We had some leftover rice from yesterday. For as long as I can remember, left over rice has always meant my Dad reminiscing about his college/bachelor days, when he and his housemates would make copious amounts of fried rice from leftover Chinese food. These days, the suggestion is always there, but the execution is left up to someone else, and usually that means sticky old rice in the trash. Instead of letting it go to waste, I decided to take up my Dad's recommendation, and whip up some fried rice.
To create this recipe, I borrowed ideas from two blogs that I love very much: Peas and Thank You and Smitten Kitchen. There go my creativity chops. Anyhoo, I searched "stirfry" on both of their sites, and came up with Mama Pea's Thai Beefless Stirfry and Deb's Ginger Fried Rice. From Mama Pea, I borrowed the Thai-infused sauce recipe, and from Deb, I followed instructions and added additional ingredients.
Eggy-Fried Rice:
2 large cage-free eggs
1 c. cooked rice (leftovers are perfect!)
1/2 c. frozen peas
1 large carrot, julienned
3 tbs. chopped yellow onion
2 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. natural peanut butter (use less or omit entirely, depending on preference)
1 tbs. lime juice
1 tbs. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. honey
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
pinch of ginger
salt + pepper
Instructions:
1. Combine peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce, ginger, and honey in a small bowl. The peanut butter doesn't mix well, so don't worry if it looks kind of icky; it'll taste great.
2. Prepare your vegetables! And garlic. I just used what we had in the fridge, but some great additions would be red pepper, water chestnuts, snap peas, and mushrooms. I swear, that peeler has become my new best friend ever since I bought whole carrots! I don't hate it.
Because it was my first time doing it, here's a lesson on julienning: in words, or in video.
I don't have any pictures of the onion, garlic, or peas, as Kelly interrogated me at this point.
Kelly, "Why are you taking pictures?"
Me, "Because I have a blog."
Kelly, "What kind of blog?
Me, "A FOOD BLOG!"
It's hard enough when your parents think anything you do with food relates to your eating disorder. Making food, enjoying it, and celebrating it with other people/bloggers truly brings me a sense of fulfillment. I understand her concern, but I am not doing this because I want to hurt my body. I'm doing this because I'm hungry. And I like pretty pictures.
3. Heat a medium-large skillet to medium heat, and add a drizzle of olive oil. Add garlic to the pan. Let the garlic brown, but only lightly.
4. Add remaining olive oil, and add carrots, onion, and peas. Add desired salt and pepper. Cook for about 6-8 minutes on medium, stirring every few minutes.
5. Add rice and sauce mixture. Stir until the rice and sauce are evenly distributed throughout the vegetables. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook for an additional five minutes, or until heated through.
6. While the rice and vegetables are cooking, crack eggs onto a separate oiled skillet, on medium heat. Be sure that the pan is large enough for both eggs to fit. Fry the eggs until the whites are mostly solid. To ensure that the eggs cook quick enough, you can place a saucepan lid over top the skillet. I used a kettle!
7. Once the eggs and rice are done, spoon the rice into bowls and top each bowl with one fried egg.
Enjoy!
Serves 2.
Today, I relied heavily on reci"peas" by Mama Pea. Her fabulous blog is made not only of snark, but also of delicious food and meal ideas. After sitting around for most of the day, contemplating when ----- -----, (the grocer that hired me three weeks ago!), would call me back, I decided that cooking would be the most productive use of my time. Besides, you know, browsing other blogs and craning my neck into precarious positions as I read.
Breakfast and lunch already covered, I decided that a dinner high in protein was necessary. I wanted to use the quinoa thats been sitting in the pantry since February, but since my last effort was disastrous, I was slightly afraid to use it. However, I plucked up some courage and found Mama Pea's simple Spanish Quinoa, and decided all things go; this wasn't the mess of plain quinoa and straight balsamic vinegar I concoted before. Using her recipe as a reference, I made several changes based on what we had in our kitchen (my family is not very vegan-friendly!)
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Mama Pea's Spanish Quinoa:
Ingredients:
1/2 c. dry quinoa
2 T. chopped onion
1 c. vegetable broth
1/4 c. tomato sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 t. chili powder
Instructions:
Toast quinoa in bottom of a saucepan over medium heat.
Add chopped onion and saute for a few minutes. Add broth, sauce and spices and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Fluff with a fork and serve
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Deliciousness!
Instead of tomato sauce, I used Bertolli Tomato & Basil pasta sauce. I also added about 2 oz. baked chicken to the mix, and a sprinkle of shredded Colby & Monterey Jack cheese. Like Mama Pea, I circled the mix with broccoli florets, heavily doused in garlic powder, salt and pepper.
The quinoa mixture was wonderful, and I'm glad I'll have another serving tomorrow. One thing I'd change: I'd sautee the onions first in a bit of the broth, and forego toasting the quinoa. It was just a tad too crunchy for me. Other than that, the recipe reminded me of chili, and essentially would be with some beans and extra veggies. The heat of the chili powder was lovely; this is something I'll be making often throughout the winter months!
Of course, my Spanish Quinoa wouldn't be complete without dessert. We had a few bananas going bad, so I settled on Mama Pea's Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Cookies.
The recipe was extremely simple and easy to follow, though due to my below-par pantry, I had to make more than just a few substitutions.
I used:
1 c. rolled oats
1/2 c. 1% milk (in place of almond milk)
1/4 c. natural peanut butter
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1-2 bananas, mashed
3 tbs. ground flax (in place of protein powder)
2 tbs. brown sugar (in place of sweetener)
2 tbs. honey (in place of sweetener)
1 tsp. baking powder
Directions (quoted straight from Peas and Thank You):
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until combined.
3. Scoop batter by heaping tablespoonful onto a cookie sheet, and bake for 9-12 minutes, until cookies are firm.
Could it be: a. fertilizer, b. my sister's diarrhea, or c. a mud-based face mask?
The answer is d., none of the above.
They came out...okay, looking more like elephant poo than cookies. HOWEVER, they tasted just fine. Lovely, in fact. I may or may not have eaten four in the span of three hours.
I prefer them straight out of the oven or microwaved, with a drizzle of peanut butter on top. My recipe yielded about 20 small cookies, so I froze about ten so they would keep. My sisters tried them, and I'd suffice it to say they would much prefer eating that mud-based face mask, so its just me and my cookies.
In the future, I'd probably add an additional scoop of flax and nix about 1/2 the amount of cocoa powder. I do like chocolate, but I much prefer peanut butter, as you should well know by now.
I also calculated the nutrition info! (For those of us who need a little reassurance. These ARE nutritious. Peanut butter is full of healthy fats, cocoa is rich in antioxidants, flax, well, is flax...need I say more?) My dad named them "Survival Cookies," after I read off the"very healthy" ingredient list. He even said, "They're so good for you -- they taste like breakfast!" Now if only I could keep my siblings from eating Lucky Charms and Captain Crunch....
Salad Mix:
4 cups mixed baby greens
1/2 lb. halved organic strawberries
3 oz. fresh goat cheese
4 tbs. walnuts (in the future I would caramelize the walnuts, as they did at Beach Creek.)
salt and pepper, to taste
Dressing:
1/2 c. halved organic strawberries
2 tbs. balsamic vinegar
2 tbs. olive or canola oil
2 tbs. honey
salt and pepper, to taste
Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.
Directions:
1. Rinse the greens and chop into smaller pieces on cutting board. Place in large bowl.
2. Cut the strawberries in half, and add to greens.
3. Crumble goat cheese.
4. Add walnuts to salad mix (caramelize them first if you'd prefer them that way.)
5. Add dressing and toss salad; let sit. This will allow the greens to really absorb the flavor.
6. Place salad mixture into serving bowls or plates, and top with goat cheese. Enjoy!
Serves two.
Depending on your preference, you could add or subtract the amount of honey you use.
Today, I am 27 days symptom free from my eating disorder. This is a new record for me, and it falls just below the two symptom free months I enjoyed straight out of my third hospitalization. Since February, I allowed myself to be slightly drawn back into bulimia's clutches. I've been slowly regaining my footing. Three days, nine days, fourteen days...and now twenty-seven. My success is in no small part due to the unwavering support of my boyfriend, Jay. He has been there for me through the worst, from the fifty minute bathroom breaks to the potassium drip. He has endured my relentless self-deprecation, the constant chatter of my eating disorder that surfaces whenever I pass a mirror. He has held me through the fullness and the frustration, he has stayed with me despite the selfish wall my eating disorder has built around me. He has loved me so fully, without hesitation, and because of this, I am learning to love my self.
If you're reading this, I love you, bubbaloo.
Jay has taught me more than unconditional love; he's also helped me grow stronger, and he's allowed me to view food as something enjoyable. Several weeks ago, we went to Wildwood, where his parents own a beach house. We went to a restaurant called Beach Creek, and both ordered my favorite item on their menu -- the house salad.
Comprised of "tender mixed greens, goat cheese & cracked walnuts with a strawberry vinaigrette," it had both of our mouths watering for weeks to come, whenever the salad was mentioned. Today, we tried to recreate the salad for a picnic at the park, which we were unfortunately rained out of. However, it was cooler, and still very enjoyable to eat inside.
Though the salad from the restaurant definitely topped the one we made, our salad was very enjoyable, and I would definitely make it again. My pictures are rushed and don't do the salad justice, as we were ravenous after a run at the park.
Summertime Strawberry Salad Recipe.
It really is a delicious summer salad, and it's very easy to make. Jay and I both finished our bowls and sighed in contentment/fullness. It was a lovely, yummy day.
I've had many yummy experiences since my last update, after which finals kicked in and I transferred job locations. Consequently, I let my blogging fall off the face of the earth. Working 40+ hours a week has also thrown a wrench in my daily internet browsing, and at 10p.m., when I get off work, I just want to eat, drain my mind of all thought, and sleep. That hasn't stopped my picture-taking, however. Today, in fact, I spent a good sum of my hard-earned paycheck on a shopping excursion, which included eating and shopping for food, naturally.
My beau and I stopped first at Suburban Square because he desperately needed a new pair of flip flops. We stopped at J. Crew, where I treated him to a pair of sandy-colored Rainbows. The Urban Outfitters across the way had the backpack I've been eyeing up for ages, and I couldn't resist the chance to pick it up. It's definitely time for me to combine style with functionality--walking across university with four books lopped on one shoulder is very much in my past. I also bought a pair of sunglasses, seeing as my last pair was washed away by the ocean tide in 2008. My step-mom, Kelly, thinks they look like bug eyes, and I slightly agree. I like them even so.
One-hundred and forty dollars later, we left Suburban Square for P.F. Chang's, which was completely out of the way. I was starving by the time we got there, and promptly ordered their Chicken Lettuce Wraps. Our waitress was one of my sister's best friends, a girl I've known my whole life, and it was funny but also very nice to have the chance to talk to her.
Due to my extreme hunger, I decided to forego any picture-taking, though I can attest to the deliciousness of our meals. I ordered the Coconut Curry Vegetables, and Jay got the Kung Pao Chicken. My favorite part of my dish was the tofu, which they always cook expertly. The curry itself was a bit too peanut-y and mild for me, but I ate it, nonetheless. Jay's chicken came with little-to-no sauce, which probably disappointed me more than him. I think next time, I'd try their Honey Shrimp or Budda's Feast.
After lunch/dinner (linner?), we drove across the parking lot to Ruby's Diner, where my sister, Megan, works as a hostess and fountain girl--she is an expert milkshake maker. She was in the back eating a mozzarella stick, so it took her a bit to come greet us, before which several other hostesses asked us "Table for two?" When Megan finally arrived at the front of the store, we stood there and chatted awkwardly for a bit, and then left.
The Fresh Market is also in that shopping center, so of course I had to drag Jay into the store. It's a beautiful store, though I had a tough time navigating, probably because I've only been once before. We browsed the aisles, and Jay spotted a 64 oz Naked Juice. It was the first time we'd both seen Naked Juice in that size, so he very happily picked up a Blue Machine. I discovered some lovely rolled oats, which were on sale--two for three dollars! And then I stumbled across...an Olde Style Almond Butter Maker!
I cannot tell you how pleased I was. Dry roasted almond butter that I can literally make right then and there? Yes, please. I probably said, "Oh my god this is so cool!" about four times before I finally grabbed a small container and made my own little batch.
My very own almond butter!!! So exciting. We passed their granola/nuts section on the way towards the register, and I couldn't pass up their Granola Breakup Oats & Honey, which contained one of my favorites, pumpkin seeds.
I was so excited about my purchases that I decided to set up a little still life when we got home. The apple, pear, and nuts were added for a more interesting composition.
Check out the detail on that peanut!
The red and green of the fruits really make this picture. All photos were taken on my boyfriend's Droid. Sometimes I think his camera phone quality is better than my outdated FujiFilm, which tends to flash on everything or otherwise leave things blurry. Sigh. It was a very successful Saturday. Jay finished his 64 oz Naked Juice in about two days, and I blew through the almond butter like it was nobody's business. I'm half way through the first container of oats, and only a quarter of the granola remains. The granola doesn't compare to Whole Foods granola containers, but it's still much better than the boxed kind. Overall, I was extremely pleased with my purchases, though my wallet was not!
What excites you about grocery shopping? What's your favorite food store?
Serves 2.
