"STEAK AND MUSHROOMS SALPICAO"

This twist to the "Salpicao" is so delicious...I added a lot of mushrooms and garlic! I remembered having some garlicky button mushrooms at a buffet restaurant, and since then I couldn't stop thinking about it, so I just had to make this garlicky Steak and Mushrooms Salpicao...wonderful with rice and a fried egg!

Try this with recipe with chicken meat cut in cubes and any mushrooms that you can find...you won't miss the great taste.

-CHICHAY

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"STEAK AND MUSHROOMS SALPICAO"

What You Need:

• 1 lb beef tenderloin, cut into 1/2 inch chunks (tender-cut strips are ok too)


• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms of your choice (shiitake, portabello, cremini, oyster...)


• 2 tablespoons olive oil


• 8 cloves garlic, minced (more if you like)


• 1/2 tsp Koshers salt


• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper


• 1/4 tsp paprika


• 1 tsp garlic powder


• 3 tbsp oyster sauce


• 3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce


• 2 tbsp juice of lemon


• 3 tbsp unsalted butter


• extra 4 cloves garlic, cut thinly, like strips (optional - for toppings only)

Prep:

-Combine olive oil, oyster sauce, soy sauce, the minced garlic, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika in a bowl.

-Marinate beef chunks in the mixture for a minimum of 2 hours in the fridge.

-Before cooking, add the lemon juice to the marinated beef, mix well, and then strain the marinade from the beef.Now that the marinade is separate from the beef, dilute it with 2 tbsp water and mix well. Set aside.

How To:

- Heat some oil on a pan, and saute the beef pieces.
-Keep stirring for a 2-3 minutes until beef pieces are browned evenly.

- Remove from heat and transfer to another dish, set aside.

-On the same pan, heat up the butter and sautee the thinly sliced garlic until golden brown (not burned), and set aside in a separate container, leaving the garlic

-flavored butter on the pan.

-Sautee the mushrooms on the heated pan, until softened, maybe for about 2-5 minutes.
- Add in the marinade, and simmer for 3-5 minutes
- Stir in the cooked beef for 2 minute and turn off heat, and transfer to the serving dish immediately.
-Top the salpicao with browned garlic strips.
-Serve with rice and fried egg, or a side of sauteed bell pepper and onions.
[CHICHAY TIP : Cooking time should be about 10 minutes or less to keep the beef tender.]

"RICE TOPPINGS: MUSHROOMS AND TOFU"

I recently started posting recipes of 'Rice Toppings', and for this one here, I am using fresh mushrooms and tofu. For me, the flavor and texture of the mushrooms are enough to complete the dish - no need for any meat. But I know my husband would want me to thrown in at least a few pieces of sliced pork or chicken...and so I did.

The mushroom I used here is the Bunapi-shimeji, also known as the White Beech or White Clamshell Mushroom. These mushrooms with long stems and tiny caps are eaten cooked (the raw Beech mushrooms are bitter in taste, but transforms once exposed to heat), and are best for soups or stews or when cooked slowly in butter and garlic. I find the texture of the cooked Beech mushrooms very similar to the texture of cooked squid (yeah, whenever I serve this, people think they are pieces of squid!)...sort of chewy.

It had a sort of earthy/nutty flavor that works really well with seafood mixes and also with vegetable dishes. For those of us living in California: Beech mushrooms are sold at the 99 Ranch store, and also in fresh farmers grocery stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joes. I am still trying to find a fine mushroom vendor at the local farmers market I go to (we buy our organic vegetables from the local farmers markets like the one in Cerritos and Long Beach)...I want to get a regular local supplier, as it is really expensive to buy mushrooms from the supermarket.

- CHICHAY

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"RICE TOPPINGS:Mushrooms and Tofu"

What You Need:

• 1 lb fresh mushrooms of your choice (yield: 1 to 1 1/2 cups of sliced)
• 1 large block of extra firm tofu (or 2-3 pcs of "tokwa"), cut into small cubes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 stalk of celery, chopped
• 2 cups of chopped vegetables of your choice (like bokchoy, pechay, lettuce, cabbage...)
• 1/2 cup of sliced meat of your choice (optional)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp corn starch dissolved in 1 tsp water
• 1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• hot sauce or chilli-garlic sauce (optional)
• salt
• ground black pepper

How To:

-Heat up 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
-Saute the tofu pieces until browned a bit on all sides. Transfer to another container and set aside for later.
-Season the sliced meat (if using) with salt and pepper, and saute on the same pan until slightly browned.
[CHICHAY TIP: Remember to saute beef quickly, and remove from heat as soon as slightly cooked, to avoid overcooking. The chicken and pork on the other hand has to be cooked longer. Make sure pork and chicken are browned well.] Once cooked, transfer the meat to another bowl and set aside.
-Add the butter and garlic to the pan, and sautee until the garlic is slightly browned (not burnt).
-Add the mushrooms, season with some salt and cook, stirring constantly for about 3-5 minutes of until softened.
-Stir in the cooked tofu, celery, and cook for a minute or two.
-If using chicken or pork, add it back to the pan at this point (if using beef, add it last).
-Add the cornstarch, water, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, hot sauce or chilli-garlic sauce (if using) and stir well.
-Add in the chopped vegetables, bring this to a boil, then lower the heat, cover and and let simmer for about 2-3 minutes. Adjust the seasoning by adding soy sauce and pepper if necessary.
-If using beef, add it back to the pan at this point and turn off the heat. Stir for the last time, cover and let this sit for about 2 minutes.
-Serve this on top of cooked rice.

"HERBED CAULIFLOWER AND MUSHROOMS"

The cauliflower is very nutritious, and may be eaten cooked, raw or pickled. It is rich in Vit C, and has a lot more nutrients, including Vit K, Folate, fiber, Vit B6/B5 and potassium, among others.

In the past, the only way I prepared cauliflower was to either add it to chopsuey, or to steam it with carrots and broccoli as a side dish. Well, that was then. Lately I have been trying different dishes using cauliflower, and this "Herbed Cauliflower and Mushrooms" dish is my favorite so far.

If you like pizza, you will like the flavor of this dish. The Italian seasoning gives it that familiar pizza-like flavor to it.

[CHICHAY TIP: This dish is meatless, but if you want to add meat, I suggest use diced chicken. Saute it together with the onion and garlic until browned before adding the other ingredients.]

-CHICHAY

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"HERBED CAILIFLOWER AND MUSHROOMS"

What You Need:

• 1 pound cauliflower florets


• 2 teaspoons unsalted butter


• 1 small onion, chopped


• 2 stalks of celery, chopped


• 2 cups of sliced fresh mushrooms


• 1/2 cup vegetable stock or water


• 1 teaspoon Italian herb seasoning


• 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs


• 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Prep:

-Preheat oven to 350 F.

-Combine the breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl and set aside.

-Par-cook the cauliflower by blanching in boiling water for a few minutes, or by
steaming. Drain and set aside.

How To:

-Melt butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat.

-Saute onions, garlic, celery and mushrooms 4-5 minutes or until tender.

-Season with salt and pepper.

-Stir in the stock (or water) and italian seasoning.

-Simmer for another 2 minutes.

-Stir in cauliflower.

-Transfer the vegetable mixture to a lightly oiled baking dish.

-Top with breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese mixture, and bake 15 minutes.

'YELLOW AND GREEN BEANS WITH MUSHROOMS"

I saw this bag of mixed yellow and green beans at Trader Joe's...I had to buy it, because the beans had a good color mix, and it's the first time for me to see nice yellow beans like these! A simple stir-fry was what I thought of for the the beans with some wild mushrooms and garlic. Simple and a great side for a steak!

-CHICHAY

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"YELLOW AND GREEN BEANS WITH MUSHROOMS"

What You Need:

• 1/2 lb of green beans (mixed yellow and green is preferable)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp water
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms of your choice

How To:

-Saute the garlic in hot olive oil over medium heat for a minute
-Add the mushrooms and cook for about 2-3 minutes until soft
-Add in the beans, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, salt and pepper.
-Cook while stirring for about 2 minutes.
-Add the white wine vinegar and water, and let simmer (uncovered) over low heat for about 2 minutes.
-Turn off heat and drizzle the sesame oil on the beans and mushrooms, stir,cover and let rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

"SHRIMP AND MUSHROOM PILAF"

My husband and I are trying to alternate brown rice and white rice in our meals. "Shrimp and Mushroom Pilaf" is my favorite dish using brown rice. You can always substitute the shrimp with diced chicken or pork, or even crab meat. Or make this a meatless dish, and simply add more mushrooms and veggies. Hope you enjoy this tasty 'meal-in-one' dish!

-CHICHAY

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"Shrimp and Mushroom Pilaf"

What You Need:

• 1 cup of brown rice (long grain)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 cup of sliced fresh mushrooms of your choice (portobello, oyster, cremini...)
• 8 pcs of medium-sized shrimps, shelled and cleaned
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp hot sauce (or ketchup)
• 1 tbsp scallion greens, chopped
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cups stock (beef, chicken or vegetable) or water
• salt and pepper to taste

Prep:
-Marinade the shrimps in garlic powder, salt, pepper and hotsauce (or ketchup) for about 15 minutes.

How To:

-Saute the garlic in olive oil over medium-high heat.

-Add the shrimps, and cook until the shrimps turn light orange.

-Transfer the cooked shrimps in a dish and set aside.

-In the same pan, heat up the butter, and saute the onions and mushrooms for about 5 minutes .

-Add the rice and saute this for about 3-5 minutes.

-Add the broth or water, stir, lower the heat, cover and and let this simmer for about 35-45 minutes or until most of the water is absorbed by the rice.

-Once the rice is cooked, add the cooked shrimps and the scallions, season with some salt and pepper, mix with a fork, turn off the heat, let the rice rest (covered) for about 10 minutes, and then serve.