Rock Band Beef Stew

I attended a party on the weekend and the video game Rock Band was the main focus of the night. For those not familiar with the game, four players are given a game controller that resembles a musical instrument. There’s a guitar, bass, drums and a microphone for the person who is brave enough to sing. The object is for the four of you to play a popular song by hitting the notes (which are in the form of colors) that appear on the screen. If you miss the notes the song sounds like crap, the crowd boos and you all lose.

Pick Yourself Up Creamy Penne Pasta

I’ve somehow developed a habit of automatically reaching for tomatoes when making pasta dishes. I’m not sure when this habit began but it has now made my pasta dishes predictable and boring…and that’s no fun.

This week seemed like a good time to make a change and start my pasta dishes in a different direction. Instead of a tomato-based sauce I embarked on preparing a creamy cheese sauce for my penne pasta.

Three Pistol Apple Cinnamon Pecan Bread

Pow…Pow…Pow! Three flavor packed ingredients hitting ya in three different directions. That’s how I would describe this quick bread. Seriously – what could be better than mixing apples with cinnamon, then adding chopped pecans to the party. That’s right…nothing! Of course no party would be complete without a sweet host, that’s the brown sugar, and some killer tunes. Better yet, killer Canadian tunes such as those from The Tragically Hip’s album Road Apples.

Beef Stir-Fry in a SNAP!

If you were a dance club junkie in the early ‘90s (like I was) then you’re probably familiar with the band Snap! If the name doesn’t look familiar their song “The Power” may jog your memory. It’s the one where the guy raps
“It’s gettin’…it’s gettin’…it’s gettin’ kind of hectic”
And the girl belts out;
“I GOT THE POWER”.
It was a huge hit back in the day. I know I cut some serious tile to that tune and probably frightened a good number of people in the process with my less than stellar dance moves.

For some reason I thought of this song while reading the ingredient list for this recipe. I think it was the sugar snap peas that did it...that’s just how my crazy music and food infused brain works. I knew I had this song somewhere in my CD collection so I dug it up to listen to while preparing this dish.

Everyone has the power to whip up this easy to make beefy stir-fry recipe which I found in an old copy of Bon Appetit magazine. They used tofu as their main rhythm, but no one in my family likes tofu, except for me, so I switched it to beef. I also decided to add Portobello mushrooms instead of shitake. Why? Because I GOT THE POWER (I couldn’t resist) and because Portobello’s have a nice beefy flavor that compliments the sirloin beef rhythm I choose.


I also tossed in some frozen Asian vegetables (fresh would have been better but I didn't feel like chopping) and added a soy infused melody by finishing it off with an Asian style sauce. I dressed it up with chopped green onions and had myself a stir-fry that’s full of delicious and nutritious harmony!

I originally thought the snap peas were the only connection to this song. However I discovered this dish has many of the same qualities as this classic dance tune. Straight forward…fast…and full of healthy vibes to get you moving!

Power Packed Beef Stir-Fry

Instruments
3 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp each rice vinegar and honey
1 tsp sesame oil
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
12 oz Sirloin beef, cut into ½ inch cubes, patted dry with paper towels
¼ cup beef stock
2 tsp cornstarch

2 tsp canola oil, divided
6 oz fresh Portobello mushrooms, cubed
8 oz frozen Asian vegetable medley, thawed
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
Chopped green onions

Lyrics
In a medium bowl whisk together soy sauce, vinegar, honey, sesame oil and red pepper flakes. Add beef and stir to coat. Let marinate 30 minutes. Drain, reserving marinade in a small bowl. Whisk beef stock and cornstarch into marinade.

In a nonstick skillet heat 1 tsp oil over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook until desired degree of doneness. Remove beef from skillet and set aside.

Add remaining 1 tsp oil to skillet. Add mushrooms and vegetables. Cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute more. Return cooked beef to skillet. Add marinade. Cook and stir until marinade thickens, about 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl, sprinkle with green onions and serve.

Volume: Makes 4 Servings

* * * *
Brent Garell
The Kitchen Roadie
brent@cookapalooza.com