I miss Chinese food, the Chinese-American take out type. The typical sesame chicken, orange chicken, beef with broccoli, and here in New York City, it’s a hit or miss. They crank out these meals so quickly that the quality suffers. Sometimes it’s too sweet, too salty, too soggy, meat is overcooked, vegetables are soggy and watery, etc.

On the show, I decided to make Orange Chicken. In the name of research, I ordered Orange Chicken for lunch that day to familiarize my taste buds with the taste. It was overly sweet, no orange or citrus flavor, and not spicy. Why place a star next to it when it’s not even spicy? Also, the sauce was very gelatinous.

For the show, the sauce was made with freshly squeezed orange and lime juice. I added grated orange and lemon zest, chicken broth, Chinese cooking wine, red pepper flakes,ginger, and garlic to it. To thicken it up a bit, I added a bit of corn starch, but I made sure it wasn’t too congealed.

The sauce was tangy and full of citrus flavor.

Afterwards, I also made a Naked Orange Chicken. The chicken wasn’t battered and fried.

Of course, no Chinese meal can be complete without a fortune cookie.

I’ve been taking swimming class every Thursday night for the past few weeks. I’m one step closer to not fearing water anymore, and I can’t wait for the day that I can surf or cliff dive. After class every night, I get a major craving for Thai curry, and being a slave to my own craving, I would walk 60+ blocks in Manhattan to get  curry. I know…I’m crazy sometimes, but good food is good!

For the show, I made Penang Thai curry. My boss introduced me to Penang curry, and I love it since. I went to the Lobster Place (my favorite seafood place!) to get some cod, but then I saw monkfish and decided to try it.

I’ve never made monkfish before, and I thought this dish was decent. The monkfish has a high water content so I felt like it diluted the curry flavor a bit. I should have added a bit more curry paste. I saw some fresh pea pods so for the veggies in this curry dish, I used fresh peas, zucchinis, yellow squash, bell peppers, and basil. It was a beautiful dish. I think I would definitely try it with cod next time or do a seafood medley.

I grew up eating delicious Vietnamese food from my mom, and since moving to NYC, I’ve been missing it like crazy. The Vietnamese food in NYC is subpar; it lacks flavor and depth. It doesn’t the fact that it’s hard to find some ingredients.

For the show, I made Vietnamese rice noodles with flank steak (bun thit bo). I like flank steak because it’s a less expensive cut and is very flavorful. I’ve been eating Vietnamese food all my life so I wanted to add a little flair to this very basic and traditional dish. For the flank steak, I added a little Thai curry paste, garlic powder, seasame seeds, salt, and pepper. I couldn’t find fresh mint at the store so I opted for some basil. For a healthier version, I used sliced almonds instead of crushed peanuts, and added some bell peppers, cucumbers, and arugula (instead of the traditional chopped lettuce) to meet my veggie quota. It also adds a refreshing element to the dish.

For the fish sauce, it’s 100% authentic, with fish sauce, fresh squeezed lime juice, chili garlic paste, fresh garlic, water, and sugar.

A couple of years back, I had a sweet craving. Coupled that with my obsession with food, I searched high and low for the best chocolate chip cookie recipe. I stumbled upon a recipe in the NY Times, and it made the best chocolate chip cookies.

This year, I decided to try my own concoction, which was inspired by a combination of eating Ben & Jerry’s ice cream in Cape Cod and having Momofuku’s cookies at the Momofuku Milk Bar here in Manhattan. It’s a chocolate chip cookie twist filled with corn flakes, marshmallows, cinnamon roasted pecans, and semi-sweeet chocolate morsels.

I’m sending my cookies to 3 people. You must reside in the US. Tune in tonight at 9:15 PM EST on http://justin.tv/casadelun.

Good luck!

Last year, I went to New Orleans, and everybody raved about Shrimp and Grits. It’s not a native dish to New Orleans. It’s more of a Carolinian dish, but New Orleans adapted well. This is my twist on the Shrimp and Grits that I made on the live show. I made it with stone ground yellow grits and topped it with an andouille sausage gravy. So rich!

I whipped up a quick chicken pad thai for the Recession Special – $30 a week show. This was made with jarred pad thai sauce. If I had the time, I would have made the sauce from scratch. I find the sauce to be on the sweet side, more like a plum sauce.

Steak Tips with Red Wine Reduction Sauce

Steak Tip Marinade

• 1 lb. steak tips
• 2/3 cup of coca cola
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp fresh ground pepper

Red Wine Reduction Sauce

• 1-1/2 cup sweet onions, chopped
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 1/2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 Tbs butter
• 2 cups red wine
• 2 cups port wine ( I used a blueberry port wine)
• 1/2 tsp sugar (optional)
• salt to taste

Directions

1. Marinade the beef. Mix all the marinade ingredients together. Add the beef tips. Marinade the beef for at least 1 hour. For best results, let it marinade overnight.
2. Make the port red reduction sauce. Heat a skillet pan on medium heat. Add the chopped sweet onions. Cook the onions for 15-20 minutes, until onions are soft and translucent. Stir occasionally so that it cooks evenly.
3. Add the minced garlic. Continue cooking for another 3-5 minutes.
4. Add the butter and salt. Stir well.
5. Add the red and port wine. Reduce the heat to a simmer. The edge of the pan should be bubbling lightly.
6. Stir occasionally and cook the sauce down for 35-45 minutes. The sauce should be reduced to about 3/4 cup, and the sauce should be syrupy. If the sauce has a slightly bitter after taste, you can add 1/2 tsp of sugar to reduce the bitterness.
7. Remove from heat and strain the sauce to remove the onions and garlic.
8. Grill the steak tips. Heat a grill pan over the stove over medium high heat. Turn the heat down if the pan is smoking. Grill the steak tips. Do not overcrowd the pan. Remove and serve the steak tips with the red wine reduction sauce.

Steak Doneness:

• Rare: 2 minutes per side
• Medium rare: 2-3 minutes per side
• Medium: 3-4 minutes per side
• Medium Well/Well Done: 5 minutes per side

Side Dish Suggestions:

• Rosemary Roasted Potatoes (Barefoot Contessa – Food Network)
• Garlic Parmesan Red Skin Mashed Potatoes
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts
• Grilled Asparagus (Simply Recipes)

Garlic Parmesan Red Skin Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

• 1 lb. red skin potatoes
• 4 cloves garlic, skin on
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Wash the potatoes well. Place the potatoes in a plastic bag and loosely tie it. Make sure some steam can escape the bag.
2. Place it in the microwave for about 10-12 minutes on high or until fork tender.
3. Remove the potatoes from the plastic bag and place it in a bowl.
4. Remove half of the red skin on the potatoes.
5. Add the garlic, butter, and salt. Mashed the potatoes lightly until the butter has melted.
6. Add the milk. Lightly mash and blend the potatoes.
7. When all the milk has been absorbed, add the Parmesan cheese. The mashed potatoes should be chunky and thick. (If it’s too thick, add 1/2 to 1 Tbs of milk)
8. Do not over mix or the mashed potatoes will be gooey.
9. Serve immediately.

This recipe makes 3-4 side servings.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients

• 1 lb Brussels sprouts – washed, cut ends, and halved
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1 Tbs butter
• 2-3 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 1 to 1-1/2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar
• 3 strips cooked bacon, crumbled (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Place the halved Brussels sprouts in a medium bowl.
3. Add the olive oil, butter, kosher salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar, and sugar. Mix well and make sure that the Brussels sprouts are well coated.
4. Spread the Brussels sprouts on a baking sheet in a single layer.
5. Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast for about 25 minutes.
6. Using a spatula, turn the Brussels sprouts.
7. Add the crumbled bacon.
8. Return the Brussels sprouts to the oven and continue roasting for another 10-15 minutes.
9. Remove and serve immediately.