rlee0926

[rlee0926]

Taco night can be a great new interactive way to add some pop to a dinner party!

Last night was a perfect mix of friends, fun and feasting! My best friend Ali and her fiance Ben are leaving for Australia next week and so I invited them over for a delicious Mexican Feast. With Kit and another bestie, Ericka the night was full of laughs and amazing food.

Slow cooked pulled pork tacos w/ caramelized pineapple, cabbage slaw, salsa, black beans & queso fresca & spicy crema.

I marinated my pork shoulder for 12 hours overnight with olive oil, lime, hot sauce, maple syrup, garlic, jalapenos & paprika. Set it on LOW for 10 hours in the slow cooker on top of some onions and went to work!

Cabbage Slaw: Finely slice red cabbage, add a handful of chopped cilantro, juice of one lime, a swirl or two of olive oil and lots of salt. Mix and let flavors marry…

Black Beans In a pot, saute a clove of garlic in 1/4 cup of slow cooked pork juices/oils. (Scoop some from the slow cooking pork) Add 2 cans of drained black beans and simmer on low for 20 mins. Stir when needed. To finish, stir through a handful of chopped green onions and sprinkle with queso fresco.

Caramelized Pineapples In a pan, heat up some more of the pork oils/juices until it reduces and starts getting a little thick. Add a cup of diced pineapple (fresh is best if you can) and let simmer in the juices. Add a swig of beer, some salt and simmer until the liquid has evaporated. The pineapple should have some delicious brown color to it.

SERVE: the slow cooked pork with corn tortillas, salsa, cilantro, radishes, queso, hot sauce spiked sour cream & limes.

[rlee0926]

Last night was a perfect mix of friends, fun and feasting! My best friend Ali and her fiance Ben are leaving for Australia next week and so I invited them over for a delicious Mexican Feast. With Kit and another bestie, Ericka the night was full of laughs and amazing food.

Slow cooked pulled pork tacos w/ caramelized pineapple, cabbage slaw, salsa, black beans & queso fresca & spicy crema.

I marinated my pork shoulder for 12 hours overnight with olive oil, lime, hot sauce, maple syrup, garlic, jalapenos & paprika. Set it on LOW for 10 hours in the slow cooker on top of some onions and went to work!

Cabbage Slaw: Finely slice red cabbage, add a handful of chopped cilantro, juice of one lime, a swirl or two of olive oil and lots of salt. Mix and let flavors marry…

Black Beans In a pot, saute a clove of garlic in 1/4 cup of slow cooked pork juices/oils. (Scoop some from the slow cooking pork) Add 2 cans of drained black beans and simmer on low for 20 mins. Stir when needed. To finish, stir through a handful of chopped green onions and sprinkle with queso fresco.

Caramelized Pineapples In a pan, heat up some more of the pork oils/juices until it reduces and starts getting a little thick. Add a cup of diced pineapple (fresh is best if you can) and let simmer in the juices. Add a swig of beer, some salt and simmer until the liquid has evaporated. The pineapple should have some delicious brown color to it.

SERVE: the slow cooked pork with corn tortillas, salsa, cilantro, radishes, queso, hot sauce spiked sour cream & limes.

[rlee0926]

Makes me miss some good old home cooking!

Kimchi Fried Rice, Kimchi Kimbap and Hawker Style Shrimp Balls

As much as I love Mexican, Italian, American, and of course, Filipino dishes, I also fully embrace the dishes of other Asian countries such as Korea and fusion flavours of Singaporean food. And what I love most about Asian food is that it can be the cheapest to make, but really, the tastiest and with the most bold flavours.

I particularly love hawker food, mostly snacks in bite-size morsels jam-packed with savoury goodness either eaten on its own or dipped in a sauce, served on a stick -skewered in a row or picked up with a pair of chopsticks.

And although what I share with you all are recipes clearly not at all traditional and really kind of veered away from authenticity. I assure you all that these recipes are as equally enjoyable to munch on as those proper dishes that I borrowed from.

KIMCHI FRIED RICE

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons canola oil

6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 cup kimchi, chopped

4 cups cooked white rice

7 grams chicken stock powder (can substitute 1 1/2 teaspoon of chicken stock concentrate)

2 teaspoons sushi and sashimi soy sauce (or light soy sauce)

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

2 eggs, beaten

Procedure:

In a large pan or wok on medium-high heat, saute chopped garlic in canola oil for 10 seconds. Add kimchi and saute for another 10 seconds.

Add the cooked rice making sure to break the lumps. Season the rice with chicken stock powder, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil and cracked black pepper.

Toss and cook fried rice for 10 minutes, then turn off heat and immediately pour the beaten eggs over rice, stir and toss. Serve hot with shredded nori and thinly sliced omelette.

Serves 4

* Kimchi Kimbap *

Nori Sheets

Kimchi Fried Rice

Sliced Fried Spam (luncheon meat or ham is also good)

Omelette 

- Place nori sheet on cling or sushi mat, spread kimchi fried rice, 2 (3/4 inch in diameter sticks) of fried spam and sliced omelette.

- Roll sushi tightly and cut into 1 inch slices. 

Hawker Style Shrimp Balls

Ingredients: 

1 pound raw shrimps, shelled, deveined and heads and tails removed

juice of 1/2 lime (or lemon)

2 Tablespoons spring onions, roughly sliced

1 clove garlic

1/2 teaspoon red chilli flakes (optional)

2 teaspoons oyster sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

canola oil (enough to reach half the height of your fry pan) for frying

wedges of lime or lemon to serve

- Blitz all ingredients together in a food processor. 

- Chill shrimp ball mixture inside the fridge for 30 mins.

- Heat canola oil in fry pan over medium-high heat.

- Using 2 spoons, scoop 1 tablespoon each of shrimp mixture and form into irregular shaped balls.

- Fry in oil until golden.

- Serve with lime or lemon wedges on the side. 

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[rlee0926]

Family recipes, handed down by immigrants, link generations and keep a heritage alive.

[rlee0926]

Late night dinner on a Sat #nomnom it's roasted chicken and cherry tomatoes with a purple green bean, mushroom and lemon risotto! (Taken with Instagram)

[rlee0926]

We are so far from #landsowne .... #geegee what happend?! #uOttawa (Taken with Instagram at Beckwith Recreation Complex)

[rlee0926]

Hung like a #geegee! #uOttawa #footballpride (Taken with Instagram)

[rlee0926]

I am not a shopaholic. I am helping the economy

[rlee0926]

Lunch Time Express

To all those Thai Express lovers out there...

I have always wondered what the 'addictive' nature of Thai Express has been over the past couple of years.  The boom in Canada has been astronomical especially with its enticing 'exotic' alternative to the standard food court options.  Every time I wander around downtown Ottawa, my quest for yummy alternatives to the food court is slim to none. With that said, this franchise based food court stand has been a staple to most 9-5 workers during their 30 minutes to 1 hour lunchtime break.  It's fast, it's easy and it's 'exotic'.  Once you arrive and you place your order, you become mesmorized by the flames and giant sized Wok that fry's up your noodles, rice or vegetables and voilà - you have a meal for 1 in less than 10 minutes.

Most of our justification to line up the ridiculous lines during lunch, as their website indicates, is the fact that it's a 'healthy' alternative to your good old Manchu Wok, KFC, A&W and other Big Named Brand fast food chains.  The irony is that since the creation of the Thai Express website, there has been no nutritional guidelines available.  This may be due to the fact that in Canada, it is voluntary by restaurant and fast food chain owners to post their nutritional information compared to packaged foods which has been enforced by Health Canada since 2003. The Dish from The Toronto Star posted a very informative, yet heartbreaking, article on the actual nutrition of 1 portion of Pad Thai from Thai Express:

(http://www.healthzone.ca/health/dietfitness/thedish/article/975093--the-dish-pad-thai-worse-for-your-waist-than-four-mcburgers) 

That 'special' sauce that keeps us consumers coming back isn't quite so special anymore.

By no means, do I call my self an experienced food critic but I do like to know what's being put into my body - especially, when I try to justify a purchase such as Thai Express. My Achilles heel - Chicken Pad Sew with extra chinese brocolli and extra vegetables. I can taste the MSG (monosodium glutamate) and the salt in the sauce and the meat.  To be quite honest, I would be able to forgo the noodles and just eat the meat and the veggies but how could someone miss out on carbs?  The unfortunate nature of a franchise business is the fact that sometimes the quality of the food and the products they use differ.  I can attest to the fact that all 6 Thai Express locations in Ottawa vary in their sauces, vegetables an portion sizes but that hasn't deterred the loyal customers of Thai Express.  It's astonishing how marketing, a somewhat good product and word of mouth can do for a business. 

Verdict - try to skip but if you love it oh so much, take it in very SMALL doses.

[rlee0926]

My ball... Seriously (Taken with Instagram at home)

[rlee0926]

Lolonely day on the bed (Taken with Instagram at home)

[rlee0926]

Multitasking just got a whole lot sexier: New York couples can now make love and art at the same time. Artist Alexander Esguerra has spent the last two years inviting couples to create their own Jackson Pollock-esque masterpieces by making love on a paint-covered canvas.

Paint misbehavin': New Yorkers find the art of love

[rlee0926]

Dog? Lion? Or Bear? (Taken with instagram)

[rlee0926]

This thing decides to yelp whenever the hell it feels like! Cute? Or no?

[rlee0926]

What I should be doing... (Taken with instagram)

[rlee0926]

Taken with instagram

[rlee0926]

Love me?! Of course!!.... (Taken with instagram)