Histamine hangover? IS that a thing? (and beef noodle recipe with an olive oil tutorial)

I feel like it is... I've been really low on energy since the sushi rejection.  Sore hands, sore feet, lack of jump...almost complete lack of jump, my thirst for naps has returned...But I think I'm a little better off today.  Onward.

Dinner plans involve beef, though a more difficult to digest meat, I'm doing it again to test it out.  Biggest kiddo has been trying to go without gluten too-and understandably feels conflicted.  On the one hand, if it's not good for him he wants to know, on the other hand, he's hoping he just has a bug "or something"...Totally understandable sentiments.

Noodle house style beef...because I found rice noodles again. 

Marinate a very thinly sliced piece of 'pretty good but not too expensive' beef...I like lean, marinated, because it cooks to tender, but doesn't add the saturated fat into the recipe...I've never liked chewing on a dinner for ages to try break it up!  I remember being a kid and disliking any meat that refused to yield...
Mix together in a bowl large enough to hold however much beef you bought-make sure all the meat gets covered in the marinade.
1/2 - 3/4 c soy sauce (gluten free, of course)
Two thumbs worth of peeled and finely diced ginger
6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
10-12 rounds of fresh ground peppercorns (because they're not the nightshade peppers-I can!)

Refrigerate.

Before you fire up the stove:
Cut two medium red onions into about 1 cm wedges-I know this is unusually specific for me-but I like the size because it's large enough to cook well and stay visible/identifiable, but small enough that it's not overwhelming.  Set aside on a plate (you'll need them ready to add all at once).

Wash and 'wedge' a Chinese cabbage (sometimes called a Napa cabbage), so it's approximately 3cm x 3cm...again specific, with presentation in mind.  I really like knowing what I'm eating...mystery mixes are a bit destructive for my appetite.

If you like carrots, wash and slice a couple to add-they'll go in first though.  I like sticks better than rounds, so that's how I do them, when I do them.  There are a couple of trouble spots in the family when it comes to carrots, so this one will be more green 'n beef than multicoloured.

Cooking:
Heat your wok, or largest, heaviest pan first...add a couple generous swirls of olive oil, let that heat until it seems to lose its viscosity, then add the meat by straining it out of the marinade as quickly as you can, to help it crisp a little and get delicious.  If you are doing a lot...do it in batches, adding an extra little swirl of oil if necessary.  If the crispiness is of no consequence to you, add it swiftly, all at once, marinade and all.

Once the meat is done to your liking, remove it, and set it aside in a bowl.
Add the carrots, stir quickly, give them a moment or two,
Add the onion, another stir for about a minute,
Add the cabbage, stir it all together for another minute or so,
Add all the beef and marinade back in, whether you used the marinade the first time or not, it will have time to cook to a safe temperature to while the veggies steam in the liquid.  Some recipes call for a thickening with cornstarch-but I don't like that, as it adds a processed starch for little benefit in my mind...but, that's an option...if you do that, it's a couple tablespoons of cornstarch mixed thoroughly with cold water, and stirred in to cook for another couple of minutes.

Serve it with rice noodles, and chopsticks-if you like splashing about!


Further-more-recipes, and an olive oil tutorial I found:
Bok choy (also bok choi) and chinese cabbage...the second link is to a pro's modern Asian cuisine...if you want to go that direction and serve these as sides.

Either of these guys are nice...different nutritional profiles, but each is highly nutritious, and looks very appetizing.
http://kepperspottery.blogspot.com/2010/06/bok-choy-and-chinese-cabbage.html
http://www.steamykitchen.com/2112-bok-choy-stir-fry-recipe.html

For olive oil, because I've mentioned the smoking point in other posts-essentially the temperature at which the oil breaks down and can taste bad (with the exception of the chicken sauté that I watch until the oil hints at smoking and then rapidly add the chicken, which brings the temperature down instantly).  Read on if you like details http://www.oliveoilsource.com/page/heating-olive-oil.

Cheers and chao.