Easy Stir-Fried Beef with Pineapple

Similar ingredients but cooked using different methods and procedures. My last post was about stewing beef with pineapple. Stewed slowly over the stove, this method is great to cook in bulk to keep and feed a big family or gathering. Another one is to cook in an electric slow cooker with the ingredients and procedure adjusted. However, I will not be sharing this but one other method which is quick stir frying of beef with saucy pineapple slices.

If cooking for only a few and intending to serve an easy and quick version, follow my recipe for today. Instead of stew beef, use tenderloin. Sliced slightly thinly, marinated, stir fried and with saucy pineapple slices, you will be able to serve a meal with a delicious umami taste in no time. So, here goes ...

Easy Stir-Fried Beef with Pineapple
200g beef tenderloin - cut into slightly thin slices
1/4 tsp fish sauce
1/4 tsp ground turmeric or turmeric powder
1 pip garlic
1 shallot
2 thin slices ginger

• Ground or finely mince garlic, shallot and ginger. Mix all of above together and set aside to marinate until ready to cook.

150g pineapple (after discarding skin and eyes) - cut into small pieces

a few thin slices of carrot

3 red birdseye chillies - remove seeds

1 small lemongrass (use only the small bulbous portion and crush)

Sprig of cilantro/coriander - separate stems and leaves and roughly chop each

1 tbsp peanut oil

100 ml water

Sauce:

1 tbsp water

1/2 tsp fish sauce

3/4 tsp brown sugar

1/8 tsp salt

3/4 tsp cornflour

• Mix all together.

How to cook

1. Stir-fry marinated beef in heated oil quickly over high heat until just cooked. Dish out into serving plate.
2. Pour 100 ml water into the same wok and bring to a boil. Add pineapple slices, carrot, chillies, lemongrass and chopped coriander stems. Bring to a boil again and allow to simmer, covered, over low heat for 5 minutes.
3. Stir in sauce and chopped coriander leaves. Simmer rapidly for 1/2 minute or until sauce is nicely thickened.
4. Immediately pour sauce over fried beef, discard lemongrass and serve with rice (2 to 3 pax).

~Kim~

Beef and Pineapple Stew - a special tasty stew to whet appetites.

Pineapples are in abundant supply in my country all year round. Why not make full use of these refreshingly juicy, sweet and sour fruit since they are so conveniently and easily available at anytime? I questioned this to myself sometime ago and that resulted in them gaining a place in my cart each time I do my marketing and sort of elevated to PR status in my home.

I am sure there are also many of you who like pineapples just as much as I do, given their deliciousness and usefulness. Their many uses include eaten fresh, juiced, in salads, made into jams and desserts, tenderise tough cuts of meat and in various baked and cooked recipes. I will be sharing one of my beef recipes which is stewed beef with pineapple today. It is a new recipe which I created recently and is easy to prepare and cook; tasty enough as well to stimulate the appetite. Choose a good, fresh pineapple that is of common grade and inexpensive. That will do for cooking. Do not get one that is green or over ripe.

Beef and Pineapple Stew
500g stew beef
300g half ripened pineapple (after discarding skin and eyes)
100g carrot
30g cilantro/coriander
5 birdseye chillies (more or less)
30g garlic
50g shallots
10g fresh ginger
10g fresh turmeric
1 lemongrass
400ml water
1 tbsp peanut oil
1 tsp fish sauce
Salt to taste

Preparation

• Dice beef, pineapple and carrot into bite sized pieces.
• Separate coriander leaves from stems. Roughly chop each.
• Discard stalks from chillies and break into halves. Shake off loose seeds. 
• Lightly crush garlic and discard skins.
• Peel shallots and slice thinly.
• Scrape ginger and turmeric skins and slice thinly.
• Discard dried outer leaves, root end and top of lemongrass. Use only the bulbous part.

How to cook

1. Saute garlic, shallots, ginger, turmeric and crushed lemongrass in heated oil for one minute.
2. Add beef and fry for about two minutes over high heat.
3. Pour in water and bring to a boil. Add chopped coriander stems, cover and simmer for one hour over low heat.
4. Mix in carrot and pineapple pieces. Cover again and continue to simmer for another forty minutes or until beef is tender.
5. Add fish sauce, salt to taste and chopped coriander leaves. Cook for two minutes over high heat and remove from heat.
6. Serve with rice (4 to 5 pax).

** When I have vegetable soup as one of the side dishes, I will then make a dry version. Use less water and adjust the seasonings.

~Kim~

Sun Dried Tomatoes and Prawns with Spaghetti - a fusion dish leaning towards the Asian taste.

SUN DRIED TOMATOES WITH PRAWNS AND SPAGHETTI

Sun Dried Tomatoes are surely one up on fresh tomatoes in terms of flavour. The salty, slightly sweet and sour dried tomatoes gives depth to any dish without having to add too many seasonings. Moreover, their intense flavour makes it unnecessary to go overboard with them in recipes. Besides that, their decent shelf life enables good storage for convenience whenever needed. They are indeed a plus to have in any kitchen. There are slightly yellow ones but I prefer those that are red and loosely packed (thanks for these lovely ones, Swee) over oil packed ones or others so that I can use them in anyway that I like.

Instead of cooking the usual creamy sauce with basil or other herbs for the spaghetti, I decided to make a lightly fried dish the other day. The last bit of celery was still looking good in the refrigerator. There were prawns in the freezer and when coupled with the dried tomatoes, complemented each other very well. Thrown in together with other ingredients, the dish became fusion leaning towards the Asian taste that was just great.

I usually cook extra to reserve some for the next day; an instant homemade noodles as a snack to fill those hunger pangs! Reheating in the microwave oven makes it so easy. However, because of second helpings nothing much is left over each time. Anyway, for those who are keeping leftovers but do not like to use the microwave oven to reheat, boil a little water on the stove, stir in the noodles briefly, remove from heat and add parmesan cheese. And there you go!

Sun Dried Tomatoes with Prawns and Spaghetti
400g cooked wholewheat spaghetti ( boiled according to package instructions)
40g sun dried tomatoes
500g medium or small prawns
100g celery
100g onion
30g green/spring onion
30g garlic
1 fresh red chilli
Shredded lettuce according to preference
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp fish sauce
1/4 tsp salt or less
3 tbsp light olive oil

• Slice thinly or roughly chop tomatoes.
• Marinate prawns with pepper.
• Julienne celery and onion.
• Slice green onion into 3 cm lengths.
• Mince the garlic.
• Discard seeds from chilli and mince.

How to cook

1. Saute garlic and tomatoes in heated oil over medium low heat for 2 minutes.
2. Stir in prawns. Cook over medium high heat until 3/4 cooked.
3. Add celery, chilli, onion and fry for 2 minutes.
4. Add spaghetti, green onion, lettuce, fish sauce and salt. Stir and toss to mix.
5. Dish out onto a serving platter. Serves 3 to 4 pax.

~Kim~