Left-Over Dimsum ... Part 3

Recycling left-overs is always something that one should do, lest you want to eat the same thing all the time ... it is like your out-of-fashioned clothes needs, a make-over!!!

Here we go with the 3rd way to recycle your left over (lunch: http://asiantune.blogspot.com/2013/08/recycling-left-over-dimsums-lunch.html & dinner: http://asiantune.blogspot.com/2013/08/recycling-left-over-dimsums-dinner.html).

The Ingredients:

• The dimsums (in this case it was around 8 pieces, but this recipe would be good for until 20, I think ... hehehe);
• A pretty large onion, a good fist sized one (Asian perspective, if you are Caucasian, of pretty big stature, get half of your fist or a 2/3), finely chopped;
• A tsp of crushed or pureed garlic;
• Half a cup of pan roasted cashew nuts;
• Half of a green or yellow & half of a red paprika (aka bell peppers or capsicum), cut in julienne - they add colour & flavour;
• Half a cup of frozen green peas (always have them, as they are readily available here and quite cheap too ... plus they add colour & vitamins to any dish);
• A carrot, thinly sliced;
• A courgette, thinly sliced;
• A tsp of sauteed black beans (they are readily available in Asian food stores, if you cannot get them and you have the canned ones ... sautee them first);
• A tsp of oyster sauce;
• Ground pepper for additional seasoning, and;
• 2-3 tbs of oil, plus a tsp of sesame oil.

The Procedure:

1. In a heated pan with cooking oil (2tbs of regular oil plus half a tsp of sesame oil), put the onions and caramelise (you would know that they are caramelised when they are a bit glassy (check the photo here ), then add the garlic;
2. Follow with the sauteed black beans, then the dimsums (if the dimsums are frozen, I advise to cover the lid, until they defrost, but tossing and mixing the mixture every 30 seconds to a minute);
3. Add the carrots & green peas (if the peas are frozen, cover it again), if the mixture is dry, add a tbs or two of water or dry white wine or Chinese rice wine.  Just in case you use the wine, let the alcohol evaporate, by letting the mixture to boil for a minute, and mixing it once in a while;
4. Follow with the courgette, then add the oyster sauce and the nuts and paprika (aka bell peppers or capsicum);
5. Cover it and let it simmer for 3-5 minutes, at low fire;
6. Serve with freshly cooked white rice.

 

Kitchen Basic: (UNPAID Product Endorsement) MAGIC BULLET

This is one of my favourite kitchen appliance in our place, the MAGIC BULLET (https://www.google.com/#q=Magic+bullet).

Yes, I am talking about the tele-shopping product, which I thought was a big bucket of CR*P, but it is one of the MOST WORTHWHILE INVESTMENT and it does not cost so much.

I bought my first one, at least 8 years ago (or even more ... yes, I cannot remember, because it was too long, and thought it was not worth remembering since it is just one of the gadgets).  Bought it actually out of a whim ... I kept on seeing it on television, being talked about by these tele-shoppers, saying how wonderful it is in doing things in a fraction of a second .... yes, like you, I did not believe it!!!  

However, during one of my weak moments (guess, some of us knows what I am talking about ... HAHAHA), I saw it being sold in a shop for ONLY €25.  Not thinking, I got it, since I have not bought anything that day.  Brought it home, starting reading the instructions (as if ... HEHEHE) ... threw them in the dishwasher, then when it was clean and dry, started using them.

Yes, it amazed me ... I place in the small cup the unwhipped cream with the flat bottom attachment, then placed it on the electric motor .... VIOLA ... whipped cream ... in less the 10 seconds .... mmm!!!  

My mind just went crazy ... used it to chop up some herbs, which I used directly on my pasta or my dishes .... having cheese grated for toppings ... pureeing my tomatoes ... onions .... garlic etc!!!  Got to make my own hummus too! 

I thought, that was all I could do ... then got a new bf, and new life-style (we ate less carbs, but more protein ... it kept us leaner .... we still eat what we want, but in moderation - this is my advise in controlling your weight-gain ... moderation not indulgence!!!), which meant new stuff in my life, like taking more shakes .... instead of pouring the powder into a shaker and shaking it for a minute or two, we just pour our juice into the Magic Bullet cups and then the shake powder ... then we have the shakes which we drink with our daily loads of vitamins.

Then, I got crazy in making some Indian dishes ... darn, the preparation was really something, got an advise from my Indian best-friend, that there are some short-cuts ... she advised me to puree tomatoes and onions plus the spices ... yes, I used the Magic Bullet (however, I thought in this case, my Braun processor was better ... since it has more space to put in two tomatoes, an onion or two & the spices ... but if you do not have it, then this worked perfectly).

The latest thing I did, which I thought was lovely, when I used the juicer attachment.  Used it as a juicer, it was really good ... but used it for straining something else .... my FISH BISQUE!  YES, I boiled away those fish bones and head with some onions, veggies ... seasoned it.  Placed my staff mixer, to break-up the bones ... boiled them further to get the most of what was in the fish bones ... then placed it in the juicer ... another VIOLA!  Strained and juiced those darn bones out ... then further reduced the strained liquid to half ... and taste (will write about this later, where I have used them).

Well, it has been sometime, almost a decade (or even more than a decade) and it is only now that one of the parts is wearing out ... the spokes that attaches to the electrical bottom.  Something had to give, right?  To think it has been this long, and the lasted ... using it everyday (except when we travelled ... no, we did not bring it with us ... HEHEHE), for more then 4 years straight, plus the extra days when I used it for other heavy and menial chopping, whipping, juicing etc needs to our everyday life.  

I was ready to buy a new Magic Bullet, when I suddenly found in one second-hand shop (during those days that one has the bug ... actually, was looking for those humongous green glass jars, which I want to fill with €1 & €2 coins ... can you imagine who much it would be worth when it gets filled up ... PENSION ... HAHAHA), I saw the bottom part that was wearing out from my Magic Bullet, plus the electrical bottom & the juicer and all-in-all cost me €10.  A bit expensive, but worth buying since the new one would cost me now €99 ... yes, but it is more than just this part .... who cares, I do not need them, I just needed the bottom blade that would shred & make crushed (or powder) ice.  So, I am counting another 5 years?

Just had to share this one.  NOT GETTING PAID for this story, but my enjoyment in having it has been limitless (kitchen-wise ... HEHEHE)!!!  

Cheese-Herb Nibbles

Have you had that situation when you wanted to nibble something with your glass of wine?  Maybe not with wine, but with something to nibble with a glass of something ... HEHEHE!!!

Well, I had some sliced cheese, but it was too boring.  So, I looked at my pots of herbs by the window .. Had some parsley and basil ... <ding> !!!  Guess, you got the idea?

If not, then have the following:

• Slices of cheese;
• Cut herbs (including the stacks, as long as they aren't tough like a twig).

When you have this ingredients:

1. Lay the sliced cheese flat;
2. Distribute some herbs on the sliced cheese;
3. Roll them up;
4. Cut them up in equal sizes;
5. Serve them with your drinks!

Can that be any quicker?