BEEF MAKI

In Kyoto they usually have meat rolled up filled with vegetables to look like flowers.  I watched it on #NHK-TV recently and thought I should make it myself.

Flank steak thinly sliced by running a long sharp knife flat on top of the meat while pressing the meat down and carefully moving the knife flat ln its surf on the meat from one end to the other.  This creating about 3-4 thin slices. (About 1-1/2 pounds)

Set aside.

INGREDIENTS:

Half a red bell pepper seeded and sliced

9-10 pieces of very thin asparagus or 3-4 regular size asparagus, trimmed (bend bottoms till it snaps off and discard the bottoms)

3 leaves of cabbage boiled 2-3 minutes to soften

4 pieces of canned while baby corn 

For sauce:

2TB soy sauce

2TB mirin or sake

2TB sugar

About 5TB of potato starch in a bowl for rolling the beef.

First boil a pot of water to blanche the asparagus for a minute or 2. Remove and cut in half.

Using the same water add the cabbage in the boiling pot and let it simmer for

3-4 minutes turning the cabbage to soften the stalks a little.  Wipe the cabbage and then slice the thinly and set aside.

Season the beef to taste.  From one end of the thin slice of beef where it may be wider, layer the some cabbage, peppers, asparagus and the corn. 

Tightly roll 

Then roll in the bowl

Of potato starch so the beef stays rollednuo.

Heat skillet with oil.  When hit, add the coated rolled beef and brown on each side about 2

Minutes on each side.  When all sides are browned, pour the sauce you made over the beef.  And roll the meat in it carefully.  Cover the pan for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for a minute or 2.

Transfer in a cutting board , letting it rest for a few more minutes then slice carefully.  Size should be enough to fit your mouth if possible.

You may use some of the sauce over to serve or kn the molded rice.  Garnish the plate with any vegetables of your choice.  Mine was asparagus because that is what I had more of after stuffing some in the meat. 

MUSSEL DINNER

One thing I learned about mussels from the International Restaurant Food Show is how they farm it.

"Most mussels are farmed using a system of ropes suspended from rafts or buoys. Mussels attach to the ropes and take 12 to 18 months to reach a harvest able size. Some farmers grow their mussels in cages on the bottom, but most find that off-bottom-culture increases the harvest per area, reduces the risk of predation, and allows the mussels to grow faster and larger.

Mussels and other shellfish are filter feeders. They capture and eat microscopic particles, plants and nutrients by filtering ocean water. This means that mussel farming operations can actually clean the water where they are located.

Most farmed mussels are raised on suspended ropes that never contact the seafloor, which prevents the risk of habitat destruction. Some mussel farmers raise their mussels in mesh bags or cages, either suspended in the water column or attached to the seafloor. When the mussels are large enough to harvest, the farmer simply collects the bags or cages from the farming location."

I also learned that you can tell how fresh the mussels are by reading the label of the net bag.  It will tell you when it was harvested.  At the usual grocery I go to, the batch I bought was just a day old.  And I actually cooked it 2 days after and they were still alive.

When the shells are open, to test if they are alive, just tap it. If they close, then they're alive.  Discard the dead ones.

This bag of mussels I bought were still all shut closed.  But all opened when they got cooked. If after you cook them do not eat the ones that are still shut.  Discard the shut ones after cooking.

Ingredients used:
1 bag of mussels (serves 2)
3/4 c white wine (I used chardonnay)
4-5 cloves of garlic crushed (I minced one of them)
1/2 sliced onion
4 sprigs of thyme

(OPTIONAL:  You can add 1TB of Jerk Seasoning and 3/4 c of white wine instead of chardonnay to have a spicy version of this recipe)

I placed all the ingredients except for the mussels in a large pot.  Boiled the ingredients for about 5 minutes then added the mussels:

Cover the pot back after you add the mussels.  In about 10 minutes, soon as the mussels open, they are ready.

I served the mussels with the broth in a bowl with sliced baguette.  I brushed them with olive oil, then slightly toasted it in the oven.

On the side are cloves of garlic which you can rub against your baguette to eat with the mussel.  If you want, you could also sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on your garlic-rubbed bread.

I happened to have some frisee, arugula and strawberries which I made into salad.  Just drizzle it with aged balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and season it with salt and pepper.  VOILA!

This is such an easy meal to make - why eat it out???

Great to serve for Valentine's Day too!

http://health.yahoo.net/experts/eatthis/11-foods-boost-your-mood