What's in Your Basket?

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

Do you like cooking shows? My family and I like to watch the cooking show CHOPPED. In that show, several top-notch chefs are given a basket of ingredients with which to hopefully make a savory dish. The challenge is in the ingredients; there is always an item or two that no chef in his right mind would choose. How does anyone make a five-star dessert with gummy worms ... or grits ... or baby beets? (I hate beets.)

Amazingly, the master chefs are able to take all the odd-ball ingredients in each course basket (appetizer, entree, and dessert) and work them together to make a great-tasting meal.

GOD IS THE MASTER CHEF

When it comes to life, God is the Master Chef. He is the One who is able to take all the difficult experiences and bad-tasting ingredients that befall us in life and work them together for good. He is the God who is able to give beauty for ashes (Isaiah 61:3).

I talked to a friend this week who is facing some very tough circumstances. Complications from a routine cataract surgery ended up costing him his right eye. And if that weren't enough to deal with, he is fighting prostate cancer that has spread. Without question, he has found some bad ingredients in his basket. 

What Is... Stir Fry?

Lunch or dinner on the table lickety-split

Stir-fry is a term that refers both to a style of cooking and a type of dish. The method is quick and uses a minimal amount of oil, and the ingredients are generally simple to prepare. This versatile technique involves quickly cooking bite-sized pieces of vegetables and meat in a wok and finishing with a quick sauce, sometimes thickened with cornstarch or flour. Many popular dishes in Chinese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, and Indian cooking are stir-fried, incorporating various proteins including chicken, beef, pork, fish, or tofu and a nearly endless list of vegetables and greens; noodles are often stir-fried as well.

Click here to see the Ayam Sambal Recipe.

When stir-frying, it's important to do all the prep work in advance. That means peeling (if necessary) and cutting all the vegetables, mixing together any sauces, chopping up all of the meat, and preparing anything else that should be at hand once the cooking process starts. This is because stir-frying is quick — so quick in fact, that there really isn't time to turn away from the stove and do anything else, especially if stir-frying bits and pieces of garlic and ginger, which burn quickly, and this is often the first step in many stir-fry recipes.

While it may seem like stir-frying is all about getting a wok smoking hot, it's probably not practical to expect to achieve the same level of heat on home equipment that a cook would get on a professional-grade stove at a restaurant. Nor is it probably a good idea. (See inset photo at left.) The key here is actually to regulate the heat level and make sure that the ingredients are cut properly and cooked in the correct order. A proper wok helps as well (flat-bottomed ones are recommended since round-bottomed ones… well, we'll let you do the math on that one). (Photo courtesy of flickr/techne)

First things first — make sure you have the right kind of oil. Oils with high smoke points such as canola, safflower, and soybean oil work best. Olive oil is a big no-no since it breaks down and imparts a bitter flavor at high temperatures, which would mar the overall flavor of the dish. And sesame oil is generally used as a flavoring agent at the end, not for cooking.

Next, make sure that all of the vegetables are cut on a bias. This helps maximize the surface area that will be cooked and helps achieve that crisp-tender texture sought after by many cooks. It's also important to preheat the wok before adding the oil. How can you tell if it's hot enough? Sprinkle a drop of water on the wok (preferably prior to adding the oil) and if it goes tssss, it's ready to go. Once the oil is hot, toasting any spices in oil in the beginning will help extract maximum flavor from these sometimes pricey ingredients. (Just don't burn them, or you'll have to start over!)

Click here to see the Korean Spicy Stir-Fried Squid Recipe.

Earlier, we mentioned cooking the ingredients in the "correct order." This means figuring out which ingredients take the longest to cook since those are the ones that should be added first. Some examples include carrots, celery, firm tofu, broccoli, and bell peppers. Delicate greens and other ingredients that wilt easily, such as scallions, cilantro, or mint should generally be added at the end. Meat should be browned over high heat first, without moving, to develop a flavorful crust. And as always, avoid crowding the pan. Once browned, the meat should be removed from the wok and then added back in to heat through with the sauce when the vegetables are almost done.

Click here to see the Beef and Broccoli Recipe.

The sauce should be cooked with the ingredients to meld the flavors together, and if a thickening agent is used, it should be poured into the center of the wok (with all of the ingredients pushed to the side) and allowed to thicken before mixing with the ingredients.

Lastly, any noodles should be precooked in advance (except for very thin noodles, which will cook with just about ¼-cup water added to the sauce, right before the vegetables are done — reduce heat to medium and cover with a lid until done).

Click here to see the Japchae Recipe.

gotquestions  http://www.thedailymeal.com/what-stir-fry

Intro to Cooking: Broccoli and Feta Salad

Broccoli. A childhood nightmare. Didn’t we all fear it? Some kids ate it covered in cheese whiz, which in my opinion made it neither healthy nor delicious. Really, if you’re going to clog your arteries, it might as well be with bacon. But that’s beside the point. Broccoli is a tough vegetable to love — it’s the veggie equivalent of Kim Kardashian really — but it has potential.

It’s what’s known as a cruciferous vegetable — it’s related to spinach, kale, and other dark leafy greens that are packed with fiber and antioxidants. They’re actually the healthiest foods you can eat, period. So if you’re trying to eat healthy, broccoli is a necessary evil. And honestly, it’s better raw and paired with foods that are equally as strong flavored.

Broccoli and Feta Salad

You’ll need…

• 1 head of broccoli
• about 1 cup of cherry tomatoes
• about three tablespoons of feta, crumbled
• 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1-2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
• red pepper flakes
• salt
• pepper

How to make it…

Cut off the large broccoli stem and separate the smaller pieces. In a large bowl, combine the broccoli, feta, and tomatoes. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, red pepper, and salt and pepper. Pour over the broccoli and toss.

Note: this recipe serves 2 and keeps in the fridge for about 3-4 days if stored in an airtight container.

http://collegecandy.com/2012/02/26/intro-to-cooking-broccoli-and-feta-salad/