This is a show-stopping steak with a sizzling Korean barbecue sauce that rivals any of your existing meat dinners. If you desire an at-home gourmet restaurant experience, this is the dish to serve.

4-6 rib eye sandwich steaks (ask your butcher to slice your rib eye steak into thin cutlet-like slices, or do it yourself with a sharp chef knife!)
kosher salt
black pepper
1 T soy sauce
2 T oil


Sauce ingredients:

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 T rice wine vinegar
1/2 T sriracha
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 T corn starch

Stir Fry:

2 T oil
1 package baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 red pepper, cut into strips
1 yellow pepper, cut into strips
1 large onion cut into chunks
1 scallion, chopped, for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Lay the steaks on a flat surface and season both sides generously with kosher salt and pepper. Transfer the meat to a resealable gallon size bag and add the oil and soy sauce. Shake to distribute and let marinate for one hour or longer.

Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Heat the stir fry oil in a large wok and add all the vegetables besides the scallion. Cook covered for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened but still firm.

Heat a gas grill or grill pan and add the steaks. Cover and cook for two minutes on each side. Transfer the meat to the wok and add the sauce. Stir to combine and cook for an additional minute.

This tastes like a restaurant dish and plates like one too! It isn't a healthy dinner but it will definitely be a bit more wholesome than your Chinese takeout alternative.

MARINADE: 

1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sugar
1 T corn starch
1 T water
2 T oil
1 package Chinese Pepper steak (very thinly sliced)

1 red and 1 green pepper, cut into strips
1 can baby corn, chopped into 1" pieces
1 can water chestnuts
frozen broccoli florets (desired quantity)

SAUCE: 

3 T soy sauce
5 T teriyaki sauce
1 T brown sugar
4 cloves crushed garlic
2 T flour
1 T sherry
1 T oil

INSTRUCTIONS:

Combine all marinade ingredients and add the steak. Mix well and let marinate for at least 1 hour.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok on medium heat and add the pieces of steak, discarding any excess marinade. Once browned, reduce heat to low and cover. Let simmer for half hour, stirring occasionally and adding a tablespoon of water at a time if necessary. Once soft, remove meat from wok and set aside.

Add the peppers, baby corn, water chestnuts and broccoli to the wok and let cook for about 5-10 minutes, covered, until softened (not too soft).

Combine sauce ingredients in a bowl and pour over the vegetables. Return the meat to the wok and let simmer on low for another few minutes until the sauce is bubbly. Serve over rice

HAMBURGERS:

2 lbs. ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
2 eggs
1/2 cup flavored bread crumbs
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 squirt bbq sauce
1 squirt spicy brown mustard
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp basil

BARBECUE DRESSING:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1 tsp sriracha
2 tbsp mustard
1 tsp garlic powder

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well using disposable gloves. Ensure that all the ingredients are well incorporated.

Line a container cover (approximately 4" diameter and 3/4" tall - I use the cover of Kirkland nuts) with a square of plastic wrap about 12" long. Cut parchment paper into 5-6" squares. You will need approximately 10-12 squares. Pack a handful of meat mixture into the lined cover and press down. Remove plastic wrap and place burger on parchment paper. Repeat until all the meat is used, totaling about 10-12 hamburgers. Freeze until ready to use. If using the same day, freeze until firm enough to handle.

Let frozen burgers thaw in the fridge overnight. You can grill them on an outdoor grill or on a grill pan. The following instructions are for a grill pan: Heat pan on high. Add burgers to pan and lay a piece of foil over the pan to keep the heat inside. Don't touch or move the burgers for 5 minutes. Flip over, recover and grill for an additional 5 minutes. If the burgers were quite frozen, you may want to cook an additional few minutes. I don't add barbecue sauce while grilling because it causes the pan to char and smoke so I add it later.

To assemble a sandwich: Spread the insides of the bun with barbecue dressing and add some greenery (I used kale in the picture above, but lettuce and spinach are great too), thinly sliced sour pickles and tomatoes, and potato chips for a fun crunch.

I really love Chinese takeout food, even though I know it's mostly unhealthy, oily and fattening food. I always wished my homemade sesame chicken adventures would turn out like the local takeout's but that never happened, although I did get somewhere close. This one is a combination of a few different recipes I've tried and I've got to say, it definitely ranks close to theirs! Plus, it's way more healthy and nutritious.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb boneless chicken breast (cutlets), cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup corn starch
2-3 tbsp oil for stir-frying

SAUCE

3 tbsp duck sauce
2 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp sriracha
1/4 tsp sesame oil (optional)
sesame seeds for garnish
broccoli florets and rice for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine the chicken pieces and corn starch in a resealable gallon-size bag. Shake to evenly coat all the chicken.

Heat a nonstick wok or deep skillet with the oil over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add the chicken pieces (without any excess cornstarch). Stir to distribute the oil and chicken and cover the wok. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked (pure white insides), stirring occasionally.

In the meantime, combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Once the chicken is cooked, pour the sauce into the wok and mix well to cover all the chicken. Cook for one more minute and serve with rice and broccoli.

Note: After cooking the chicken, I empty the wok and set aside the chicken. I then add the broccoli to the pot and steam for 5 minutes covered. Then I add the chicken back in and mix together.

This salami has a showstopper presentation on any festive table. I make these for Friday night meals and refrigerate the rest. The leftovers are then tossed into a green lettuce salad with garlic mayo dressing for a fun burst of flavor and texture.

These ribs are so easy to make and are super-soft without too much effort. They can also be prepared a day or two in advance which means it's perfect for when you're entertaining - more fun with your guests and less time in the kitchen! What's nice about these ribs is that they are sweet but not overwhelmingly sweet, and they don't taste like bottled barbecue sauce.

MEAT AND SPICE RUB PREPARATION

1.5 lbs. Miami ribs (thin-cut flanken)
1 tbsp salt
1/2 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp garlic powder

Lay the ribs in a 9x13 baking dish and fill with with water till one inch above the meat. Cover with foil and bake on 400 degrees for one hour. Remove from oven and pour out the water.

In a small bowl, combine the spice rub ingredients. Rub into the meat on both sides.

HONEY BBQ GLAZE

2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup honey
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tbsp vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp brown sugar

Add all the ingredients to a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Allow to simmer for 3-5 minutes until thickened.

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat a grill pan over high heat. Place the meat in the pan and brush generously with the glaze. Immediately flip over and grill for approximately 3 minutes or until grill marks appear. Brush the second side (which is now the top) with glaze and flip over. Grill for 3 minutes. Remove the ribs and place in a baking dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the finished ribs. These ribs store very well in the fridge for up to 3 days.