Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Chinese style sauteed snap peas


Here is a very quick Chinese style sauteed snap peas.  I picked up a package of these from an Asian store and all I had to do was give them a quick rinse, string them and break up the larger pieces in half.


I first blanched them for 2 minutes in boiling water and then rinsed them in cold water to preserve the springy green color.


Drain them in a colander, add a tablespoon of olive oil, add some chopped garlic, ginger, crushed red chili flakes and a slug of tamari or soy sauce and a few drops of toasted sesame oil.  Before you get ready to serve, add a splash of rice wine vinegar.   Serve this hot with rice or noodles as soon as it is prepared.  It doesn't really do well re-warmed.

Monday, May 23, 2011

El Camino Real

We went to grab a quick lunch at El Camino Real.  It was in this little strip shopping center so I wasn't really expecting anything grand or formal.  When I tell you the food was superb, it was just that!  I ordered the Chile Poblano and a Pina Colada.  I normally don't drink rum, but hey, they had a $2.99 special on them so I had to give it a go!

Thursday, May 19, 2011

french toast pudla

You all know how much I love pudla and how much I love breakfast.  One, because it's delicious and healthy, but secondly, it's low in carbs!   I love the idea of French Toast, so I thought why not use pudla batter in its place?  So much for the carbs lol.


The end result was so good!  I used a 7 Grain bread and dipped it in the pudla batter and then pan fried it on medium-low for about 4 minutes on each side.  The bread stayed quite crispy.  It was so comforting and filling.   I'll be making this all the time now!

Basic pudla batter used here:
  • 1 cup besan (AKA gram flour/chickpea flour found at any Indian store)
  • Add 3 spoons of plain yogurt and enough water to make a pancake batter consistency
  • Add salt, pepper, 1/2 tspn of turmeric and chili powder
  • Optional - Add a teaspoon of ajwain (carom seeds)
  • Optional - Add in a diced tomato, onion, serrano and 1-2 cloves of garlic

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Asian Market shopping trip

I recently discovered a new Asian market nearby and found some interesting things. 





Remember this old scool brand??!!


Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Lavender Pear Martini

Look at the before and after shots of this lavender-pear martini.  Initially it is just a sandy pear color until the tea bag of lavender soaks in and delicately releases the psychedelic purple hue.