Belacan Fried Rice with Sunny Side up Eggs

 

       When the fun on the weekend is over, Monday is the “in denial” day for most of us. This translates to brain function=still stuck on the weekend mode, while in reality a lot needs to be done. I tried to make peace with my Monday blues by not trying too hard doing the house chores, so I tend to avoid anything too complicated. For example: laundry (not a Monday case), major cleaning (definitely not a Monday case). Well cooking is (just like every other day) but I tend to do a simple and quick dinner. Just because 

1.       Normally we have leftovers
2.       We are too tired of eating rich and fancy dishes from the weekend.
3.       I am still recovering from the shock that its not weekend!

       So today I tried to whip out something very simple for dinner. Just a good old Fried Rice. Just like Ice cream they never go wrong. There is a gazillion ingredient you could mix match to make your own fried rice yours. Mine: I like to use what is available, including leftovers and a little shrimp paste, chilli, and the best of all two sunny side up eggs to complete the show.

In fact it is really easy to make.

All you need is some cooked long grain rice (preferably left over rice because of their harder texture). I have always mixed my rice (jasmine and black glutinous rice) that is why the rice in the picture has funky color, but they are healthier, and yummy.

Possible ingredients that you need:

Cooked rice for 2 people portion

100 grams of sliced chicken ( I used chicken breast)

100 grams of shrimp ( or any other seafood

1 tsp of belacan powder/ belacan sauce ( you can add according to preference)

4 cloves of garlic ( minced)

2 tbsp of minced red onions

 1 red chilli, seeded and sliced

¼ tsp Chicken bouillon powder

2tbsp of Soy sauce/ Fish sauce (adjust to your taste)

Pepper to taste

Oil ( I used 3 tbsp of olive oil)

You can add other ingredients as mushrooms, snow peas; whatever you think will work with the theme of your fried rice.

The cooking is quite simple as well.

• First you heat up the oil and sauté the shrimp paste, red chilli, minced onions and garlic
• Once they give a flavourful aroma, you could throw in your meat and vegetables
• Add in the soy/fish sauce, pepper, salt
• Stir in the rice ,cook untill the rice and the sauce is mixed well.
• Finish with a fried sunny side up eggs and sliced tomatoes.
  
• Easy come easy go! enjoy:

Passion + Patience *Gastrobutterfly* A food to your soul.

My Grown Up Vanilla Ice Cream ( with honey balsamic vinegar and candied nuts)

        TGIF! Weekend is coming, are you as excited as I am? Time to mingle with friends and have a good time. Yes!!! but at what cost? I’m not a cheapskate but yes, the habit of eating out; splurging money on the tab can put your future into jeopardy!  Especially for young couple like us or (you too) who does not have the luxury of the parent’s basement room, combined with mortgages, bills, etc,etc, and gazillion other things on the list, weekend could be an evil evil thing! How are we going to buy a piece of land for nesting, how are we going to survive the weekdays before the next pay check?

image from google

          Well you are entitled to have fun: maybe you should just let go of the old way of unconscious money splurging while sitting down chatting with your pal and move the chat somewhere nicer where you don’t have to pay the bucks. Really! I am talking about the afternoon picnic at the park ( if you insist you need to get out from the house) or if you love your house that much, invite your friend for a classic movie night with a bowl of ice cream  and pop corn and what not! Depending on your willingness to entertain and experiment, you could actually go very elaborate and crazy, however you want it! I am having so much fun thinking about it already!

        So today I thought I would share with you a very easy dessert recipe that you could put together in minutes while hanging out at home or in the park.

My Grown Up Vanilla Ice Cream with Honey Balsamic Vinegar

        I call it My Grown Up Vanilla Ice Cream a! Ice cream never goes wrong: my husband approved this dessert although he was reluctant at first because of the grown up ingredients in the ice cream.

 

       The secret ingredient is Balsamic Vinegar with Honey! By now you should understand how much i love this two; they make the best pairing taste!

So what you need:

A tub of vanilla ice cream, honey, balsamic vinegar, strawberries, and some caramelized almonds/nuts. You could stop at the third ingredients but strawberries and caramelized almond just make it perfect ( see recipe for caramelized almond here) or you could use any candied nuts to substitute.

 

      Putting it all together:                        

So put enough vanilla ice cream to your bowl. If you decide to go with strawberries and caramelized almond, put them before you drizzle honey and the balsamic vinegar ((in 1:2 ratio). Easy and charming right?Your guest would be very happy, plus your wallet too:p.

Passion + Patience *Gastrobutterfly* A food to your soul.

Beef with Turnips Soup ( Soto Bandung)

                                                                                                So go ahead and ask her

image of whatscooking america

                     For happy ever after
           Cause nobody knows what’s coming

          So why not take a chance on loving
      Come on, pour the glass and tempt me
            Either half-full or half-empty
         Cause if it all comes down to flavor
           The glass is tipping in my favor

Life gave me lemonade and I can’t imagine why
Born on a sunny day, beneath a tangerine sky
I live life without pretending

               I’m a sucker for happy endings

Thanks for the lemonade
Thanks for the lemonade!

I’ve got it made rest in the shade
And hold my love while God above
Stirs with a spoon we share the moon
Smile at the bees more sugar please
He really loves us after all

We’re gonna need another straw!

               I wish I could post up a lemonade recipe with this song, but I don’t think Chris Rice meant lemonade literally. But really…this song is haunting me for its beautiful lyric and meaning.

I feel that cooking for me is a lot like this song; the anticipation for happy ending, and the ability to just be honest to put my feeling and emotion into something positive, and share it with someone. Foods really have this kind of power!

Soto Bandung ( Beef with Turnip soup)

This week I miss my family back home so much that I started cooking foods from home; I guess the food that you grow up with will always comfort you, and somehow in the process of making it reminds me of a heritage and what makes me as who I am as a person. Have you ever think about that? 

The ingredients:

2 pounds of beef shank

¾ pounds of beef tripes

1 large turnips (peeled, diced to your liking size)

3 bay leaves, salt, and pepper to taste

1 lemon grass ( bruised)

Thai chilli bird and lime for  garnish

A handful of Fried Soya bean/ Peanut

Soto bandung spices mixture

Some of the ingredients for the soup

 How to make Soto bandung spices mixture:

In your food processor, mix 3tbsp of ground coriander +miced garlic from 6 cloves +minced red onions from ¼ onions + ½ tbsp of beef bouillon powder, add a little water if mixture won’t blend.

 Meanwhile, boil the beef shank with enough water to cover the entire meat for an hour until its tender

Cubed the beef and tripes to 1 ½ cmx 1 ½ cm put back into the broth along with the diced turnips, bay leaves, and bruised lemon grass.

Heat a pan and drizzle with 1 tbsp of oil to sauté the spices. Once the spice mixture is thicken up and release aromatic flavor, turn off the heat and pour into the soup mixture.

Let it simmer for 15-20 minutes so the beef and turnips absorb the flavors.

Serve it hot with a bowl of rice and drizzle of lime and fried soya bean/ peanut

 So this bowl of soup bring comforts for my family. What about you? What food brings comfort for you? I want to hear from you!

 
Passion + Patience *Gastrobutterfly* A food to your soul.

Knowledge from the food play ground : capsaicin

       You know her voice is strong, vibrant and colourful although she stays mum. Her presence add an extra oomph in a bowl, some like it way down in the bowel ( ouch). She is literally everywhere!The heat torture vs the pleasant after taste: why do we come back after all the pain?

(Gannet News Service Photo)

1. The feeling good factor!"Once you go chilli you never chill with no chilli": 

• The consumption of chilies triggers the release of ‘feel good’ endorphins, which result the ‘good’ attitude towards general well being.

    2. Keep up your metabolism (my best friend in the winter months where we tends to hibernate 

        like bears) 

        

• Good news is they also increase break down carbohydrates during resting period which contributes in the reduction of obesity as it increases metabolism and helps to burn the calories faster,including the burning of fats

    3. Sources of antioxidant and vitamin  A,B,C also the minerals such as iron, potassium and

•  The list is long and gets more exciting toward the bottom.Read (herbal home remedies) and (benefit of chillies)

team sugar image

Intriguing enough to add a dollop of spiciness to your plate?

Passion + Patience *Gastrobutterfly* A food to your soul.