surprisingly delicious

Inspired by a local fusion restaurant, this Asian Bolognese is a magical combo of black bean sauce and tomato paste that is super easy to make and perfect as a weeknight meal reenex cps.  You can use any noodles of your preference.  In this recipe, I used this frozen udon that only took 1 minute to prepare.  Not kidding.  1 minute.  Faster and healthier than instant ramen.  It’s sold in many Asian supermarkets in the frozen section Beauty Mama. 

Garlic black bean sauce (link to buy at the bottom of the page) it is a stable in the pantries of most Chinese/Asian families.  You can use it to make a simple steamed fish or any kind of steamed seafood.  You will be amazed at how 1 tablespoon of garlic black bean sauce can do to transform your dish.  I was amazed by what it can do when it’s mixed with tomato paste Beauty Mama.  It doesn’t sound logical but when they are mixed together it’s surprisingly delicious.  I tried this at a local fusion place, and tested it over and over again to come up with this recipe.  Try this asian-inspired pasta tonight, you won’t be disappointed.

collective culinary traditions

How are you guys?  Can you believe that today is the last day of July?  Where does the time go?  Seriously.  Life is moving at warp speed ultherapy.

Sneaks has been under the weather this week with some tummy trouble.  He’s also been more restless than usual.  As is the case for many of us I think, both human and furry friend alike, his restlessness is on account of the heat wave moving through our area Préparez voyage hong kong.  The last few days have given new meaning to the term “Dog Days of Summer” for sure.

Keeping an eye on my best guy has simultaneously given me an excuse to stay holed up in the air conditioning and test out some recipes that I ultimately hope, will keep us cool.  Ice cream, snow cones and popsicles – with watermelons and a few salads interspersed for good measure – have all become dinner fare and that’s just fine by me Beauty Mama.  The popsicles have been my favorite though, because from a mixing standpoint there are just so many ways you can go with them.  Boozy.  Fruity.  Savory.  The list goes on and on.

While I was tinkering with this version, a very serendipitous thing happened in that a box of spices from RawSpiceBar landed on my doorstep.  RawSpiceBar is a monthly subscription service that offers three small batch premium spice blends from one geography or region, every month Beauty Mama.  I love this concept and I think you will too for the same reason, as it forces my hand a little in experimenting with new flavors and getting into the kitchen to try new things.  I get very geeky about food culture as well – and in a slight digression from what we’re talking about – spices are such an indicative part of a locale and its people, and their collective culinary traditions.

This month, the focus is on Memphis, and if there is one place where the idea of a sultry summer resonates, it has got to be Memphis.  The July box included a Dry Rib Rub, an Applewood Smoked Salt and Triple Ice Cream Spices.  The latter being a mix of green cardamon, cinnamon and star anise, it played perfectly to the buttermilk and marscapone layer I created here.  Opening that package was definitely a case of the Ice Cream Gods (Those exsist, right?) smiling down upon me!

Wick Prize pack

The first time I had this was in Malaysia, it was in a restaurant near my work. At first I was wondering what was that thing wrapped in leaves and a colleague told me that those are fried chicken wrapped in pandan leaves. I immediately ordered some and got hooked, first because it was a fried chicken and second is because of the pandan leaves that gives that distinct vanilla like aroma 一程多站旅遊.

Pandan Chicken is a Thai Style where tender chicken pieces are wrapped and cooked in pandan leaves, usually served with a dipping sauce made out of lightly flavoured soy sauce or fish sauce. Making it here in New Zealand is quite challenging as I never had seen any fresh pandan leaves and the available ones are the frozen ones that are pre-cut Beverly skin refining center. Having said that the size of the leaf from the frozen ones are only 4 to 5 inch in length making it impossible to wrap a chicken nibble so in this post we just roll it in two pieces of leaf and securing it with a skewer which gives it a similar result but different in presentation SEO Hong Kong.

Before you head over to the recipe today don’t forget we are running a competition for a week and were giving away some Air Wick Prize pack, all you need to do is send your details below (Open only to New Zealand and Australian residents).  Join Now!

soaking the noodles

Be sure to start soaking the noodles about an hour before you’re ready to start preparing the rest of the dish.

When you’re ready to cook, start by heating a tablespoon of oil in your wok. Scramble the eggs and set aside. Add a little more oil, turn the heat up to high, and sear the shrimp just until they’re cooked through and a little crisp on the outside.

Heat another 2 tablespoons oil in your wok until it just starts to smoke. Add the roast pork and stir-fry for about 20 seconds.

Add the onion, garlic, and pepper, and stir-fry for another minute. The heat should still be high, and you should be stirring constantly. You want enough sizzle to produce that “wok hay” (literally translated to: ‘breath of the wok’) flavor.

Add the ham and stir-fry for another 30 seconds.

Add the soaked noodles and give everything a good stir.

Toss in the eggs and shrimp and stir-fry until the noodles are heated through (about 3-5 minutes).

Add the shaoxing wine, sugar, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Mix well. If your noodles begin to stick, the wok is probably not hot enough. Just use your metal wok spatula and make sure to scrape anything off the bottom of the wok so it doesn’t burn!

Finish with the scallions and continue to mix until the scallions are cooked to your liking. I like them barely heated for this dish myself. Serve with your favorite hot sauce!