Quinoa Patties

Quinoa Cauliflower Patties

These are very easy to make and so so delicious!  I always make a large batch so that we can have leftovers.  They never last more than a couple of days.  The nutty flavor of the quinoa coupled with the sweet full flavor of cauliflower makes these patties irresistible!

I was inspired to post this recipe after the fact so I didn't take very accurate measurements.  My only tip is to start with a half a cup of breadcrumbs and add more if needed.  Also, let the mix sit a little before making the patties.

1 cup (uncooked) quinoa, follow box instructions

1/2 small head of cauliflower, chopped small

1 cup chopped onions

1/2 cup grated parmigiano

1/2 to one cup whole wheat bread crumbs

4 eggs

Saute onion and cauliflower until cooked, add a dash of salt

let quinoa and cauliflower cool until lukewarm

beat 4 eggs

add quinoa, cauliflower, cheese and stir; add tspn of salt and pepper

add 1/2 cup of bread crumbs, if mix seems too loose add more 

form patties and pan fry till crispy on both sides

Enjoy!

Pollo Guisado, braised chicken

Growing up in NYC, we were exposed to the rich and delicious flavors of Latin Caribbean cooking.  We grew up with friends with families that hailed from Puerto Rico, Trinidad and the Dominican Republic, the origin of one of my favorite dishes, Pollo Guisado.  It is basically a braised chicken dish with a tomato base.  It is super easy to make and delicious with rice and beans. Living in LA, I have grown to love the fresh and bright flavors of Mexican cuisine but oh do I miss my Pollo Guisado, pernil and sancocho!  This past weekend I woke up with a hankering for these flavors and ran to the market to grab my ingredients.  Make this for your families and they will love you even more.  Make a big batch so there are leftovers!! 

Pollo Guisado
6 chicken legs split into thighs and drumsticks (organic, I insist!)
4 plum tomatoes chopped
1 8oz can tomato sauce 
1 green bell pepper diced
1 large onion diced
6 cloves garlic smashed (keep pieces big)
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon cumin (optional)
1 generous pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
1 bay leaf
1 cup of green Spanish olives
salt and pepper to taste
fresh cilantro chopped

• brown chicken, set aside
• saute garlic, onion 
• add bell pepper then chopped tomatoes
• add a pinch of salt to this mix
• when the sofrito is nice and cooked, add the chicken back
• after 5 mins, add the tomato sauce, cumin and bay leaf
• bring back to boil and add olives
• add water if necessary to almost cover the chicken
• bring back to boil and lower heat to slow simmer
• cook for 45 mins, add salt, pepper and red pepper to taste

Serve with rice, beans, sliced avocado and fried plantains sprinkled with brown sugar.  Sprinkle fresh cilantro over the chicken to finish.  

Here is my easy black bean recipe:
1 lb black beans dry (soaked overnight)
1 onion chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
1 green bell pepper diced
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste

• discard soaking water and rinse beans
• add 9 cups water (don't salt water! will make beans tough)
• bring to a boil, lower to a simmer
• simmer for 45 mins and add bay leaf
• in a separate pan, saute onion, garlic and pepper then add to beans
• simmer for another hour 
• salt and pepper to taste 

Enjoy!

Malaysian Dining at the Malay Restaurant - Flushing - NYC

The restaurant we stumbled upon while walking around in Flushing looking for a place new to eat. This place was on one block full of restaurants and it was small and busy looking. Looked very home style.

We had .....

Steamed Tilapia with Special Sauce

Sauteed bittermelon with eggs and radish 

(didn’t expect it to be like a pancake but it was tasty nonetheless)

Sauteed Chicken Gizzard and Liver ( Menu offered heart as well but they were out )

served with cucumber, cilantro and sweet soy / chili that usually comes with Hainan chicken  

And of course we had rice made with home made chicken stock

Overall very happy with our food and family atmosphere.

Restaurant 

Malay Restaurant

13517  - 40th Road 

Flushing, NY 11354

718-353-2901

*Reviewed by Biggiefood

Homemade Salted Duck and Chicken Eggs

Hello Everyone ! You may already know my love for Congee, nice thick smooth rice porridge that is really simple to make and always comforting to the body. 

There are so many ways to enjoy a bowl of hot congee. You can cook it with ingredients to flavor the porridge or have it simple with different types of side dishes like my quick minced meat and green stir fry, or ground turkey with minced watercress or kale. A nice scoop of piping hot congee in your bowl  topped off with the stir fry, a small drizzle of soy and fresh cilantro .... so good ! 

And sometimes a salted egg!

from ediblyasian

My earliest memories of these eggs was shopping with mom at the chinese markets. They would be in a large shiny black ceramic container like a large flower pot with a red cloth cover lid ( like those big wine containers in Kung Fu movies)

The container would be full of duck eggs covered with black mud or clay. 

The salting process is with a mud/clay mixture with loads of salt then add water to create a paste,

Cover each raw egg with a thick layer of the paste and add to the container, lined from bottom to top, sealed and stored in dark cool area until ready, weeks to months.

 I believe this method was the cheapest and best for transporting.

Mom would pick out a few, put into a brown paper bag , and then at home wash out the mud/clay completely before cooking. 

These days you will only find packed, precooked salted eggs at the Asian markets. I have tried a few of them, but they do not meet the quality I like. I found a place in Chinatown that sells fresh duck eggs, and that was when I realized I could make my own. 

This is my first try on making my own salted eggs.

The best part is the yolk. When the brining process is done well it will produce a golden yolk with a smooth grainy texture like a real good baked potato...with a pop of salty unami!

Golden oily semi salty yolk is what I want 

I experimented with duck and chicken eggs

Ingredients:

4 duck eggs

4 chicken eggs

4 cups of water

1 cup of sea salt

4-5 tablesoon of Shao Hsing chinese cooking wine or sherry 

Prep and set :

1. Heat water and salt until all salt dissolved. Put aside and let cool completely.

2. Eggs - wash and dry - add in container carefully

3. Pour in the cooled brine and add the wine.

4. Add water to a small sandwich bag to weigh the eggs (the eggs will tend to float from the salt) then seal. the container.

5. Make a note of the dates/day of brining. 

6. Store in cool dark area for 30 - 40 days.

* you can place the jar  on a tray or plate to avoid the salty mess  when accessing to the eggs

cooking : add egg to cold water and bring to boil for 10 minutes

Should try the eggs to see if they are ready to your taste.

I tried an egg on the 25th day - not ready.

I tried an egg on the 30th day - not ready.

Perfect on the 40th day. 

Duck (top ) and Chicken (bottom) - Both result came out perfect! 

sorry for the poor slicing of the eggies

I am happy having these eggs chopped up and mixed in my bowl of congee, love it when the yolk semi melts in, flavoring the congee.

Storing : Clean all eggs from the brine and store in fridge separate from the fresh eggs.

** Cin mentioned a very famous Cantonese dish cooked with only the salted yolk - Stir Fried Lobster coated with salted yolk.

** Popular Filipino salad - tomato , onion with slices of salted eggs 

**  Mama -Steamed Mince pork and salty egg pie

Do you know any other salty egg dishes ??