Sunday, November 25, 2007

Orange Peel Beef

Sauce:
2 tbsp. frozen orange juice concentrate
2 tbsp. soy sauce
4 tbsp. sugar (or less)
1 tbsp. catsup
4 tbsp. water

Meat:
1 lb. flank steak
10 dried red chili peppers (I used red pepper flakes, 1 tsp)
1/4 c. dried orange peel (or use tangerine peel)
1 tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in 1 tbsp. water
1/4 c. sliced onions
Just enough Veggie oil to coat pan

Combine sauce ingredients. Set aside. Cut the beef into thick slices across the grain. Pound until thin, about 1/4 inch.

Heat the oil for deep frying. Slide the beef into the oil one piece at a time so it doesn't stick together. Fry until crispy. Remove from pan, and then put it back into the pan and fry it all over again. Okay, drain the meat and remove it from the pan (again).

Reheat oil and stir fry the chili peppers, onions and the orange peel until you can smell them. Now add the sauce that you made in the beginning. Bring this to a boil and thicken with the cornstarch that you dissolved in the tablespoon of water. Add the beef. Stir fry 1 minute. Remove chili peppers before serving. Good over cooked rice.

This was very good, but I almost took Rex's face off with the red peppers.

Saturday, November 03, 2007

Amaretti Cookies

2 ½ cups almond Flour
1 ¼ cup of baker’s sugar
3 egg whites
½ tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
extra sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 300 F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a food processor mill together the almond flour and sugar. Add the vanilla and almond extract and pulse for a few seconds. Add the eggs, one at a time, and continue to process until the dough is smooth.

Place teaspoons of the dough on the parchment paper and dust with sugar. Bake for 24-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely before serving. They will be slightly chewy at first, but they will be nicely crispy as a day or two goes by. Store in a cool, dry place. (Note: I usually underbake mine since I like them chewy. If that's your preference, bake them for about 20-24 minutes.) Makes about 30 cookies.