A Recipe Worth All the Tea in China

You probably like Chinese food but prefer takeout from a local place rather than going through a messy hassle in the kitchen. You assume you don't have the right equipment - a rice steamer, a wok, whatever is needed, and you assume that whatever dish you concoct couldn't possibly be as good as what Hop Sing can whip up. Not so! This easy, yet tasty Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry dish requires no special cooking appliances nor any ancient Chinese secrets. And if you really want to immerse yourself in the culture, serve some hot tea with your meal in this complementary teapot from the SplendidLife website. It's actually a site promoting all things Splenda, but they also have some really cute kitchenware. Make sure you have some Splenda (or real sugar!) on hand for your beverage and enjoy your good fortune.

Spicy Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tbsp. cornstarch

2 tbsp. vegetable oil, divided

1 1/4 lbs. boneless beef top sirloin steak

16 oz. bag of frozen broccoli

1 medium onion, sliced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/2 cup beef broth

Whisk together soy sauce, cornstarch and 1 tbsp. of the oil in a bowl. Cut beef into strips, add to mixture, toss to coat and refrigerate 15 minutes. Heat remaining 1 tbsp. of oil in a large skillet. Add the beef, broccoli, onion, red bell pepper and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat until beef is browned and vegetables are crisp-tender. Add red pepper flakes and beef broth. Stir and cook a few minutes until sauce is slightly thickened. Serve over cooked rice and top with cashews.

Thanks for the Coffee, Pumpkin.

The middle of a sweltering summer may not be the ideal time to
think about pumpkins and all the delicious recipes you can make with this gastronomic delight, but it's always the ideal time to be thinking about yummy food! While pumpkins are usually relegated to the standard pie or requisite Halloween decoration, I like to liven things up and make this Pumpkin Walnut Bread. It's terrific as a dessert and even better as breakfast along with a piping hot cup o' joe. Speaking of joe, while there's nothing to chop for this recipe, check out this cute cutting board from USA Wallpaper. The coffee theme would be a darling addition to any art deco kitchen.


Pumpkin Walnut Bread

3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour (gotta get your fiber!)
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup pumpkin
1/2 cup olive oil
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flours, salt, sugar and baking soda. Mix the pumpkin, oil, eggs, water and spices together. Combine with the dry ingredients but don't mix too thoroughly. Stir in the nuts. Pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake 50-60 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.