Chinese Five Spice Burgers

RECIPE

You can now find Chinese five spice blends in the spice section of most supermarkets, where you'll also find prepared plum sauce and Asian sesame oil. If you can't find five spice, substitute this mixture: 1/8 teaspoon each ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground ginger, and anise seeds.

Yield
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
About 1 teaspoon olive or salad oil
1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms (3 1/2 oz.)
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions (including tops)
6 tablespoons prepared Chinese plum sauce
1 pound ground lean beef
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon Asian (toasted) sesame oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Chinese five spice (see notes)
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
4 sesame seed-topped hamburger buns (about 3 oz. each), cut in half horizontally
Lettuce leaves, rinsed and crisped
Salt

Preparation
1. Pour oil into an 8- to 10-inch nonstick frying pan over high heat; when hot, add mushrooms and stir until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Stir in the green onions and plum sauce and remove from heat.

2. In a bowl, gently mix ground beef with soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, Chinese five spice, and ginger. Shape beef mixture into four equal patties, each about 1/2 inch thick.

3. Lay patties on a lightly oiled barbecue grill over a solid bed of medium-hot coals or medium-high heat on a gas grill (you can hold your hand at grill level only 3 to 4 seconds); close lid on gas grill. Cook patties until no longer pink in the center (cut to test) or a thermometer inserted in center reaches 160°, 6 to 8 minutes total, turning once to brown evenly. After 5 minutes, lay bun halves, cut side down, on grill and toast lightly, 1 to 2 minutes.

4. Lay a lettuce leaf on each toasted bun base, top with a beef patty, and spoon mushroom mixture equally over burgers. Add salt to taste and cover with bun tops.

Nutritional Information
Calories:608 (46% from fat)
Protein:31g
Fat:31g (sat 12)
Carbohydrate:52g
Fiber:2.5g
Sodium:1119mg
Cholesterol:85mg

SS Recipes

Chinese Hot Pot of Beef and Vegetables

RECIPE

This comforting stew teams beef with spinach, an efficient pairing because the iron in the beef enhances your body's ability to absorb the iron in the spinach. Serve it over plain Chinese noodles or all by itself with some crusty French bread--it's delicious either way.

Yield
6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups)

Ingredients
4 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon aniseed, crushed
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14 1/4-ounce) can low-salt beef broth
2 3/4 cups water
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons dry sherry
2 to 3 teaspoons chile paste with garlic2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks
2 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled turnips (about 3/4 pound)
1 1/2 cups baby carrots
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
8 cups fresh spinach (about 1/2 pound)

Preparation
Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add half of beef, browning on all sides. Remove from pan. Repeat the procedure with remaining oil and beef. Add onions, ginger, aniseed, and garlic to pan; sauté 30 seconds. Stir in broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Return beef to pan. Add 2 3/4 cups water and next 5 ingredients (2 3/4 cups water through cinnamon sticks), and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour.

Add the turnips and carrots; simmer for 45 minutes or until tender. Combine 1 tablespoon water and cornstarch; add to beef mixture. Bring to a boil; cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add spinach; cover and cook for 3 minutes or until wilted. Discard the cinnamon sticks.

Nutritional Information
Calories:359 (30% from fat)
Fat:11.9g (sat 3.4g,mono 5.5g,poly 1.5g)
Protein:26.4g
Carbohydrate:35.8g
Fiber:4.5g
Cholesterol:71mg
Iron:4.8mg
Sodium:536mg
Calcium:88mg

SS Recipes

Sesame Beef and Asian Vegetable Stir-Fry

RECIPE

Yield
6 servings (serving size: 1 cup stir-fry and 1/2 cup rice)

Ingredients
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce, divided
1/4 cup Chinese black (Chinkiang) vinegar or rice vinegar, divided
4 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
3/4 pound top round, cut into1/4-inch strips
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons peanut oil, divided
3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted and divided
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups red bell pepper strips
1 1/2 cups frozen blanched shelled edamame (green soybeans), thawed
1 cup sliced shiitake mushroom caps
1 (15-ounce) can whole baby corn, drained
1/2 cup diagonally cut green onions
3 cups cooked jasmine rice

Preparation
Combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons vinegar, sesame oil, and five-spice powder in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add beef; toss to coat. Let stand 10 minutes. Remove beef from bowl; discard marinade.

Combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons vinegar, water, and cornstarch, stirring with a whisk.

Heat 1 teaspoon peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef; stir-fry 1 minute. Remove beef from pan. Add 1 teaspoon peanut oil, 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, ginger, and garlic to pan; stir-fry 30 seconds. Add bell pepper, edamame, mushrooms, and corn; stir-fry 2 minutes. Add beef and cornstarch mixture; stir-fry 3 minutes or until sauce thickens. Remove from heat; stir in 1 tablespoon sesame seeds and onions. Serve over rice.

Nutritional Information
Calories:434 (30% from fat)
Fat:14.4g (sat 3.3g,mono 4.8g,poly 3.5g)
Protein:21.7g
Carbohydrate:55.9g
Fiber:6.3g
Cholesterol:36mg
Iron:3.7mg
Sodium:318mg
Calcium:62mg

SS Recipes