Stir-Fried Ginger and Brandy Beef

This is a quick, simple stir-fry that turned out to be one of the best ones I have ever made. Next time I will be adding mushrooms and broccoli.

Ingredients:
16 oz sirloin steak, slightly frozen
2 inch ginger root, peeled and finely chopped
2 tbsp brandy
1 1/2 tbsp liquid aminos or soy sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp white wine
2 tbsp beef broth
2 scallions, sliced
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped

Directions:
1. Slice the sirloin steak into thin strips, about 1/4" wide or less and put in a shallow bowl.
2. Add the ginger, brandy, liquid aminos, cornstarch, and pepper and coat the steak.
3. Heat the oil in a wok over high heat until very hot.
4. Add the beef and cook for 1-2 minutes.
5. Add in the wine and beef broth and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes or until done.
6. Serve immediately and garnish with scallions and cilantro.

This recipe was based on one in the 501 Recipes for  Low Carb Life book.

Chicken Avocado Soup

A great recipe my wife found on Pinterest that we had to try. It was fantastic. Needs a bit of a kick of heat so may had some hot pepper spices next time, but was still wonderful. We did tweak it a bit and the link to the original is at the bottom.

Ingredients:
7 cups chicken stock
3 whole chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
2 tomatoes, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups scallions, chopped
3 ripe avocados, diced
1/2 cup cilantro
4 lime wedges
2 tsp olive oil
salt/pepper - to taste
cumin - pinch
chipotle chili powder - pinch

Directions:
1. In large pot, boil the chicken breasts in the chicken stock for about 15 minutes until the chicken breasts are cooked.
2. Remove chicken breasts and shred with a fork and pour out stock and set aside.
3. Add the olive oil to the pot and heat over medium heat, adding in 1/2 of the scallions and garlic.
4. Saute about 2 minutes, add tomatoes, and saute another minute.
5. Add chicken stock, cumin, salt, pepper, and chili powder and bring to a boil.
6. Reduce heat and simmer on low for about 15 minutes.
7. In 6 bowls, fill equally with some chicken, avocado, the rest of the scallions, and the cilantro.
8. Ladle 1 cup chicken stock over the chicken and serve with a lime wedge*.

*Note: We forgot about the lime wedges and ended up topping ours with sour cream and cheddar cheese. Sooo yummy.

Here is the original recipe from Skinnytaste.com

Seriously Spicy Citrus Chicken

Wow, here's a nice simple dish that is very tasty and has a huge kick. Unless you like lots of heat, cut the red pepper flakes down to probably 1/3 of what they call for. It will still be spicy, but won't melt your mouth.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 tsp red pepper flakes
4 tsp garlic, minced
4 tsp grated gingerroot
1/4 cup Splenda (skipped this ingredient)
4 scallions, finely diced
2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Directions:
1. Cut chicken into 4 servings (or however many you are making) and saute in the olive oil over medium-high heat with a tilted lid.
2. While Sauteing, mix the lime juice, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, garlic, gingerroot, and Splenda (if using).
3. After the chicken has browned (about 4-5 minutes per side), add the mixture to the skillet, turning the chicken to coat both sides.
4. Saute for another 2-3 minutes per side or until chicken is done.
5. Place chicken on plates, pour mixture over top of chicken and scatter scallions and cilantro over each portion.

This recipe was from Dana Carpenders 15 Minute LC recipe book

Casual Chan's Special

This was an interesting take on sloppy joes, done Asian style. I was missing the bean sprouts, but it still tasted very good. Sorry for the fuzzy photo, but they didn't turn out very well.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 tbsp oil
4 scallions, sliced
2 cups bean sprouts
4 eggs
1 tsp Braggs Liquid Aminos (Soy Sauce) * Note, I used 1 tbsp instead of 1 tsp and it was good.
Salt - to taste
Pepper - to taste
Garlic Powder - to taste

Directions:
1. Brown the beef in the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. As it is browning, slice up scallions, measure out sprouts, and whisk together eggs and Braggs.
3. When the beef is browned, add in the scallions and sprouts and stir for about a minute. Not too long though as the sprouts need to stay firm.
4. Add eggs and soy sauce and scramble until set.
5. Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.

This recipe was based off one from Dana Carpenders 15 Minute LC Recipe book.

Camembert Chicken and Almonds

Ingredients:
4 Chicken Breasts - Pounded flat
8 oz Camembert cheese
1/3 cup sliced almonds
4 scallions sliced up thinly

Directions:
1. Brown one side of the Chicken Breasts.
2. Flip the breasts and layer on the cheese on the top.
3. When the other side is done, top with some almonds (browned in butter) and scallions.

Very simple, yet quite tasty. Feel free to substitute the Camembert cheese with any other kind. We will try provolone next time.

From Dana Carpender 500 LC Recipes Cookbook