Wednesday’s Helping: Alternative Ingredients for Chamorro-Style Flank Steak

Steaks done better

We recommend using sirloin, minute, or chuck steak instead of flank.  Remember that leaner cuts should not be cooked until well-done if you desire more appetizing and tender servings.  Meanwhile, substitute the soy sauce with a solid rubbing of plain sea salt or coarse salt.  Wanna kick it up a notch in terms of pungent spices?  Use fish sauce instead of soy sauce for a more fragrant but tasty steak.     

Tuesday’s Cupful: Background on Chamorro-Style Flank Steak

Island steak on-the-fly

The Mixed Stew crew enjoyed this menu item growing up in Guam.  Grilled flank steak, sliced butterfly-style, was always a yummy site to see and eat.  The Chamorro cooks also piled oodles and oodles of onion rings piled on top for good measure.  The reliable combination soy sauce and lemon juice forms a potent sauce that complements this mean cut’s natural juices and flavors.   

   

Monday’s Bread Bowl: Chamorro-Style Flank Steak

Island-style grilled steak

The tougher steak cut becomes more palatable with simple seasoning and searing.  Here’s the recipe: 

What you will need:

1 large serving plate

1 cast-iron skillet

3 tablespoons canola oil

2 ½ lbs flank steak

3 garlic toes, pilled

1 large yellow onion, sliced into rings

3 tablespoons soy sauce

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt and black pepper to taste

Cooking and Directions: 

Cut into the flank steak in a sideways motion in “butterfly-style” as shown.  Season and rub steak with black pepper and salt.  Heat skillet on medium-high heat.  Grease pan with canola oil.  Throw in garlic toes and repeatedly slide across bottom of pan.  Next, place steak in hot pan.  Let steak sear on both sides for 5 to 7 minutes.  Repeat for all steak pieces.  Place steaks on serving plate.  Keep pan on heat.  Add onion rings and let them sautee until softer.  Toss well.  Pour in lemon juice and soy sauce.  Toss onions again.  Pile onions and pour sauce over steaks.  Serve immediately.          

Tuesday’s Cupful: Background on Ham –N- Cheese Puto

Such a ham revisit

Ham has the flavor, and then some, needed to serve as the meaty ingredient in stuffing this ol’ Filipino staple.  Remember that puto literally means “rice cake.”  These rice cakes possess a semisweet taste that’s off-set by the smokey ham and melted cheese.  Meanwhile, the Mixed Stew crew added cilantro for a twist.  The herb provides a minty flavor component, which cuts through the sharpness of the cheese and ham.            

Monday’s Bread Bowl: Ham –N- Cheese Puto w/ Cilantro, Too

Yummy cheese buns

The Mixed Stew satisfies anyone’s cravings for East meets West in this week’s selection.  These puto buns are stuffed with bite-sized pieces of ham, shredded cheese and spicy cilantro.  Here’s the recipe:

What you need:

1 medium-sized bowl

1 metal steamer

5 cups water

2 packages from inside the box of White King brand puto mix (contains two packets inside)

1 cup sugar

10 tspns cooking oil

8 -12 puto molds, (substitute 8 -12 heatproof teacups)

2/3 cup ham, diced small

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

½ cup cilantro, minced

Cooking and Directions:

Fill 3 cups water into double boiler and place on stove at high heat.   Meanwhile, combine ingredients to mix and make puto batter in medium-sized bowl.  Fill molds half-way with batter then sprinkle in pieces of ham, cilantro, and a small portion of cheddar cheese.  Fill molds with more batter to cover ham and other tidbits.  Place molds in steamer to cook for 25 minutes.  Serve immediately or let cool and pack away for later.

Tuesday’s Cupful: Background on Chili –N- Cheese Omelet Sliders

Pleasant little bites

This dish was inspired by our Spicy Turkey Sliders.  The egg substitutes for the bread in this recipe.  The Mixed Stew combined chili, green onion, and melted cheese to make a rich and satisfying omelet filling for our “omelet sliders.”  Watch them disappear for breakfast or brunch in a pinch.       

Monday’s Bread Bowl: Chili –N- Cheese Omelet Sliders

A small and spicy morning groove

You need a well-preheated pan to make these small but overstuffed omelets. Here’s the recipe:

What you will need:

1 cast-iron skillet

Non-stick cooking spray

1 serving plate

1 medium-sized bowl

1 metal spatula

1 cup left-over chili

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

¼ cup green onion, thinly sliced

4 whole eggs, beaten

¼ cup milk   

Pinch of salt and pepper to taste

Cooking and Directions:

Heat skillet on medium-high heat for 3 to 5 minutes.  Generously grease bottom of pan with Non-stick cooking spray.  Make sure pan is HOT!  Pour out a small sphere (3 to 4 inches in diameter) of beaten egg mixture.  Let egg cook through as much as possible.  This forms the omelet’s wrap.  

Spoon and spread 1 to 2 tablespoons of leftover chili on one half of egg circle.  Sprinkle cheddar cheese and green onion over chili.  Next, take metal spatula and lift and fold omelet’s clean side as shown.  Firmly press down egg flap for 10 - 15 seconds to secure omelet’s shape.  Repeat process to make more mini-omelets.  Serve immediately.            

Wednesday’s Helping: Alternative Ingredients for Cheesy Meat Lasagna

Chicken and Turkey Lasagna, Too

The Mixed Stew crew revisits meat lasagna with this week’s dish.  Remember that you can take a short-cut using no-cook lasagna noodles.  We recommend substituting the Italian sausage with sausage made from turkey, chicken, or even tofu for lighter fare.  Meanwhile, substitute the Parmesan cheese with another pungent cheese, such as Grana Padano. Asiago, and Romano.
     

   

Tuesday’s Cupful: Background of Cheesy Meat Lasagna

Rich Parmesan Inside

The Mixed Stew folded Parmesan Cheese into the layers of our Cheesy Meat Lasagna for additional oomph throughout the finished pie.  This week’s recipe, in comparison to our previous meat lasagna, calls for pre-boiled pasta noodles and the shredded Parmesan cheese.   Make sure to allocate for the necessary and extra prep time.  Finally, remember that baked lasagna has to rest before serving.    

Monday's Bread Bowl: Cheesy Meat Lasagna

A Three Cheese Bake

The Mixed Stew crew recently made a big haul of lasagna.  We already featured a very veggie eggplant.  This is the meat lovers’ rendition.

What you will need:

1 aluminum baking pan

Non-stick cooking spray

Aluminum foil

3 tablespoons cooking oil

1 large skillet w/ lid

1 large yellow onion, diced

3 garlic toes, minced

2 cups lasagna noodles, cooked al dente

1 lb Italian Sausage

1 ½ lb ground beef

1 (24 oz.) jar Ragu Tomato Pasta Sauce

1 (28 oz.) can of crushed tomatoes

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 (32 oz) tub of Ricotta Cheese

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

½ cup parmesan cheese, shredded

Pinch of Salt and pepper

Cooking and Directions:

Heat skillet on medium-high heat.  Add onion, garlic, pepper, and salt.  Sautee ingredients until onion turn translucent.  Crumble in Italian Sausage and ground beef.  Stir well.  Let meat cook through and brown.  Pour in jar of Ragu sauce and can of crushed tomatoes.  Mix well.  Lower heat to medium-low and cover with lid.  Ingredients should simmer slowly for 30 minutes.  Stir occasionally.  Add mushrooms to reduced sauce then cover with lid.  Let ingredients cook for another 10 minutes.  Remove pan from heat and set aside.

Preheat oven at 350 degrees.  Grease baking pan’s bottom and sides with cooking spray.  Start building layers of lasagna with a layer of meat sauce.  Spread well to cover bottom of baking pan.  Place a layer of lasagna noodles over the initial meat layer.  Spread a layer of Ricotta, Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses on lasagna noodles.  Repeat and lay-down alternate layers until you run out of noodles or the baking pan is full.  Cap off lasagna with a generous layer of shredded cheeses.  Cover with aluminum foil.   

Place unbaked lasagna in hot oven.  Let pan bake for at least 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Remove foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.  Take out lasagna from oven once cooking time is finished.  Let the lasagna rest for at least 15 minutes then cut into and serve.     

Wednesday’s Helping: Alternatives for Spamurger

More to it than ground beef

Regular burgers can get boring and that we have the Spamurger.  Remember that  you can substitute the ground beef with ground turkey  or ground chicken if you’re dodging red meat.  Also, try using ground lamb to make a more delectable version of the Spamurger with some gamey flavor.   Meanwhile, try switching out the Spam with generic luncheon meat in a pinch.  Lastly, add some extra spice to each patty with a dash of red pepper flakes or sliced chili pepper. 

Tuesday’s Cupful: Background on Teriyaki Spamurger

Bits of Loco Moco

This food item is an All-American classic with some Japanese spice mixed in for a twist.  The Mixed Stew was inspired by our craving for Loco Moco and Spam, which is a Guamanian favorite.  Consequently, this amalgam goes well with steamed rice or a traditional hamburger bun.  The tastes of East and West meet in every bite.  Also try making this unique burger with regular or any other of the Spam flavor varieties.     

Monday’s Bread Bowl: Teriyaki Spamurger

A sizzling number

The Mixed Stew crew suggests frying up this ground beef patty for a burger with some tangy zing with extra flavor.  Here’s the recipe:

What you will need:

1 frying pan

1 spatula

 1 serving plate

1 mixing bow

1 whole egg, beaten

2 ½ lbs ground beef

1/3 cup teriyaki spam, minced

3 bread slices, toasted and crumbled

1 small onion, diced small

2 garlic toes, minced

3 tablespoons cooking oil

Pinch of black pepper

Cooking and Directions:

Combine ground beef, spam, onion, garlic, and egg in mixing bowl.  Mix well. Add bread, milk, and pepper to meat mixture.  Mix well again.  Make 4 generous patties. Set aside.

Heat frying pan at medium-high heat.  Add cooking oil.  Place meat in pan. Cook patties on both sides for 8 to 10 minutes.  Remove finished patties to serving plate.  Let meat rest for 10 minutes then serve.     

Wednesday’s Helping: Ingredient Alternatives for Butter Chicken

More than Chicken, too

Remember that you can substitute the chicken in this dish with lamb or even goat if you’re not avoiding red meat.  Conversely, try using firm tofu or cauliflower for a vegan butter curry.  The Mixed Stew added potatoes but you can substitute them with sweet potatoes, yuca, or taro.  Finally, add one or two finely chopped chili peppers to our recipe to really heat things up.      

Monday’s Bread Bowl: Butter Chicken Curry

An Authentic Indian Delight

The Mixed Stew likes this Indian curry because it has a rich taste and smooth consistency compared to hotter curries. Here’s the recipe:

What you will need:

1 large pan w/ lid

1 cup water

1 Kitchen of India brand Paste For Butter Chicken Curry

1 yellow onion, sliced

1 garlic toe, whole

1 ½ - 2 lbs. chicken breast meat, cubed

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 (12 oz.) bag of frozen peas

1 cup potatoes, chopped into small cubes

Pinch of salt and pepper

Cooking and Directions:

Heat pan on medium-high heat.  Add oil, onion, salt, pepper, and garlic.  Sautee ingredients until onion turn translucent.  Next, add chicken to pan.  Let chicken brown for 10 to 12 minutes.  Pour in water and seasoning packet’s contents.  Mix well and cover with lid. Ingredients should reach a rolling boil then lower heat to medium-low.  Let pot simmer for 20 minutes.  Stir occasionally.  Gradually stir in green peas and potatoes then cover with lid.  Allow pot’s ingredients to cook for another 30 minutes then remove from heat.  Serve immediately.    

Friday's Last Spoonful: Chorizo Flavored Spam

Thursday's Side Dish: Hot & Spicy Spam

Wednesday's Helping: Teriyaki Flavored Spam

Monday's Bread Bowl: One Spam a Day

Yup...this week's theme is a photo essay of Spam flavor selections. Hawaiians and Guamanians love this delicacy on a can that can keep for months on a dry-shelf.  Enjoy! +

Wednesday’s Helping: Options for Six Gun Chili Mixin’s

Healthier Chili w/ True Grit

The Mixed Stew recommends that you try making Six Gun Chili Mixin’s with genuine “lean ground beef” or even ground turkey to lessen the calorie count in every serving compared to the original recipe.  We also suggest preparing this dish using crumbled but firm tofu and a pound of ground beef.  The firm tofu will absorb the beef’s natural juices while reducing the fat in every serving.  Lastly, substitute all of the meat with firmtofu to make a vegetarian chili without using lentils.