Rice Cakes with pork and pickled mustard greens

Here I am again. I've been doing some interesting cooking again but I have always forgotten to take a picture of what I had made. So it didn't make any sense to make a post without a visual. Just yesterday I made a 4 layered chocolate pear cake layered and iced with truffle chocolate for a friend's birthday. Oh was it ever decadent. It wasn't sweet but certainly very rich. Yummy. Again, I'm sorry I didn't take a picture of it. It looked so yummy.

Tonight's latest concoction is this recipe for fried rice cakes. It turned out to be a hit with the hubby and I really liked it too! These are the recipes that go into my personal collection! Enjoy!


INGREDIENTS
2 cloves minced garlic
500g minced pork
2 carrots shredded
1 small bottle pickled mustard greens (remove from bottle and wash with hot water till oil is gone)
1 tbsp Oyster sauce
1 tbsp Black sauce
2 tbsp Soya sauce
1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
750g Korean rice cakes
3 spring onions finely sliced (garnish) or cilantro
DIRECTIONS
Break up rice cakes into individual pieces and put in boiling water. Cook till soft. Drain and add cold water and rinse till excess starch is removed from rice cakes. Drain well.
Marinade mince in oyster sauce, soy sauce and black sauce. Set aside. On high heat, fry garlic till golden, then add mince. Allow mince to brown well and break up meat as you stir-fry.
Remove access oil from mince and add carrots and pickled greens. Stir fry cooked mince and veggies.
Add rice cakes and fry till well mixed and rice cakes are heated through.
Garnish with spring onions or cilantro.

Blue Doll Cake

Its been a very long while since I have really done anything fancy but making 3D doll cakes are one of my favourite hobbies. I don't know very many little girls to make them for and this one is for a special friend who is turning 40! A little birdie told me that she would love to get a doll cake like the ones she has seen me make. So this one is a little more grown up. I always enjoy designing the doll's dresses though they never quite turn out the way I envision them. Below is a sketch of what I really had in mind. There were just some challenges with the transition of the doll's body and the main skirt. I am not the greatest at smoothing out icing perfectly. I guess I don't have enough practice.

I also didn't refer to my drawing when I iced the body of the doll. I'll have to pay more attention next time.

Chicken and Lime Noodle Salad

Another Asian inspired dish. Although I didn't make this recipe up, this was the first time trying this recipe and it turned out to be a lovely light summer salad. Here's the recipe for it.

250g bean-thread noodles,
1 medium carrot
1 small cucumber or zucchini
2 green onion, sliced thinly
1 small red pepper
4 cups shredded chicken
1/2 cup mint leaves
1/2 cup cilantro/corriander leaves
3 red thai chillies, seeded and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic crushed
1/3 cup lime juice
1/3 cup peanut oil/veg oil
2 tbsp fish sauce (essential)
1 tbsp sugar

1. Place noodles in a heat proof dish and cover with boiling water. Stand until tender, drain.
2. Using vegetable peeler, slice carrots, cucumber and red pepper into ribbons.
3. Combine noodles, carrots, cucumber, onion, red pepper, chicken, mint and cilantro. Toss till well combined.
4. Mix sauces, lime juice, chilli, sugar, garlic and sugar together till well blended. Then pour over the noodles and veggies and toss well. For a more refreshing salad, refridgerate noodles before combining with remaining ingredients.

Rosae Alfredo Pasta

When Living Sword and Chocolate Girl came over for a visit, I made this with what I had in my refridgerator and freezer. I had some of that marinated BBQ chicken from Costco in the freezer, fresh asparagus and parmesan cheese in my refridgerator, red onion and vine ripened tomatoes sitting on my kitchen counter. All I needed was some heavy cream. Since I knew we were going to Zerelli's, I also knew that I could get the cream there.

I used large tubed pasta for this dish but any shaped pasta would work too. I cooked it as usual in salted water for the stated time but just a minute before it is ready, I added cut asparagus to the cooking pasta. Once cooked, I drained both pasta and asparagus and returned it to the pot. While still hot, with the stove on medium heat, I added shreaded grilled chicken, freshly chopped tomatoes and thinly sliced tomatoes. Gave it a good toss and then added heavy cream and parmesan cheese to give it a lovely creamy sauce. Season to taste with a little salt and serve. It was good with some freshly ground pepper. I actually wanted to top it off with some fresh basil but I forgot. I think that would have give it that added flavour to the dish. Only thing messy with this is having to cook the chicken first and shreaded it before making the pasta. I call this a rosae because of the mixing of tomatoes and cream.

Simple cooking for Robyn's Family

Some people might find it strange but I really enjoy cooking for families. In this case, my girlfriend, Robyn had gone with me to Eat-Vancouver earlier this year and when she purchased a bunch of Asian sauces and condiments, I told her that I would teach her how to use some of them. This was what I did this past week. Unfortunately, the day we chose to do this happened to be one of the hottest record breaking day of this summer, 37C. With no air conditioning and no breeze, we found it very hard to keep cool let alone cook, but we did manage. Mercifully, as the evening progressed, the temperatures started to drop a little. Not something I would like to do again. I mean cooking in such hot weather!

So I made 2 dishes. The first is just a simple mixed veg stirfry with prawns because Robyn wanted to learn how to make this. Next I made a simple fried noodles with chicken and bak choy. Both of these dishes were seasoned with oyster sauce, soya sauce and a dash of sesamee oil. The mixed veg recieved a little bit of Chinese cooking wine at the end of cooking while the noodles had some dark soya sauce and cilantro for garnishing. I think it was a hit but you never know it they were just being polite!

In exchange for cooking, I recieved 3 portions of bison meat. I'm already thinking of using it to make lettuce wraps! Not sure yet. I'll keep thinking.

Green Papaya Restaurant in White Rock

Green Papaya is one of my favourite restaurants down in White Rock. Located on Marine Drive facing the majestic Semiahmoo Bay, the Green Papaya Restaurant offers a unique combination of Vietnamese and West Coast cuisine. It is situated just at the top of the hill and you can get one of the best views of the beach and water from there.
Reno Man and I went there for dinner and as usual, it was very good. On the left is Tropicale Halibut and the one on the right is Macadamia Seabass. We both enjoyed our dinner very much. It was light and very healthy. We also ordered a mango lime smoothie that was just right to cool us down from the heat of the day. Oh I forgot that we also had these chilli chicken skewers. They weren't quite what I expected. I would have liked a little more sauce and chilli spice to it.

On past occassions, we have ordered their specials and have never been dissapointed. I have also tried their crab linguine alfredo and fire cracker calamari. Though both were very good, my favourite is the crab linguine. It has such a creamy sauce made with roasted garlic and Asiago cheese. Yummy! Green Papaya also serves good Pho Noodles that you would expect from a Vietnamese restaurant.

Stirfried Japanese Noodles

This was a hit! This was the first time that I used these Japanese udon noodles in a stirfry. As usual, I found this a really easy and simple meal. First I marinated minced pork with soya sauce, ground white pepper, sesamee oil and a little sugar. Next I sauteed some minced garlic in a large non-stick pan or wok.

Once golden, I put in the Japanese udon noodles and cook it till it starts to loosen. Push the noodles to one side of the pan and add the pork and fry till pink is almost gone before adding washed bak choy. This time I used both bak choy and yau choy because I didn't have enough of one kind of veg. So I decided to mix it.

Then I just tossed everything together well till the veggies are wilted. Finally I added finely sliced bird's eye chilli and some dark soya sauce. I might have added a little more light soya sauce making sure that the noodles are well seasoned. Reno Man must have had 3 helpings. Another keeper.

Roast Beef with Burnt Butter Mash & Bak Choy

I recently got a hankering for good ole roast beef. Before moving to Canada, I had never made roast beef before. Didn't know how easy it was until Reno Man's mum taught me how and I have been making it the same way ever since.

I normally buy an oven roast from Costco and season it with salt and pepper. Then I make somewhat of a crust/paste for the top using French onion soup. I make it into a thick paste and spread it on top of my roast and put it into the oven for 20 mins at 450F and then turn it down to 375F for the next 25-35 mins depending on the size of roast. I always use a temperature gauge to make sure I get the meat cooked exactly medium rare.

While the roast coooks, I made mashed potatoes and added melted butter that I browned over the stove in a pot. Ofcourse I added some milk, salt and pepper to taste. The burnt butter just adds a buttery nutty flavour to the mash that I love.

For the bak choy, all I did was to wash the veggie and put it into a steamer. Once it was cooked, I added a splash of onion oil, oyster sauce, soya sauce and sesamee oil. Mixed it well and its ready to serve.

Since I love gravy with my mash and meat, I made a green peppercorn sauce using the beef drippings and a regular mix. I love how the pink tenderness of the meat show through, sitting on top of the bak choy and mash. A lovely meal that leaves lots for roast beef sandwiches the next day. The extra gravy makes the sandwiches just perfect.

A Feast Laid Out

Doesn't this Italian feast look fantastic? Granted, its not the best photography but I couldn't resist. Last night we were invited to this lovely meal at Chocolate Girl & Living Sword's home. Knowing what a great chef Chocolate Girl is, we knew we were in for a feast. There was fresh bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, BBQed lamb sausages, BBQed hot Italian sausages, procini ravioli in a tangy lemon sauce, gorgonzola ravioli in what I think was a tomato pesto (yum!), garlic stuffed olives, tomato & mozarella salad and to wash it all down, San Pelligrino orange fizz!

After this yummy meal, a HUGE bowl of red cherries and Rainier cherries, and a plate of Lindt cherry chilli filled dark chocolate. Ho ho ho! These people never hold back on the yummies! All this of course was made perfect by the company and conversation.

Ever play Uno Stacko? Haha. We had such fun with this simple game. It wasn't long before more yummies showed up. Tranditional tiramisu. I was told by the chef that it was his grandmother's recipe who is still in Italy! And the finale, dessert wine. With our bellies filled, hearts connected and spirits high with laughter, we reluctantly departed for the night.

Malaysian Curry Laska

You might be able to tell that I have been craving for food from my country of origin, Malaysia. Not too long ago, my mummy sent me a care package with a bunch of food items that I am still not able to get in British Columbia, Canada. In this package she included a single packet of Curry Laska Paste. Below is what it looks like.

I haven't been feeling too well lately and thought this would be a simple fix. If it didn't live up to my standards, I could always get take out! Now, I have made curry laksa on my own from scratch before but I could never recreate it exactly because of the lack of some ingridients though I came close. I couldn't believe it when I tasted this. This is truely authentic! The only thing missing was the cockels to go with the meal. When I write about this paste, it only gives you the paste to cook the curry soup. The rest of the ingredients like the yellow noodles, chicken, tofu etc are fresh ingredients you have to put together yourself. I was so delighted with this. Not only that, it was so easy too! If I remember correctly, I just sauteed some minced garlic and onions, added the paste and water. Bring to boil and then add tofu and coconut milk. Simmer for a minute or 2 and its ready! HAH! It sure transported me back to the hawker stalls in Malaysia.

Malaysian Mee Rebus

I couldn't believe how close to home this packet sauce tasted. I haven't had this for over 4 years and even when I was back home it was difficult to find a place that made good Mee Rebus.

So I bought this packet mix at Eat-Vancouver. I have seen this before at T&T but never bought it because of the price and also I didn't know if it was any good. At Eat-Vancouver, the price was right and I decided to give a few of their items a try. With this one a success, I can't wait to give the others a try.
This of course is not totally original because of the different condiments I used. But close. I just followed the instructions to a tee (which I don't normally do) and the results were great. I used yellow noodles, boiled egg, pea shoots instead of bean sprouts, fried tofu, cooked shrimp, fish cakes and fried onions to garnish.

A Change of food...

Here's some food for the eyes. I've been working on these 2 pieces for a few weeks now. They are not quite finished but close. There are bits of each painting that I like and it just seems not quite together for me. Reno Man likes it, so I guess its ok. Still a long ways from where I see my paintings should be.

The top piece still needs the keyboard to be painted in and there is still some shading left to be done in both pieces. Aside from that, they are mostly done.

I just love learning from Jackie at her studio in Crescent Beach called Tiggy's. Not only is she very encouraging, but she is a great teacher with a lovely personality. Come October, I'm going to take the beginner's course with her. That should give me some good basic foundations on acrylic painting. Can't wait.

Potstickers in Egg Drop Soup

It was a rainy, cold Sunday afternoon, after a nap. All I felt like having was a hot soup but it had to be super fast since I was starving having missed lunch because of the nap.

So, to start, I sauteed some minced garlic with oil in a pot. Once golden, I added water and when the water came to a boil, I added frozen potstickers from Costco and some yau choy and let it cook. Meanwhile, I seasoned the soup base with wanton soup stock powder, white pepper, fish sauce and a little sesamee oil. Oh and some soya sauce.

Lastly, when the potstickers are cooked, stir in one beaten egg and gently stir the soup and turn off the heat. Serve immediately with fried onions or cilantro. It help me get through to dinner but best of all, it warmed me up.

Homemade egg noodles

Another meal with cod and pea shoots. But this time instead of putting everything in a broth, I coated the noodles in black sauce, soya sauce, cooked onion oil, fish sauce and sesamee oil. I poached the fish and cooked the pea shoots and noodles in fish broth. I made noodles as a photo prop for my other blog, VISUAL SPACES. I thought it would make a good meal feature for this food blog.

Homemade egg noodles are really easy to make. Just 1 cup of flour, 1 egg yolk, salt and white ground pepper and a little veg stock powder. I kneaded it together with some water until everything forms into a firm dough.

Once it is well kneaded, I ran it through my pasta press a few times to give it a smoother texture to the noodles before I ran it through the cutter. Then I separate the noodles as best as I can with a little flour and dried it over a large mixing bowl.

Fresh noodles cook very quickly compared to that of the dried kind and it is so much tastier and more tender too. Reno Man and I enjoyed this very much.

Chocolate Strawberry Custard Trifle

Yummy! Strawberry season is here. An easy and tasty dessert I'm sure many know how to make. Chocolate cake, masserated strawberries, custard and whipped cream make a great combination.

Beef Curry Pie Two Ways

I made the filling for these tasty treats a couple of days ago. The one above, I call it Beef Curry pot pie since I put it in a pot and covered it with store bought puff pastry. Had I time, I would have made short crust pastry and made it into some turnovers to be frozen.

Below I turned the pie filling into little appys, also with puff pastry and garnished with a few sprigs of lovely parsley from Richard and his lovely wife. I was hoping that the crust wouldn't open but, I guess it added to its presentation.

Now, what did put into the filling? Humm, I think I started with sauteing some minced garlic, then added pureed lemon grass and curry paste. Once fragrant, I added the beef, cubed potatoes and frozen veggies (unthawed) all at once. Gave it a good stirr and added a little water to help the bottom not stick. I also added beef stock and salt and pepper. Then simmered on med-low heat till potatoes were cooked and water has mostly evaporated. I let it cool and used as mentioned above. This pie filling was one of my mum and dad's favourite recipes on mine. I remember making this as a young teenager for my parents. Pastry from scratch too. Certainly brings back memories.

Cod with Rice noodles and Pea shoots

I knew I wanted to have fish today but when Reno Man heard what I was planning to make for dinner, he said that he wasn't hungry because he was full from lunch. Indeed, we had gone out for a lovely lunch at Tropika, a Malaysian restaurant (my fav) and he really had alot to eat. We ordered sambal clams(Malaysian), nasi goreng (Indonesian), char hor fun (Cantonese) and for dessert bubur cha cha(Malay). Oh I forget. We also had roti prata (Indian).

So back to the fish. Although I knew I wanted to make fish for my dinner, I didn't know what kind of preparation I wanted. I was just going to throw the fish into some instant noodle soup but I thought I'd try making it from scratch. I found that it wasn't very difficult.

First I sauteed some minced garlic in a pot with a little oil. When golden, I added hot water, just enough for the soup base for the noodles. While I wait for it to come to a boil, I added seasonings of fish sauce, white pepper, sesamee oil, onion oil, seafood stock powder and soya sauce into the pot of water. When it came to the boil, I added my dried rice noodles, washed pea shoots and piece of cod. I let it gently cook. When the fish was cooked, I served it with fried onions and cilantro. As a dipping sauce, I sliced red chillies into a small sauce dish with soya sauce. I was surprised that it turned out so much like what I would find in Singapore.

When I sat down to eat it, Reno Man's interest perked up. So I asked if he would like a taste. He was sold on the first bite. Good thing I had made a little more than just one serving. So I shared my bowl of noodles. A good, healthy and simple meal.

Macaroni Chinoise?

Here's a recipe inspired by my dearest Reno Man. A few years ago, I was really really sick. Can't get up for 2 weeks kinda sick and my hunny made this recipe for me. It was very yummy and very simple. The only seasoning he used was soya sauce! Not even garlic or any condiments. Anyway, I added a little to it to give it a little variety.

Cooked macaroni
minced garlic
beef cut into small strips
frozen veg & peas
fresh cilantro and sliced bird's eye chilli to garnish.
Sesamee oil and pepper
Oh, can forget soya sauce!

As usual, I sauteed the garlic, then added the beef. Stir fry for 30 secs and add the frozen veg. Once heated through, add cooked macaroni and seasoning. Sitr fry till well mixed. Add soya sauce to taste. When ready to serve, add cilantro and chilli if desired.

Sausages & Meatballs

When I made this for bible study pot luck night, I didn't think I would get the requests I did for the recipe. Reno Man did like it so I took a picture of it but it didn't look very appetizing. So I tried it again and here it is, in a slightly more dignified sight and the recipe as well.

1 finely chopped onion
1 bottle of Classico's Sweet Marinara Basil Sauce (I'm not trying to advertise Classico, but I love this sauce. I use it for most of my tomato based sauce recipes.)
3-4 Bavarian smokies (I bought the ones from Costco)
As many as you like meatballs of your choice. I also used the Kirkland ones found at Costco.
1 stick of cinnamon
1 chopped red pepper
1 tbsp italian seasoning
a little sugar
1 small can of tomato paste
2 packets of beef stock powder.

Ok. I think that is it. So first, sautee the onions with the sliced smokies. Get them nicely browned. This might take a while. Use high heat but you have to keep stirring. Once browned, add the chopped pepper and all the seasoning. Stirr well. Then add the bottle of sauce and whatever is left over. This might be a little think, so add some water. Stirr to mix well. Then add heated / thawed meatballs and simmer for 1 hour on med low heat. Stirr occassionally so that the bottom doesn't stick. Add salt and pepper to taste. That's all to it folks! Enjoy!

Who's got the best burgers in town?

Our bible study group got together on Friday and for some reason we got to talking about burger joints. According to JW, these were fantastic burgers,massive and very tasty. And I though... ah just my kind of burger. Lots of meat! Funnily enough, Reno Man and I have just discovered FATBURGER. Reno Man really likes the burgers there. I had seen it mentioned on tv's Unwrapped and thought it might be fun to check out. So we did. And since then, we have been there every weekend!

This weekend however, after that discussion with JW at our bible study, we decided to check out VERA'S BURGER SHACK. Because of the caution of its size, we just got the classic Vera's burger. Its a single patty with your usual fixings. I really liked it because you can taste the meat and have the condiments enhance its flavours while Fatburger's tend to get over powered but the bun and condiments. Like I said, I like lots of meat! Made fresh right there on the grill, it was for sure the a better burger than Fatburger. Their fries were hand cut fries, the kind that is great with vinegar! All in all a very satisfying meal. I had actually ordered the lamb burger but they were out. So next time, I am hoping they will have it. It sure sounded good.

Its a bit of a trek from South Surrey to Fraser Heights but I'd do it... would you?

Liquor filled chocolates anyone?

Humm. Who says no to chocolate? This bit of tasty morsel was given to Reno Man and I from Chocolate Girl and LivingSword. It was a while back but I was saving it for a day just as today. The weather was lovely and sunny, beckonning us out on the deck to soak in the sunshine and take a little sweet to company us.

Now, this is not a block of chocolate that you can easily get because it has liqour in it, it is not found in our grocery stores. Chocolate Girl buys it from this place .... humm I can't remember where! But it sure tasted good.

Pineapple Rice and Tumeric Wings

I'm not sure why I have never tried making this before today. It turned out better than expected. I happen to have some fresh pineapple in my refridgerator, some left over rice and thinly sliced beef. I found a recipe for pineapple rice with minced beef and I though, why not give this a go. As usual, I never follow the recipe to the tee. Just picked up the ingredients and did my own thing.

As usual, sautee some minced garlic and add the beef that has been cut into thin strips or use minced beef. Then throw in lots of frozen mix veg and peas and stirfry till veggies are heated through. Then add chopped pineapple, you can use drained crushed canned pineapple or fresh, and rice. Stir out lumps in the rice and then add soya sauce, fish sauce and rice vinegar. To give it a little kick, I added finely chopped bird's eye chilli. Chopped fresh cilantro just perfects this dish. Hummm yum! Of course you can have this on its own but I had some chicken wings that I had thawed and wanted to make a traditional Malaysian style chicken with this. Tumeric chicken is really easy. My version is anyway. Traditionally, it is deep fried but I couldn't be bothered and it tastes just as good grilled in the oven and its much healthier too. So I started with cleaned chicken wings which I patted dry with a paper towel. Then seasoned it with salt, then garlic powder and then tumeric powder till well coated. Lay the chicken pieces on a rack with a drip pan and grill in the oven at 375F for about 40 mins. Turn half way through cooking.

Montreal Spiced Pork Tenderloin with mixed veg and rice

Ever go to Costo and wonder if any of their marinated meats are any good? Well, I took a chance on this Montreal Spiced Pork Tenderloin and it was yummy! And oh so easy. Just pop into the oven till just cooked. It comes out so juicy and tasty. Great with any sides. Here I paired it up with steamed rice and stir fried mix veg of asparagus, red pepper, broccoli, cauliflower and brown mushrooms. Was a great combination. Check out how juicy the pork turned out when it came out of the oven.

Sweet Chilli Beef Stir-Fry

This recipe came to me as I was marinating the thinly sliced beef. Just like the recipe before I used top sirloin steak, slightly frozen and thinly sliced. Then I marinated it with soya sauce, sesamee oil, Chinese cooking wine, minced garlic and sweet chilli sauce. Then I prepared the bak choy as in the recipe previous to this.

In a hot wok, heat some oil and when heated, stir in the beef for 1 minute. Then add bak choy, toss well and book till desired tenderness. I also thinckened up the sauce with a little bit of corn starch and water mixture. Just before serving, I topped it with chopped cilantro and finely sliced bird's eye chilli to give it a little more kick! Hummmm. Yummy.

Satay Beef Stir-fry with Bak Choy

Somehow, coke always goes so well with Malaysian food. Hence the coke cans! Besides, they tend to bring a good contrasting colour to my pic! Now this is something I made up. I used Top sirlion steak, slightly frozen so that I could easily slice the beef thinly. Then I marinated it with soya sauce, a little sugar and minced garlic.

Then I prepared the bak choy. Just washing each leaf and separating the leaves invidually. Then I prepared my satay sauce. You can buy this from and Asian grocer instant or a pre-mix. I used a pre-mix where I just added water anda brought it to a boil for a few minutes. Next I put my pan on high heat and added a little oil. When the oil was hot, I added the beef and fried it for about 30 secs before adding the bak choy. This takes a little skill with 2 cooking utensils to toss till the bak choy is wilted. Finally, I add the satay sauce. Once it is well mixed and the meat and veggies area well coated with the sauce, I quickly serve it hot with steamed Jasmine rice. Oh! I think this is my current favourite. So quick and easy. And clean up is that too! -end-

Black Bottom Cup Cakes

I just couldn't resist these mouthwatering sight whose recipe comes from Eleanor's blog. I think hers turned out better or at least hers looks better through lenses. She was the one who directed me to Smitten Kitchen who is hosting the recipe. Really easy recipe and lots of helpful hints. I was really excited to taste them but I found that these need to get quite cool before they really show a good tasting. I did use a piping bag to pipe the filling into the cupcakes. I also made some large and some mini just to see which works better. I've only tried the mini ones and they are yummy... but only after they were well cooled. When they are just fresh out of the oven, they tend to taste a little cheesy, overpowering the chocolate.

What can I call this?

Humm, not sure what I would call this. All I know it that I really liked it. I used a pack of pre-marinated chicken thighs (hot buffalo style) from Save-ons (local grocery store). Cooked them in my non-stick pan first, once it was nicely browned and cooked through, I added broccoli and cauliflower and a little water to deglaze the pan. I also covered the pan and let the veggies steam till cooked. Lastly, I added some shrimp and a little light soya sauce. It didn't take too long for the shrimp to cook. I served this with freshly cooked Jasmine rice. I'm open to suggestions as to what to call this dish.

I have also used these hot buffalo style chicken thighs in a salad. I just love how the chicken is marinated. Wish I could recreate it instead of buying it from Save-ons.

Another Quick-fix!

Hot days call for simple finger food. With all the summer weather, Reno Man and I decided it would be very nice to have our lunch on our deck. I wanted to make egg salad sandwiches but I didn't quite have the right bread or the other items one ususally find in an egg salad sandwich. I did have hot dog buns, cilantro and red onion. So that was what I used. Mashed boiled eggs with finely chopped cilantro, red onion, mayonaise, french's mustard, salt and pepper. I also took out some on the bread from the centers of the hot dog buns and stuffed them with the egg salad. They worked well.

Meanwhile, I had some egg rolls in my little toaster oven. Those were also good. Ofcourse they were store bought (again from Costco). I mixed a sauce of sweet and sour and some Vietnamese hot sauce. Surprisingly enough, it worked well with the egg rolls. Sitting out on the deck with a couple of cokes with this weird combination, seemed to work.

A platter of fun!

Its been so hot that I decided to do a play on little plates , tapas. The croissants were fresh from Zerelli's Mediterranean Market that I got that morning. The first tapas I had was marinated cherry tomatoes with balsamic vinegar and evoo. I added chopped fresh basil and red onion and topped it with lovely creamy goat cheese! Oh this combination is always a winner. The second tapas was garlic crimini mushrooms with butter and olive oil. This was lightly sauteed and served as is. We had this for lunch and it hit the spot nicely.

Fried MiFun (vermicelli)

Easy fried vermicelli. I guess it very simillar to fried rice though with using noodles to stir fry, I like to use green leaf veggies like bak choy or yau choy or kai lan.

First I sauteed some minced garlic. Then I browned some sliced chicken that had been seasoned with soya sauce and pepper. Then I added alot of veggies. This time I used yau choy and sugar peas. Then I added the prawns and vermicelli that had been soaking in warm water. Before stirring, I added sweet and thick dark soya sauce and a little light soya sauce. OH! I also added a shredded carrot and tossed it all till well mixed. This type of noodle does not need very much cooking. It just needs to be warmed through. It will start to break into tiny pieces if this is over cooked. Also keep this stir fry relatively dry. Too much liquid or sauce will make the noodle mushy. To spice it up, I added some sambal after adding the veggies. It just gave it a bit of a zing. Oh! Don't forget to add a splash of fish sauce. It just adds to the flavour of the noodles. Just don't sniff the sauce from the bottle. Trust that it will taste good!