Asian Steak Salad with Rice Croutons

I came up with this salad a few months ago while studying for my Advanced Linear Algebra final. I wrote it in the corner of a piece of scratch paper I was working problems out on. Needless to say, it was lost for awhile. But I found it! And I'm happy I did because this salad is so good.

You will need: spinach (or your favorite salad greens), edamame, sliced mushrooms, 1 large carrot (or several small ones), 4 cloves of garlic, 5 green onions, 2 inches of ginger root, 1 5 oz can of sliced water chestnuts, 1 Tbsp horseradish mustard, 1/3 cup soy sauce, 2 Tbsp sesame oil, 3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp canola oil, 1 Tbsp Sriratcha sauce, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (not pictured), 1 Tbsp honey, 2 lbs steak (I used sirloin but I recommend a flank steak), 1/2 cup of rice (not pictured), 1 Tbsp of butter (also not pictured), salt ,and pepper.

First, let's make the marinade/salad dressing/

Cut off 2 inches of ginger root...

Peel it...

And grate it.

Throw it in a jar.

Next mince up 4 cloves of garlic....

Sprinkle it with a little salt...

And mush it with the side of your knife to make a garlic paste.

Toss it in with the ginger.

Next add 2 Tbsp of sesame oil to the jar....

1 Tbsp of horseradish mustard...

1 Tbsp of Sriracha...

1/3 cup of soy sauce (I use low sodium soy sauce)...

1 Tbsp honey....

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar....

And 3/4 cup of canola oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Screw on the lid and give it a good shake! Tada! Marinade and dressing.

Pour 2/3 cup of the marinade into a large Ziplock with the steak and let it sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Now let's work on the toppings!

Slice off the ends of 5 green onions...

And slice them on an angle...

Slice the whites and the greens.

Cook a package of edamame according to directions then drain them...

And rinse them.

Now the fun part! Split open each pod. There will be 2-4 beans inside.

Pick the beans out and throw them in a bowl. Discard the pod.

Continue to do this with the rest of the pods.

You'll end up with a bowl full of beans. Set aside.

Chop the carrot into matchsticks (or in my case, pop sickle sticks).

Drain the can of water chestnuts. Set aside.

Cook the 1/2 cup of rice according to package directions.

When the rice has finished cooking, mush it down with a flat spoon.

Melt 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp canola oil over medium heat.

Grab large spoonfuls of the dense rice and carefully plop them into the oil.

Once one side has browned, give them a flip.

When the other side has browned, set them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain and set them aside with the other salad ingredients.

Now the steak is ready to go! Toss it the pan you used for the rice croutons but kick the heat up to medium-high.

When one side has browned, give it a flip. The time for this varies with how done you like your steak. I like mine pretty rare so I let it go for 2 minutes or so on each side.

Once the other side has browned, remove it to a cutting board to "rest". Cover it with some tinfoil to keep it warm.

While the steak is resting, assemble your salad. Throw some spinach on a large plate...

Followed by carrots...

Onions...

Mushrooms...

Edamame...

And water chestnuts.

Set some rice croutons on the side of the plate...

And cover the greens with some of the dressing.

Thinly slice the steak against the grain...

And fan it out on top of the salad.

Delicious! I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

Asian Steak Salad with Rice Croutons

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• spinach (or your favorite salad greens)
• 1 package frozen edamame, cooked and shelled
• sliced mushrooms
• 1 large carrot (or several small ones), julienned
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 5 green onions, sliced on the diagonal
• 2 inches of ginger root, peeled and grated
• 1 5 oz can of sliced water chestnuts, drained
• 1 Tbsp horseradish mustard
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp sesame oil
• 3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp canola oil
• 1 Tbsp Sriratcha sauce
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 2 lbs flank steak
• 1/2 cup of rice, cooked according to package directions
• 1 Tbsp of butter
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Combine sesame oil, 3/4 cup canola oil, sriratcha sauce, mustard, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, honey, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour 3/4 cup of the mixture over the steak and set in the fridge to marinate for a minimum of 2 hours.
2. When rice has finished cooking, pack it down into the pan. Remove spoonfuls of the dense rice and carefully plop it into a skillet with the butter and remaining canola oil over medium heat. Turn the rice over when browned on one side. When browned on both sides, remove it to a paper towel lined plate.
3. Turn the heat on the pan up to medium-high and add the steak. Cook until browned on both sides, or until desired doneness.
4. Remove the steak to a cutting board and tent it for 10 minutes to allow it to rest. Then cut it into thin slices against the grain.
5. To assemble salads,  pile the spinach on a large plate followed by carrots, mushrooms, green onions, edamame, and water chestnuts. Place some rice croutons on the side and cover the greens with the leftover dressing. Fan the slced steak out on top of the salad.
6. Enjoy!

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

My apologies for not posting anything in so long. I had the end of semester craziness to deal with and then I spent most of my winter break recovering. That being said, this recipe is definitely worth the wait.

The weather in Atlanta this week has been terrible. Cold and rainy. So when my boyfriend requested soup for dinner last night, I was happy to oblige.

This soup is so tasty with surprisingly few ingredients.

Fun fact: this is my first post with my brand new camera! I treated myself to a Canon Rebel 3t for Christmas this year and I am very happy that I did.

You will need: 3 lbs of russet potatoes, 2 quarts of chicken stock, 1 onion, 4 cloves of garlic, 1 Tbsp butter, 6 slices of bacon, 1 cup of half and half (not pictured), a few green onions, sour cream, 1 cup of grated sharp cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper.

First, slice the bacon into 1/2" wide strips or lardons.

Throw them in a large pot over medium heat and cook until crisp.

While the bacon is cooking, dice up the onion...

And mince the garlic.

Give your potatoes a good scrub and lay them out on a clean kitchen towel. Pat them dry.

When the bacon is crisp, remove it to a paper towel lined plate and set it aside.

Remove all but 1 Tbsp or so of the bacon grease from the pan.

Turn the heat down a bit and add in the 1 Tbsp of butter.

Toss in the onion and garlic and stir it around.

While the onions and garlic are cooking, dice up the potatoes. The skin is my favorite part of a baked potato so I leave it on.

When the onions are translucent, throw in the potatoes...

And add some salt and pepper. Give everything a stir and let the potatoes brown a bit.

This is what you're looking for. That brown stuff is flavor.

Once the potatoes have browned, pour in the 2 quarts of chicken stock.

Bring everything to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer. Allow the soup to simmer until the potatoes are fork tender.

While the soup is simmering, Grate up some cheddar cheese...

And slice a few scallions.

When the potatoes are tender, pour in one cup of half and half. Stir it in.

To thicken the soup, I like to give it a few short whirls with the immersion blender. This keeps most of the potatoes in tact so the soup is still chunky, but also thickens the soup.

It's ready to eat!

Fill a bowl with the soup, then get ready for the toppings. Don't skip the toppings. They're what makes it loaded baked potato soup.

First, toss on some cheese...

Followed by a dollop of sour cream...

Some crispy bacon... (if you didn't eat all of it while you were waiting for the soup to be ready.)

And finally some scallions.

Enjoy this delicious soup.

It really warms you up on a cold winter day.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs of russet potatoes, washed and diced
• 2 quarts of chicken stock
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 6 slices of bacon, sliced into 1/2" strips
• 1 cup of half and half
• 3 green onions, sliced
• sour cream
• 1 cup of grated sharp cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Cook the bacon in a large pot over medium heat until crisp. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and set aside. Drain all but 1 Tbsp of the bacon grease from the pan.
2. Add the butter, onion, and garlic to the pan. Cook until the onions are translucent, then add in the potatoes. Cook the potatoes until they become brown on the edges.
3. Pour in the chicken stock. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer and allow it to cook until the potatoes are fork tender. Add in the half and half and give the soup a few blends with an immersion blender (If you don't have an immersion blender, you can ladle a few cups of the soup into a blender, blend and pour back into the soup).
4. Ladle the soup into large bowls and top with cheese, sour cream, scallions, and bacon.