Light and Easy: Pan-Fried Tofu and Chahan

See, the cool thing about being freelance is the appeal of working from home most of the time. This means I have complete access and time to prepare a home-cooked lunch as opposed to spending something I'm either not too keen about or something times five the real cost.

Fresh ingredients, healthy oil and MSG free, these are just some of the things that make me enjoy eating at home.


Today, I had some leftover pimiento from last week's pastel, and remnants of minced onion from last night's chahan. Opening the fridge, I decided to use the only thing on the rack as the main dish:


PAN-FRIED TOFU WITH CHAHAN



1. First, purchase Japanese tofu. I'm not a big fan of local tofu with that funny smell and sour after-taste. The one I use comes in a white box with a green seal. Drain it and slice.
2. Drizzle some sunflower oil into a pan and pan-fry both sides until golden brown.
3. Set aside.


SAUCE


Mix together in a small bowl: soy sauce (Kikkoman rocks!), cane vinegar, brown sugar and minced red onions. Stir stir stir.


CHAHAN


1. Cook rice. Japanese grains, of course.
2. Mince garlic and red onions. Set aside.
3. Dice green and red bell peppers, and carrots. Set aside.
4. Scramble 2 eggs and shred. Set aside.
5. Chop finely leeks.
6. I opt not to put meat in my chahan but feel free to add diced beef or shrimps.
7. Prepare Teriyaki Sauce. If you're not too keen about laboring over this, feel free to use the prepared bottled teriyaki sauce. However, if you opt to make your own, mix the following: soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, wine, cracked pepper and grated ginger. Stir. Again, apologies for the missing portions. There are standard recipes available online for sure.
8. When everything is ready just throw everything together: Sautee garlic. When golden brown, toss in the onions. Immediately mix the carrots to soften. Keep mixing. Next, blend with the peppers. Stir. Stir. Stir. Add the cooked rice and mix evenly and thoroughly. Blend in the teriyaki sauce. Then just keep that spoon moving so that it browns evenly on all the grains. Add the shredded scrambled eggs and leeks. Sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper. For an added zest, add a few drops of sesame oil.


Quick, fuss-free (well, the chahan requires time for multiple chopping), light but hearty :-D

Enjoying The Ride

On Career

Writing is one career I never envisioned myself getting into, much less take seriously. Of course, as a child I had my "Dear Diary" days on a small, hard-bound Hello Kitty journal my mom gave me. I remember clearly one of entries in my 3rd grade: "Today, my grandmother taught me how to cross-stitch."

Somehow, the career found me --- thrice. So I have made a decision to be up for one fun amazing ride.

On Marriage

A typical question I get is, "Hey, how's married life?"

The two answers I give are these:
1. It's still like going on a date, except we live in one house.
2. Cooking now is more fun because it means no more leftovers.

Such is the fate of the Kim Bap which sometimes gets stuffed in my husband's bento box which he takes to work.

On Life

Life is simply good.

Old-Fashioned Comfort At Cafe Juanita

As a pseudo-slash-wanna vegetarian, it does not come as a surprise that the freezer at home contains only the following: fillet of chicken, some fish and just about 1/4k of sirloin. The bulk of groceries goes to the vegetable bin. Needless to say, 80% of the food in this house is either whole grain and plant-based.

I recently visited one quirky restaurant north of Manila. Friends have been talking about it and when a business meeting was set in Cafe Juanita, I was more than curious to see what draws people in.

Blatantly quirky and bohemian but downright charming. A bit cluttered but surprisingly inviting.

Lunch was a mouth-watering dish of breaded tilapia served with a delectable tamarind sauce...

and one crispy catfish salad with ampalaya.

Yum.

New Direction

Aha.

I'm back.

For months I've been out of the blogging loop as I’ve up to my nose with writing deadlines.

So many things have transpired since the last entry. Somewhere along the way, a decision was made to change the direction of this blog.

This time around I will document my little attempts to save the world and GREEN my lifestyle one item, technique, dish, person and one place at a time.

Why?

Because that is my way of living extraordinarily in an ordinary world.

Happy New Life

Unbelievable. It's already 2009.

I can relax now as I wish the turn of the new year to bring good tidings to the world.

Also, after six months of planning, I can now breathe a sigh of relief after being blessed with one meaningful, happily memorable and fun wedding.

The weather was a chilly 15C as the sun began to set and the winds blew my veil and train as I walked.

The night made for one extraordinary wedding celebration as the largest and brightest of all full moons beamed down on us.

The band, in their pin-striped suits, wing-tipped oxfords, big drums and double-bass, spun magic into the night.

Friends and family shared much cheer and laughter over great roasted dishes and wine.

The traditional frou-frou wedding cake was ditched to make way for a satellite of 3 cakes from Costa Brava, a home that makes the lightest and most sumptuous caramel cake as well as chocolate and moccha cakes covered in marshmallow icing.

The "wedding" cake became a highlight of the dessert list.

People were out of their seats trying to catch up with old, old friends we both knew from our childhood as, one by one, guests approached us, wide-eyed, saying they are way too happy to have been invited to one relatively small but love-filled celebration.

As guests made their way home, the bride and the groom opened a new bottle of wine and ate whatever leftovers were spared as friends waited as their t0w-truck made its way up into the mountains to salvage the car that ran on bio-fuel which turned to lard in the 15C chill.

A bride munching on a burger before boarding the car.

A sincere church ceremony.

Golden voices.

A lush mountain and a misty volcano lake in the distance.

A colorful sky as a backdrop.

A gastronomic treat for the palate.

Lots of dancing to the big band tunes of a long ago era.

A lot of good vibes and love energy bouncing all around.

An amazingly big and dazzling moon.

And a car stranded in a cold mountain due to lard.

It makes for one very good story.

As my husband and I drove back to our room, we were laughing --- energized and inspired by the evening and the realization that we have just received an extraordinary blessing.

A New Sun Has Risen

A lot has happened since the last blog entry.

I've been prolific in my writing and have been back to publishing articles (which is why nothing goes to the blog).

There is a major and global economic slump.

Wedding plans are moving forward.

And more importantly, the United States has chosen the new highest leader of their land.

Not one to ever be politically inclined or even remotely keen, for the first time in my life I have taken a sincere interest in the politics of a country that greatly affects mine. At around 10a.m. in the morning yesterday, I was glued to cnn live.com all the way until the people of Chicago began shouting and crying. People find it difficult to believe that I haven't owned a television in years and choose not to. Yesterday, I was thankful for my laptop and my fabulous DSL connection that enabled me to watch one of the greatest turns in this generation's history happen as Barack Obama and his family came out to greet his supporters.

I was in awe at the change in people's collective consciousness.

Truly, something very important is happening all over the world.

There is much to be learned from the winner.

And there, too, is much to admire in a graceful exit.

Inspired By Tintin's Adventures

I have been indulging in youtube's files of The Adventures of Tintin by Herge and have thought of some adventures I would like to embark on.

Here are five I've chosen for today:

1. Sail To Find The Blue Whale

I heard it's larger than a brontosaurus and I would like to see the world's largest animal right smack in the ocean.

2. Stay at Durham's Lumley Castle Hotel

It's ancient and I heard it's haunted. I would very much like a Scooby-Doo weekend of my own. Then again, I wonder if my husband will join me knowing this is the case. Then again, I'd be elated to visit other European castles.

(Photo Source: Margaret Whittaker for www.bbc.com)

3. Visit Tuscany's Olive Groves During Harvest Time

The Bible always talks about olive trees and I would very much love to see its form. Also, I love cooking using pure olive oil and would like to see how it's harvested.

(Photo Source: http://www.gallipoli-trulo.co.uk/)

4. Visit France's Medieval Village Of Belcastel

(Photo Source: http://www.laborde12.fr/htm/liens.htm)

It would be great to experience a stroll in an ancient village that is well-preserved and speaks of great heritage.

5. Jamon-tripping In Spain

(Photo Source: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/92riztrMrpAKp-_U_AkvwA)

After burning all the calories from trekking, the idea of delectable meats, albeit preserved and cured, is something very enticing.