Beef and Peppers in an Edible Bird Nest

For a complete step-by-step tutorial with even more pictures, please visit my Beef and Peppers in an Edible Nest - An Instructable!

You won't have to climb trees for this dish, nor will you have to pay thousands of dollars as some people do, actually cooking with, and consuming the nest created by a young bird in the Southeastern Asian region. The bird is known as a Swift, or Swiftlet. The nest is known as Yanwo, constructed with the saliva from a Swiftlet. Yes, I'm serious. People eat bird nests. When the nest is dried, it is valued for culinary use, said to possess medicinal, as well as aphrodisiac qualities. The nest has a gelatinous texture when cooked, and it is often used for soups, very expensive soups.

But we'll skip the Swiftlet spit, and make our own edible nest using your choice of white potatoes, sweet potatoes or even taro root, a bulbous root typically found in the produce section of an Asian supermarket. After frying the nest, it is filled with a delicious beef and pepper stir-fry. Come along, and I'll show you how!

Although a few kitchen gadgets are necessary, they are not overly unusual, and are often found in a local store.

SPIDER / STRAINER: - A small, rounded wire basket, typically attached to a bamboo handle, is known as a ‘spider’, or strainer. While you could easily improvise, a second spider is best for making the nest that will contain the beef and peppers. Look for the gadget under key words such as spider, strainer, Asian strainer and such. They are available in different sizes such as 6”, 8” and even larger, depending on what size nest you would like to make.

WOK: - A wok, or other frying pan which will enable heating of several inches of cooking oil. Be certain the pan is deep enough to cover the basket of the spider, but not so deep that the tool cannot be safely used at an angle.

CHEESE GRATER or MANDOLINE: – You will need something to shred or slice potatoes in a very thin strip. A mandoline (not to be confused with the musical instrument 'mandolin') will produce thicker strands of fries that will form a heartier basket, while a cheese grater with large holes will make a more delicate bedding for the beef and peppers. Please note! Using a potato or yam on a mandoline can be a bit dangerous, as the vegetables are very firm, requiring quite a push on the blade to cut properly. Use extreme caution, and always use the protective vegetable holder that should have been included with your mandoline.

DEEP FRY THERMOMETER: Oil temperature should be 325 degrees (for white potatoes) to 350 degrees (for sweet potatoes or Taro root), depending on which root used for the nest.

OTHER: Paper towels, sharp knife, measuring cups and spoons, fork, scissors, etc.

 Recipe courtesy of Sunset Magazine / Lane Publishing.

Note: some ingredients are called for more than once, and some are needed for a separate cooking sauce, shown below (*). Please review the entire recipe before beginning. Handy tip: This meal tastes even better the next day, a great make-ahead dish! Comes together easily when everything is measured ahead of time. A great excuse for those little tiny bowls.


Alterations – absolutely! Add mushrooms. Add onions! Bamboo shoots or water chestnuts!
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Approximately ¾ lb. boneless lean beef such as Flank steak
1 Tablespoon dry sherry (I used Marsala. Who is going to know?)
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 Tablespoon water
2 teaspoon salt, divided – (If using full sodium soy sauce, considering omitting)
¼ teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons of corn starch
Salad oil / cooking oil / vegetable oil
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*Cooking sauce – Combine 1 Tbl. soy sauce, 1 Tbl. Corn starch, ½ cup chicken broth or water. Stir, set aside for later use, to be added to the beef mixture.
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1 clove of garlic
½ teaspoon of minced ginger
2 green / bell peppers, cut into 1/4” wide strips (By all means, yes, you may use a different color bell pepper, though green is the best choice to pair with the beef, in my opinion.)
Suggested addition – one onion, sliced thinly
Suggested addition - a good dose of chili oil for more flavor
¼ teaspoon salt

Using a 1/2 pound piece of beef, slice the beef with the grain into 1 to 1 ½” strips, then cut the strips into 1/8” pieces. Refrigerate the meat while prepping the vegetables and sauces.

It is helpful to measure out all the little things such as the soy sauces, salt and such, all lined up on the kitchen counter top waiting their turn. When and if you eat at fast food restaurants, save the little plastic condiment cups for prep bowls.

Cut a green / bell pepper in half. Cut the top rounded portion off each pepper half. Remove seeds, pith and parts of the pepper that are not green. You may slice or dice the peppers, though strips make a beautiful statement in the completed dish.Peel a small piece of ginger, then dice into tiny pieces. If you are using an onion, cut it into thin slices.Peel and mince the garlic. Don't be afraid to throw in another clove.

In a bowl large enough to sufficiently hold the meat after it is cut, combine these ingredients:

1 Tablespoon dry sherry, 1 Tablespoon soy sauce, 1 Tablespoon water, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon sugar, 2 teaspoons of corn starch. Stir well to mix the corn starch into the sauce. Add the sliced beef, stir to coat, then add 1 ½ teaspoons of oil. Cover, and allow to marinate for 15 minutes.

If you have not already created the *Cooking Sauce from step 2, do so now, and set aside.





Heat a wok or other large pan over high heat. Add 2 Tablespoons of cooking oil. Once the oil is heated, add garlic and ginger, give it a swirl in the oil, then add the marinated beef. Stir fry for approximately 2 minutes, or until no longer pink on the outside. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add 1 Tablespoon of cooking oil to the wok. Add bell pepper, add onions if using, stir fry for just a few moments, then add 1 Tablespoon of water and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Stir, cover, and cook for 1 minute. Add meat back to the pan, then add the *Cooking Sauce. Stir until mixture thickens and is hot throughout.

Nests can be made ahead of time, though in my opinion, are best when prepared fresh the day of eating. Much of the prep can be done ahead of time, so if you are serving this meal to dinner guests, it won’t take long to make fresh nests. Beef mixture can be made a day ahead as well, which allows the flavors to come to life.

2 medium-sized potatoes (Russets are fine) or 2 sweet potatoes, or Taro root
Corn Starch
Frying oil

 On a casual weekend, this dish is very easy to prepare, but if you are planning a dinner party, or having this during a busy work week, consider prepping the vegetables ahead of time.

Simply peel, then shred or slice your choice of root vegetable, rinse well, and fill a glass jar with the shreds. Fill to the top with water and refrigerate until needed. The shreds must be drained and dried with a towel before frying, to avoid grease spatters when the oil and any residual water meet. 

Heat the frying oil to a temperature of 325 degrees if using white potatoes, or 350 if using Taro root or sweet potatoes. Use a deep fry thermometer to ensure the oil is at the proper temperature. Peel, then shred or slice the root of your choice into pieces. Rinse and drain well, dry the pieces on a very clean towel, paper towel, etc. Try to remove most of the water before proceeding.

If you are prepping ahead, you can fill a glass container with the pieces, add water, and refrigerate until ready to use, but be certain to drain and pat them dry before frying . Once the pieces have been dried off, sprinkle 1 Tablespoon of corn starch onto them, and mix well. You may add a little more corn starch if needed. This will be the ‘glue’ that binds the fibers of the nest together, so don’t leave it out, or you may end up with a pile of loose hash-brown-looking things.

If you have already begun heating the oil, check the temperature. If you are close to the required degree but not yet ready to cook, move the oil off the stove burner until you are a little closer to frying time. You do not want to experience a hot oil fire or suffer a burn. Be careful!

Lightly spread the ‘fibers’ into the spider / strainer, up the sides, filling the middle, lining the strainer. The nest does not need to be completely filled. Place the second spider on top of the nest, and press down to secure. The two spiders will be held together as the tools are immersed into the hot oil. Trim away any excess potato. Slowly immerse the nest into the oil, continuing to hold the tools together. Keep submerged for approximately 3-4 minutes, or until fried golden brown. If you practice, you can become quite adept at knowing just when to tug on the top spider to loosen it from the other without wrecking the nest.



When frying is complete, lift the spiders out of the oil, allowing excess oil to drain. Move to a paper towel. Use a fork to scrape any segments that may have locked the nest into the spiders. Usually, you can scrape the top spider, and it will release. Then flip the second spider over and scrape the backside of the tool. The nest should fall out. Salt the nest if desired. Drain well.

Place each cooked nest on a plate, and fill with beef and pepper mixture.

Best served when made fresh and hot. If your beef is a bit saucy, you might allow a bit of it to drain through a slotted spoon so as not to make the nests soggy too fast.

Once you make these, you'll be surprised at how easily they come together. The instructions are hopefully written in a clear manner so as not to intimidate anyone. This is easy, and fun, and especially so when your family doesn't know what is coming to the table! Something fun for dinner!




 
Use your imagination when making them. Here are just a few things you can add or subtract to the mixture:

Bean sprouts
Bamboo shoots
Onions
Mushrooms
Scallions
Water chestnuts
Peanuts
Oyster sauce
Chili oil
Chili peppers
Carrots
Celery slices
What will you add? Bon appetit!

Roasted Garlic and OIive Pasta Sauce

A simple sauce with a lot of flavor, this recipe will create six pint jars of tangy sauce that can be used in so many ways. A great pot of sauce to make when you might have extra company coming for dinner.

This recipe was found in a little cook booklet put out by a company named Market Day. I just happened to stop at a second hand store one day, and found they were having an 'all the books you can fit into a bag' sale. Two bucks, and I walked away with a great wealth of recipes to try!

Though our garden is just about spent for the year, and fresh tomatoes would have been best, canned tomatoes work just fine for this recipe.

Just a few other ingredients, and two heads of garlic, and you're good to go! Come along, let's make the sauce!


Recipe from a little cook booklet by Market Day - with amended options for the roasting schedule.
Shown with added mushrooms and freshly ground black pepper.

2 heads of garlic (full heads, not single cloves)
1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil
3  28-ounce cans of peeled, whole tomatoes
1  6-ounce can of pitted ripe black olives, drained, diced
1  6-ounce can of tomato paste
1 tablespoon of dried basil leaves
1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

After removing most of the paper husk, keeping the cloves intact, cut the tops from two heads of garlic to expose the cloves. Don't fret if your garlic has tiny green sprouts (known as 'germs') as they can be easily removed after roasting.

Place each garlic head on a square of aluminum foil, drizzle with olive oil, and wrap foil around the garlic.You may roast the heads at 350 degrees for about an hour, or 450 for about half an hour. After roasting, remove from oven, open foil packets and allow heads to cool. Squeeze heads to force cloves from the husk. Mash cloves with a fork.

Drain canned tomato juice into a large pot. (This is an opportunity to use your Dutch oven.) :-) Dice remaining tomatoes, removing any skin or blossom ends, add diced tomatoes to the pot. Add the mashed garlic, olives, tomato paste, basil and red pepper flakes. Bring to a low boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.

Sauce can be stored in a container with a tight-fitting lid for one week, or frozen for one month. May also be canned, recipe provides for slightly more than six pint jars of sauce.

Three Pepper and Pasta Soup

Three different peppers give this soup a kick, and with the addition of plenty of oregano, a good dose of extra virgin olive oil, and a quick glance in the produce drawer of your refrigerator, you should be able to toss together a soup that calls for seconds.

 My husband is one of those carnivore types, so I make a good number of little meatballs, seasoned with a dash of oregano and a sprinkle of Cavender's Greek Seasoning. If you are not currently using this fabulous seasoning, your life is missing something.

Just a few basics, like a carton of broth, an onion, and a can of tomatoes will get you started. Though the soup itself is delicious and filling, hubby and I put everything on a bed of pasta. Elbow macaroni, tiny shells, Ditalini, even barley. There are so many options!

• Pasta, if desired. Cook separately, coat lightly with olive oil and set aside. Time the cooking of your pasta so it is coming out of the pot hot when your soup is finished.

• Meatballs or cubes of chicken if desired, cooked and set aside

• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion
• 2-3 cloves of garlic - minced
• 2-3 stalks of celery, diced
• 2-3 jalapenos, stems removed, veined, seeded, diced)
• 1 or 2 orange or red bell peppers, stems removed, veined, seeded, diced)

• 32 ounce carton of broth (I use chicken broth)
• 1  28-ounce can of tomatoes. Do not drain. Use diced, or dice them if whole.
• 4 ounce jar of pimentos, drained

• Fresh oregano and / or dried oregano

Over medium heat, saute onions and garlic in a large pot with a heavy bottom. Add bell peppers and jalapenos, stirring well, allow to saute for about four minutes. Add celery, cook a few minutes longer. Add broth and tomatoes, stir well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender. Add drained pimentos. If you choose to add cooked meat, you may add it now.

In a small saucepan, heat enough olive oil to coat several tablespoons of fresh oregano. I actually prefer to add both fresh and dried oregano to the olive oil. Saute the oil and oregano until the fresh oregano wilts and the kitchen is beginning to smell divine.

Pour the olive oil and oregano into the soup. Stir well. Serve alone, with bread, or over pasta.     

Don't be afraid to get creative. Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Add sliced zucchini.
Use a red and an orange bell pepper.

Bon appetit!

Grilled Asparagus with toasted sesame seeds

Summer time barbeques are the perfect opportunity for inclusion of vegetables. Even if you don't own an outdoor grill, an indoor electric grill is perfectly acceptable for grilling these delicious spears!

Though the original recipe, courtesy of Cooking Light, featured larger spears of asparagus threaded onto wooden skewers for ease of turning while grilling, I used what I had on hand. In this case, our smaller asparagus, sans the skewers, turned out just fine. But if you have them, thread a few sticks through the top and bottom of a row to make a 'raft'. They are so much easier to flip all at once when one side has been grilled.

Use fresh, beautiful green (or white if you are lucky enough to have them) spears that snap when the ends are broken off. Fresh asparagus is truly the best!

• 16 asparagus spears (the thicker, the better)
• 1 Tablespoon of low-sodium soy sauce (trust me on this one, go low sodium)
• 1 teaspoon of dark sesame oil
• 1 clove of garlic, minced well
• 2 teaspoons of toasted sesame seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Prepare an outdoor, or an indoor electric grill to high heat.

Toast sesame seeds with salt and pepper. (Think toaster oven.) Set aside. 

Combine soy sauce, minced garlic and sesame oil in a large, shallow container. Place the spears into the mix, and move them around to coat them. You may also brush the mix onto the spears. Grill approximately three minutes, turn over, grill for three more minutes. 

Remove from the grill, sprinkle with the sesame seed, salt and pepper combination.
Serve immediately.

ROASTED TOMATILLO SALSA

The smell of these ingredients roasting in the oven is simply wonderful! Though I prefer a tomato-based salsa for dunking tortilla chips into, this particular salsa screams for scrambled eggs, burritos, tacos and so much more.

Thank you for the recipe, Ruth Reichl / Gourmet Today Cookbook. Recipe listed verbatim (with my two cents added for good measure)

2-3 Serrano chilies (I'm a chicken, and I used 3)
4 garlic cloves with peels intact
2 lbs. (about 12) fresh tomatillos
3/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves (remove all stems)
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
(I used one...two would have been serious overkill)
2 and 1/2 teaspoons of Kosher salt

Tomatillos have a papery husk which must be removed prior to eating. As you peel the husk off, you will notice the tomatillos have a stickiness about them. Believe it or not, a tiny bit of dish soap in a pan of warm water removes that stickiness. Remove the husks, rinse well, and you're good to go. You may remove the bud / stem knob now, or after broiling. It is not necessary to remove the peels of the tomatillos, only the stems and husks.

Preheat an oven broiler. On a large cookie sheet or baking pan lined with foil, place the four cloves of garlic, chilies and tomatillos. Broil 1 to 2 inches from the heat, turning on occasion with a long-handled utensil.

You may have to remove some of the more charred vegetables as they broil - which is a good thing. Allow all of the vegetables to broil, approximately 8 minutes.

If you haven't already done so, coarsely cut up the onion(s). No need to get fancy, they will be blended. Once removed from the oven, carefully peel the garlic and peppers, removing the stems and skins of the chilies. Squeeze out any germ, or growth that may have occurred in the center of the garlic. Sprouts are great, but not in your garlic. Place the roasted tomatillos, garlic, chilies and remaining ingredients (cilantro, onion, salt) in a blender or food processor. This particular salsa, in my opinion, is best pureed and used as a sauce, rather than left chunky as you would in preparing a salsa. 

 This recipe makes just enough for two wide-mouth pint jars, with a bit left over for sampling. Can be served cold, or even better, warmed up before serving with your choice of anything your heart desires. Keep in refrigerator.