It's Wednesday, so What's Cooking? Chop Suey with a Kick.

It gripes me to no end to see chop suey meat in the grocery store hovering close to $4.00 a pound. These fatty chunks are scraps the butcher carved off who knows what, or when, and lumped into a package for us consumers to blithely purchase.

Don't do it!

Over the years, I have learned it is best, and cheaper, to buy small roasts on sale. At least I know what meat I’m actually getting.

Eggs Rolls
Chop Suey with a Kick
Rice
Hot Tea, Saki, Chardonnay Wine or Cabernet Sauvignon

Eggs Rolls
Many grocery stores sell egg rolls in the deli. If you go this route, reheat them at 350F for 15 – 20 minutes.

The other day my store was out of them so I used Tai Pei Mini Vegetable Spring Rolls, found in the freezer section. The bag holds 15 rolls and 2 sauce packets. No MSG is added and they have zero trans fat. They baked up crisp in 12 minutes at 450F. The taste and texture were wonderful!

Serve the egg rolls as an appetizer just before the rest of your meal is done cooking.

Chop Suey with a Kick
2 pounds boneless beef roast trimmed of fat and connective tissue
1 pound boneless pork roast trimmed of fat and connective tissue
3 celery ribs chopped
1 cup large onion chopped
2 tbsp. olive oil – more may be required
2 tbsp. butter
14 oz. beef stock
4 tbsp. corn starch
2 tbsp. bead molasses
3 tbsp. soya sauce
1 can bean sprouts drained
1 can sliced water chestnuts drained
1 tsp. crushed red pepper – the more you add, the bigger the kick
1 glove garlic pressed
Fresh mushroom sliced thick - optional
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cut the meats into 2 inch cubes.

Over medium high heat, combine the oil and butter in a large pot. When the foam subsides, brown the meat in batches. Be sure not to overcrowd the pot. When the batch is browned, remove to a bowl and continue until the meat is complete.

Add celery and onions, sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.

Lower heat to medium. Return meat to the pot. Blend beef stock and corn starch, then stir into pot. Add in bead molasses and soya sauce. Stir well.

Mix in bean sprouts, water chestnuts, crushed red pepper, and garlic. Cover pot and simmer 1 hour.

Add mushrooms and black pepper 10 minutes before the chop suey is finished.

Serve over rice.

Rice
Your favorite brand
Chicken stock

Prepare rice following the package directions, but exchange ½ the water required with chicken stock.

The chop suey freezes well for future meals.

I'll be back Friday with more writing tips. Until then...

Happy Cooking!

Sloane Taylor
www.sloanetaylor.com