The Food Matters Project: Seared Beef with Pea Shoots, Arugula, and Bearss Lime

Here we are at week five of the Food Matters Project, the brainchild of Sarah of 20somethingcupcakes and Kate from Cookie + Kate. Each week we all - here's the 'we' and we've grown to just over three dozen fellow foodie bloggers - cook the same recipe, from Mark Bittman's The Food Matters Cookbook, posting our interpretations and adaptations.

This week Dominica of winefoodlove assigned us Mark's Seared Bean Sprouts with Beef and Sesame Orange Sauce. Here's the hostess's post. 

I switched things up a little bit, using pea shoots instead of bean sprouts and Bearss lime zest and juice instead of orange zest and juice. I added wild arugula and I served it over cappellini garnished with both black and white sesame seeds for a delightful dinner.

3 tri-tip steaks, sliced thin

1 T minced garlic

olive oil

pea shoots

wild arugula

zest and juice from two Bearss limes

3 T soy sauce

1 T organic honey

freshly ground pink Himalaya salt and flower pepper
rough-chopped cilantro
whole wheat cappellini

While the cappellini cooks, quickly sear the beef slices in a large flat-bottomed pan in a splash of olive oil and minced garlic. Once the beef is no longer pink, add the honey, soy sauce, zest, and juice to create a sauce. Top with the pea shoots and wild arugula and allow to wilt. Season with salt and pepper. Toss the cooked cappellini with some of the sauce and a splash of olive oil. Place noodles in a bowl, top with the beef and greens, garnish with black and white sesame seeds and rough-chopped cilantro sprinkled on top.

*A quick note about pea shoots: Seen mostly in Asian restaurants, pea shoots are the curling, clinging tendrils of the pea plants. I found mine at Trader Joe's...and whenever I see them, I snatch them up until they fall out of season.

* A quick note about Bearss limes: These are also known as Persian limes or Tahitian limes, named after John T. Bearss, they smell fragrant and fabulous. These were a gift from a friend. Thanks, Denise! These made the dish. Seriously. Delicious.

I love being part of this creative group of talented foodie bloggers and wanted to show you some of what they're cooking...with this same recipe. Photos are from the respective blogs. Yum!

Marcia of twentybysixty made it with chicken.



Alyssa of everydaymaven added green beans.

Lily of smallkitchencollege turned them into lettuce wraps.

Click here so you can see what everyone created. Look in the comments!