Ginger Marinated Steak

This recipe comes from Saveur.  Mmm, another recipe with ginger in it. I like using marinades. I love the way the meat takes on the flavors from a good marinade and how the marinade breaks down the meat and makes it more tender. If using the grill pan, I recommend that you start on high heat and sear the steak on both sides for at least a minute or so and then lower the heat and let the steak cook to the desired temperature.

SERVES 2-4

Ingredients

1⁄4 cup toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp. fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving
1 tbsp. honey
8 cloves garlic, peeled
1 (5") piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 (1 1⁄2-lb.) flank steak

Instructions

Purée oil, lime juice, honey, garlic, ginger, salt, and pepper in a food processor until smooth; pour into a bowl. Add steak and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or chill overnight.

Heat a charcoal grill or set a gas grill to medium-high. (Alternatively, heat a cast-iron grill pan over medium-high.) Remove flank from marinade; grill, turning as needed, until slightly charred and cooked to desired doneness, 6–8 minutes for medium rare or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of the steak reads 125°. Let steak rest 10 minutes; thinly slice against the grain and serve with lime wedges.

Chicken Biriyani

I love ginger. I will try pretty much any chicken recipe that has ginger and this one does not disappoint. It's possible to use brown rice but you have to cook the brown rice half way before you put it into the dutch oven.

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

1 cup basmati rice
3 tbsp. canola oil
2 tsp. whole coriander
3 chiles de arbol, crumbled by hand
1 ½ tbsp. kosher salt
2 ½ tsp. ground Saigon cinnamon
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 skinless, bone-in chicken thighs
4 skinless, bone-in chicken legs
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 2" piece ginger, roughly chopped
1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
¼ cup toasted sliced almonds, for garnish
Fried shallots, for garnish
Cilantro leaves, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the rice in a small bowl and cover with water; let it soak for 20 minutes. Drain the rice and set it aside.

2. Heat the oil in a 4-qt. Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the coriander and chiles, and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add the salt, cinnamon, garlic, chicken, onion, ginger, and jalapeno, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions soften, about 6 minutes.

3. Stir in the reserved rice and 1 ¼ cups water, and bring to a simmer. Cover pot and transfer to the oven; cook until rice is tender and chicken is cooked through, about 35 minutes. Transfer the pot to a rack and let it sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff the rice with a fork. Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with almonds, fried shallots, and cilantro.

Slow Cooker Quinoa Chili

This recipe showed up in my Facebook feed. You don't have to have a slow cooker, you can use a dutch oven instead. Using the quinoa helps give this recipe a punch of protein even though it's all vegetarian.

Total time - 8 hours 15 mins
Serves: 6 - 8 servings

Ingredients

2 medium poblano peppers (about ½ pound)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced (about 2 cups)
1 medium green pepper, diced (about 1½ cups)
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
4 cups cooked cannellini (white kidney) beans (or 2 15-ounce cans, drained)
¾ cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed under cold water and drained
5-6 dashes Tabasco sauce (optional)

Fresh lime wedges and other optional toppings such as fresh cilantro, sour cream or Greek Yogurt, or shredded jack cheese

Instructions

First, roast your poblanos. Turn the oven on to the high broil setting and move the rack to about one-third of the way from the top of the oven. Wash and dry whole peppers and place on a cookie sheet. Place in the oven and broil for 2-3 minutes, until the tops are blackened, then turn carefully with tongs and continue broiling until most sides are blistered and blackened. But watch carefully! Ovens can vary greatly, so keep a close eye on the peppers and remove them if they start to smoke more than just a little.

Remove blackened peppers from the oven and carefully tent a large piece of foil over the top. This helps the peppers to "sweat" and will make the skin easier to peel off when it's time.

While the poblanos are cooling, assemble the rest of the chili. Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the diced onions and green peppers. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5-6 minutes.

Add the garlic, oregano, cumin, smoked paprika, cloves, and salt. Cook, stirring, for one minute.

Add a cup or so of broth and stir to make sure all the bits of flavor are scraped up into the broth. Carefully pour into the slow cooker along with the remaining vegetable broth, cannellini beans, quinoa, and Tabasco if using.

Carefully peel the skin off of the poblanos and remove the stem. Remove the seeds for a milder chili; keep them for a hotter chili. Finely dice and add to the Crock Pot. Stir gently to mix all of the ingredients together.

Cook on low for 8 - 10 hours, or on high for 3 - 4 hours until the quinoa is tender and the chili is relatively thick. Taste and add additional salt and pepper to taste.

Scoop into bowls and squeeze a lime wedge over each serving. Garnish with additional toppings if desired.