Soy Chicken Rice Rolls with Teriyaki Eggplant & Baby Bok Choi

So I am super broke right now, and trying to save money on everything, including food! This means I head straight to China Town for my grocery shopping. Every time I go, I find myself wondering why I don't come here every day. $10 and 15 minutes later I leave with a heaping bag of freshness that will keep me full for a few days. 

Tonight I was inspired by my favorite Chinese breakfast spot in Vancouver, The New Town Bakery on East Pender.  They make the most incredible rice rolls you will ever put in your mouth. I knew I couldn't replicate what they do, but gosh dangit, I planned to try. Here was the result!



Soy Chicken Rice Roll with Teriyaki Eggplant & Baby Bok Choi

Ingredients:

- 1 pack of uncut rice rolls
- 1/2 lb of soy chicken (can sub prawns, or tofu!)
*** you can find soy chicken in almost ANY China town, just look for meat hanging in the window! (seriously)
- 1 Japanese eggplant
- baby bok choi
- ginger, garlic, green onion, canola oil, soy sauce, & hoisin sauce (optional)
*** hoisin sauce is like a thick, sweet soy/teriyaki sauce (can sub teriyaki sauce, or just use soy sauce!)


Method:

So this was a REALLY easy meal to make. Part of that is because I cheated, and purchased the rice rolls and soy chicken myself. To start I sliced the eggplant into 1/2 thick medallions and salted them for 1/2 - 1 hr to get the bitterness out.  Then I chopped the garlic and ginger and tossed it in a pan with canola oil and soy sauce, cooking the eggplant on a medium heat until it was soft but not mushy. In the mean time I put a steamer on the stove to boil.  I then unrolled the rice rolls and cut two approximately  6" x 6" pieces.  I de-boned the chicken and shredded it by hand, and then placed it in the middle of each rice roll piece  adding thinly sliced green onion for extra flavour. I folded over the rice roll leaving the top and bottom end open, and placed them in the steamer. Be sure to lightly oil the steamer surface so your rice rolls do not stick! I steamed the rice rolls for about 3 - 5 minutes.  After plating them I drizzled them with a soy/hoisin sauce combo and added some fresh (or steamed!) baby Bok Choi to round everything out.


Thirsty?

Since chinese food is full of flavor, I like to go with something clean and light.  If you're looking for beer I am super into Asahi (Japanese fyi) or just a nice high quality green tea is great too!

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I think it is important to remember that no matter how badly you're pocket book is hurting, there is always a cheap way to eat healthily while enjoying your food at the same time! Once again, if you don't have access to chinese BBQ, some shrimp or tofu also are a good option for the filling of the rice rolls. Yum.

Chili Garlic Spot Prawns with German Spaetzle Noodles & Momma's Tomato Sauce

I went to Vancouver this weekend and stayed at my parent's house. I was feeling incredibly lazy, so I decided I would just cook with whatever I found in the house. Lucky for me, my parent's keep the kitchen and pantry well stocked. With a little imagination and some defrosting, I came up with a delicious home cooked meal that required very little effort in the end!



Chili-Garlic Spot Prawns with Spaetzl & Tomato Sauce

 Ingredients:

- 1 can Italian Roma tomatoes
- 1/2 bag German Spaetzl noodles
- 1.5 lbs BC Spot Prawns
- 2 tbsp Turkish Chili *** regular chili flakes work just fine too!
- Olive oil & butter
- Garlic & Oregano
- 1/2 tub Philadelphia Cream Cheese
- tequila, white wine  (optional)

Method:

So the first thing I did was make my momma's famous tomato sauce.  I chopped about 4 cloves of garlic, and sauteed them in olive oil until caramelised.  Then, I added the canned tomatoes, some Turkish chili, oregano and salt. This sauce tastes best if it is left to burble on simmer for about 1 hour, or until there is no more watery liquid.  Then, I brought a pot of water to boil, and cooked the Spaetzl Noodles in this for about 15 minutes.  After that I transferred the noodles to a baking dish, and added butter, half a tub of Philly cream cheese (or ANY white cheese) and some oregano, salt, & pepper.  I placed this in a 350 C oven for about 1/2 an hour. Meanwhile, I went to work on the prawns after I had defrosted them, peeling the shells but leaving the tails.  I marinated them in the olive oil, Turkish chili, chopped garlic, salt, pepper, and I added some tequila & white wine to give it extra flavor.  I then skewered my prawns, and by that time the sauce and noo noo's were done. I grilled them for about 4 minutes until cooked through, and served it immediately!

Thirsty?

My mom always keeps a bottle of Oyster Bay sauvignon blanc in the fridge, so in true mooching style, I had a glass of that with the meal, and it went along nicely!

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I think it's really important to remember that you can often make a satisfying and delicious meal with ingredients you have at home, you just need to think out side of the box. Dig around in your freezer, the back of the fridge and on your shelves and there are often treasures to be found! 

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Chipotle Grilled Chicken with Mango Salad & Wild Rice Quinoa

So tonight I was feeling very summery again, so I figured something Mexican-inspired would do the trick!  Turns out mangoes and corn were fresh and on sale at the store, so with a little bit of imagination and using random ingredients I had left over in my fridge, I put it all together for what turned out to be a light, tasty meal full of flavor!

                                                                                                                                                                  

Mexican-Inspired Chipotle Chicken with Mango Salad & Wild Rice Quinoa

Ingredients:

(Mango Salad): Fresh mango, cucumber, fennel, cilantro, white onion, sweet orange pepper, lemon juice &  rice wine vinegar

(Chicken): Chicken breast, garlic, olive oil, tequila, & canned chipotle

(Quinoa): Quinoa, fresh corn (or canned), wild rice

Method:

The first thing I did was I cooked the quinoa (with some bay leaves & veggie stock for extra flavor) and the wild rice, separately. Next I made the mango salad, chopping all the ingredients into smallish bite-sized pieces, using about a table spoon each of lemon juice & rice wine vinegar. I would usually have used a lime, but I forgot to buy one, but the lemon and vinegar turned out nicely!  I noticed the salad works A LOT better if the mango is on the firm side; a fridge-chilled mango also helps to maintain a nice crunchy texture. Next, I threw the corn on the BBQ in its husk, and then followed that with the marinated chicken breast.  By the time those were done, everything else was. I added the wild rice & corn to the quinoa with some salt & pepper, and put a little (store bought!) roast tomato-chipotle salsa on the side for colour and a bit of kick!

Thirsty?

I decided to go with a light beer again (after all, it IS summer!) so tonight I kept it pretty classic with a chilled Blue Buck from Philips Brewing here in Victoria. Delish.

All-in-all I was pretty happy with the out come tonight! I think it would be really tasty to sub the chicken for prawns, or perhaps a nice piece of halibut because it is fresh & in season right now. A note to bad BBQ cleaners such as myself - Beware of BBQ fires! Fire loves tequila!

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Sofia's Saturday Night Summer Salad

So it was a fabulously sunny day, and I felt like something fresh and light for dinner! What better way to quench that craving than to opt for a big summer salad loaded with fresh veggies and grilled chicken?

Sofia's Summer Salad

Ingredients:

- fresh zucchini, asparagus, white mushrooms, fennel, "eatmore" mixed beans, spring lettuce, green onion,

-chicken breast (optional) marinated in salt, olive oil, & garlic

- dressing made from olive oil, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, maggie sauce, dijon mustard, & maple syrup

Method:

- make your dressing, with equal parts, until you like the taste, and toss in chopped fennel to marinate

- cut lettuce, mushrooms, green onion and set aside

- grill the chicken breast on a BBQ 

- once water has boiled, put in the zucchini & asparagus and boil for 45 - 60 seconds. Rinse under cold water for 3 minutes to cool

- add the chilled par-boiled veggies to the rest of your salad, add the mixed beans, and the dressing with the marinated fennel

- chop the grilled chicken, toss on top and you're ready to go!

Thirsty?:

If it's summer time I like to go with a nice light beer. My favorite right now is Granville Island's  False Creek Raspberry Ale!

What I love the most about this salad is that you can toss in whichever veggies you love best.  If you don't like chicken, grilled prawns or scallops also go nicely!

Bon Appetit!
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