Mixed mushroom with prawns

I got a fresh bag of mixed mushroom at the farmer's market so I cooked this fresh, delicious dish together with some succulent prawns and orange bell peppers.

Ingredients:
Mushrooms of any kind, cleaned and sliced - 1 lb
10 large prawns
1 bell pepper, sliced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 slice of ginger, minced

Sauce:
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of corn starch
1/4 cup of water
a drizzle of sesame oil

Steps:

1.  Add a bit of oil to a heated pan.
2. Cook the prawns for a few minutes until they turn opaque, pink, and curled up. Season the prawns with a bit of salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
3. Cook the minced garlic and ginger in the pan with a bit of oil until you can smell the garlic and ginger. Add in the mushroom and bell pepper and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
4. Mix the ingredients of the sauce well in a container and add to the mushroom and bell pepper, the sauce should thicken shortly. Adjust the thickness sauce accordingly as this depends on the amount of liquid coming out from the mushroom. If the sauce is too thick, dilute with a bit of water. If it is too watery, you can thicken with a bit more corn starch mixed with a small amount of water.

Nutritional info:

Mushrooms are high in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, same with bell pepper. One interesting fact is that red pepper is much higher in vitamins and nutrients than green pepper, not to mention much more tasty. So take that into account when you go shopping next time. Prawns are high in protein

Beef stew with potatoes and carrot

Stew beef is one of the cheaper cut of beef and it's easy to cook. It's already cut into chunk when it's sold in the store so it is easy to prepare.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb of stew beef

2 medium potatoes or 3 small ones, cut into chunks (I like the German butter potatoes which are soft, creamy and slightly sweet)

1 large carrot, cut into small pieces

1 clove of garlic, minced

(optional) 1 tablespoon of red wine

Beef marinate:

2 tablespoons of soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon of poultry rub or mixed herb

1 teaspoon of brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon of oil

Steps:

1. Marinate the stew beef overnight so all the flavour can be soaked into the beef
2. Cook the minced garlic in the pan until golden brown
3. Add the beef in and brown the outside for a few minutes
4. Add the potatoes and carrot into the pan
5. Add the red wine, 1/3 cup of water
6. Season the potatoes and carrot with a bit of salt and pepper
7. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for about 5 minutes 
8. The beef should be about cooked now, remove the beef when cooked so it does get tough and dry
9. Continue to cook the potatoes for another 5 to 6 minutes until potatoes are soft, the carrot is tender, and the sauce thickens. 
10. Mix the beef back in

Makes 2 to 3 servings

Nutritional Info:

Beef is high in iron, zinc, selenium, phosphorus, and B vitamins, and it is a good source of carnitine (an antioxidant). It is also the only meat with creatine, good for building muscles. Red meat is a bit more difficult to digest, and there's some health concern when it is consumed too much (more than 500 g per week). But there's definitely health benefits when consumed moderately. 

Potato is high in Vitamin C, Vitamin B6 and Potassium.  Carrot is high in B-carotene, dietary fibre, and antioxidants.

Note: Potato contains toxic compounds known as glycoalkaloids, which affects the nervous system, causing confusion and weakness. Stems, sprouts and fruits contains high concentration of the toxin. Potato that has turned green also has high concentration of the toxin. So avoid eating any potato that has sprouted or turned green