowl. Don't worry if the sauce doesn't look thick enough at this point. The corn starch in the beef will thicken it up later. 

Turn the heat up and add the remaining oil to the wok (at this point I actually added about 2-3 TBSP of oil). Add the beef and cook, stirring until it is all browned (this is a quick thing). Pour the sauce back into the wok and let it cook along with the meat. Now you can choose to cook it down and reduce the sauce or leave it thinner. Add the green onions on the last minute so the green parts will stay green and the white parts crunchy.

Serve it hot with rice. Serves 2 (although it was plenty for two adults and three kids with a little leftover)

Penne with Beef and Arugula

You know that feeling of excitement you get when you go out to dinner at a nice restaurant? You know you're going to get great food that you might not be able to replicate at home. You are going to be served, you'll have unlimited Diet Coke (always a plus for me!) and no dishes. We don't eat out that often, but when I do I always get giddy.

That same feeling applies when I eat dinner with anyone from my husband's side of the family. They are all stellar cooks - you know, the kind that can throw something together without a recipe and somehow it magically tastes amazing. I hang out in the kitchen like a star-struck apprentice just to learn a few things.

My sister-in-law, Sophie, grilled romaine hearts once. Amazing.

My mother-in-law, Josette, made a split pea soup for Christmas Eve once. I don't even like split pea soup but I can't stop thinking about how delicious is was. And no, she doesn't remember how she made it. She just "threw a little bit of this, a little bit of that" together.

I really could go on and on.

Sophie had us for dinner one night, and made this great recipe that included penne pasta, steak, arugula, basil, and a balsamic vinaigrette. My husband, Jeremiah, was immediately in love and begged Sophie for the recipe.

Turns out, the recipe comes from my idol, Giada. Love her! So sadly, we can't take credit for this one, but what kind of friend would I be if I didn't share one of our family's favorite dishes? I will be making this one for Jeremiah for Valentine's Day, and probably again for Father's Day. It's always his first request.

Penne with Beef and Arugula

by Giada de Laurentiis



1 (1-pound) New York strip steak (I use any thick steak on sale)

1 teaspoon herbs de Provence (or Italian seasoning)

1 garlic clove, minced

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons

1 pound penne pasta

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for steak and pasta water

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for steak

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

2 cups chopped arugula

Season the steak with salt and freshly ground black pepper, herbs de Provence (or Italian seasoning), and minced garlic. In a skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Cook steak about 7 minutes per side. Remove the meat from pan and let it rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the steak. Set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of pasta water.

In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, fresh herbs, and 3/4 cup olive oil. In a large bowl toss the pasta with half of the salad dressing and the reserved pasta water. Add the arugula and steak, more dressing, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed.

Serve warm.