Childhood Memories: Stir-fried Seafood Udon (Yaki-Don)

Something you might not know about me. I grew up in Hong Kong and I went to a Catholic Girls School from Grade 4 through to Grade 10. That's why I also use British words like "compulsory", the "lift" or the "cinema" from time to time when I don't catch myself quick enough. =D

find me? Hint: one of the taller ones in class

I remember those days as a Catholic schoolgirl (haha) fondly. I remember the mornings when we said our morning blessings and prayers and also the days when the teachers measured our skirts to make sure they're not to short. Lunch was always my favorite time of the day. I remember opening my little pink thermal lunchbox that our Philipino helper helped prepare in the morning with anticipation. There was always one dish that I hoped she made for us that day --- Stir-Fried Seafood Udon, Japanese- style. 

 The chewiness of the udon, the crunchiness of the shrimp and the sweet-saltiness of the soy-mirin based sauce makes this a simple but yummy meal, whether it's lunch or dinner. (I've even had it for breakfast on some days, hell ya :D). I was hoping to measure out the exact measurements for the sauce this time but alas, I improvised. The recipe below is a good estimate of what the amounts of the sauce. Adjust as needed!

Recipe for Stir-Fried Seafood Udon:

Serve: 2 people (4-5 servings)

Ingredients:
200g fresh shanghai style udon (1 packet) - already cooked and available at most asian markets. 
~15 shrimps, peeled and devined

1 bag of frozen tiny scallops, rinsed and dried.
1 carrot, julienned 

5 bak choy, cleaned and separated into leaves.

1/2 onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic (minced)

ginger, minced 

Seasonings:
1 tbsp black bean sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
½ tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tsp Chinese cooking rice wine (shao xing hua tiao)
1 tsp of Japanese Mirin
½ tsp sugar
Dash of black pepper
80ml water

2tsp of cornstarch

1 tsp of sesame oil

Seasonings for prawns:
Dash of salt, sugar and cornflour

Methods:

1. For prawns, peel, devein and rinse under a running water. I used frozen shrimps by Artica, devined and EZ peel. Pat dry. Season with prawn seasoning, cover with clingwrap and refrigerate for 1/2 hour.
2. Blanch (烫一烫) udon lightly over boiling water ~3 min and drain. Set aside.
3. Heat up some oil under high heat. Layout all the prawns and let them fry untouched until they turn pink. Flip over the other side and continue frying until they turn pink and curl up. Add scallops, cook for another 2 min and set aside.
4. Heat up some oil again. Stir-fry half of the ginger/garlic, onions, carrots and bak choy. set aside.
5. Heat up some oil again. Sautee remaining garlic/ginger and pour in seasonings. Stir till it boils. Add in blanched udon. Stir fry for 2-3 min until al-dante.
6. Add in ingredients from (3) and (4). Toss all the ingredients until well combined. Turn heat off. Add pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Note: Other ingredient substitutions include fishballs, fish, baby corn, snow peas, shitake mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, chicken, beef, egg, or just plain vegetarian :D

We also paired the meal with this 2009 German Riesling from Wholefoods for $6.99. It was sweet and tangy and according to the bottle, " an ideal match for Asian cuisine". I'm going to try to include a wine pairing with my posts now when available. Any thoughts about that?

P.S. Stay tune for tomorrow's brunch post on The Rachel (Turkey Reuben) Sandwich! 

P.P.S. Did you find me in the photo? Second on the left, last row. =P


Thanks for reading! What are some of your favorite childhood recipes? 

Simple, Beautiful, Everyday Bread

It's crunch month time. My future career and life will depend on this 8 hr exam exactly one month away. It's hard to think that my life will depend on a 3 digit score but that's how the field of medicine works. With the courtesy of Dr. Costanzo, I have my study schedule down to the minute second. It also means a whole less blogging time and the need for quick, easy meals. 

 1 of many books I got to know

Who needs Panera Bread? Homemade Tuna Melt with Avocado & Tomatoes

It was 1130am. I was craving a panini but feeling too lazy to drive out to the closest Panera. I rushed to the kitchen and started raiding my fridge and cabinets. A-HA! I found a can of tuna fish. One glance in the fridge and I knew I was set for an awesome lunch. I grabbed an avocado, a tomato and the bottle of Light Mayo and turned on the Panini maker. Luckily, I still had some homemade whole wheat bread I had baked with the Bread Maker the other day sitting around. A couple of slices and a dash of pepper later, I was settling on the couch with a hot crunchy panini oozing with yummy goodness and  a glass of raspberry lemonade.

Best Chicken Pot Pie

I'm a big fan of all-in-one meals.

As a full time medical student, I am always studying. Whether that is the whole truth or not, we must admit there are never enough hours every day so anytime saved in the kitchen means an extra hour or two of Food Network studying. 

Not only does a hearty Chicken Pot Pie have the starch, the protein, vegetables, dairy we need everyday,  it is also one of those satisfying meals that gives you a warm fuzzy feeling inside. The bite of crunchy flaky buttery crust over a mouthful of creaminess,  I just couldn't stop going for seconds. 

Can you?

 Recipe
-adapted from various sources on allrecipes

2 pieces of chicken breasts or thighs (if you're a dark meat lover like me), cut into chunks
1 can of pea and carrots
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup of chicken broth
Garlic
Salt and pepper
Italian seasoning 1 tbsp
1 cup of milk
1/2 cup of all purpose flour
1 sheet of frozen puff pustry sheet (Pepperidge), defrost at room temperature
1 frozen deep dish pie crust (Pillsbury)
egg+ 2 tbsp of water

Preheat oven to 400F.
1. Fry onions and garlic over medium-high heat olive oil in the pan.
2. Add chicken.
3. Season with salt, pepper and italian seasoning.
4. When the chicken is almost cooked, add peas, carrots and chicken broth.
5.  Combine milk and flour in a bowl and add to chicken mixture.
6. Adjust taste accordingly with salt and pepper.
7. Place the mixture in the pie crust and overlay the puff pastry over the pie.
8. Cut off excess from edges and crimp with a fork.
9. Brush egg mixture over the top and bake for 25-30 min, until golden brown.

Birthday Quesedillas

The older you get, the more practical the birthday gifts become. This year, my friend Renee gave me a snazzy Panini Grill <3. My sister and cousin got me a brand new breadmaker. I can officially open my own Panini Cart with homemade bread outside the hospital (back up plan in case med school doesn't work out?! haha)

Jerry and I have been making quesedillas almost every other day the past week. It takes less than 15 minutes and the product is crunchy and deliciously oozing with cheddar and fresh tomatoes.

Recipe
Meat of your choice: chicken, beef, portobello mushrooms. Here I used chuck steak, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
Green Peppers (diced)
Tomatoes (diced)
Yellow onion (diced)
Cheddar Cheese
Tortilla Wraps

1. Prepare all your ingredients.
2. Stir fry the steak on a hot frying pan with no oil. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Assemble Tortilla: meat first, then the veggies, cheese comes last.
4. Brush panini grill with oil. Turn on high heat.
5. Heat quesadilla until cheese is oozing and the wrap is crunchy hot.
6. ENJOY!

yum......

Simple Stir-fry: Green Beans with Chinese Mushrooms and Garlic

Another simple but delicious Chinese stir-fry dish for the busy students, tired moms and plain lazy bums like me :p. Back from a great reunion in NY for MLK weekend means I have to work doubly hard to catch up on our Cardiology course this week. I will still stay true to my New Year resolution and blog as much as possible!

Ingredients
Green beans with the tips chopped off
4 Chinese Mushrooms, soaked till soft & sliced
3 cloves garlic, mashed and diced
Vegetable oil ~ 2 tbsps
Dash of Rice Vinegar/Chinese Cooking Wine
1tsp of soy sauce
Salt to taste

Directions
Once you've prepared your ingredients, heat up the pan with the oil. Add garlic and fry till fragrant. Throw in the green beans and add a dash of rice vinegar or Chinese Cooking Wine. This brings out the flavor of the dish more. Add salt and soy sauce to taste. Turn heat to medium and add mushrooms. Cover and cook for another 5 min or so, until green beans are slightly soft but still crunchy.

Feeling Lazy? Baked Cream Corn and Chicken Rice （粟米肉粒饭）

 There are always days when we feel too tired and lazy to cook. On these days, a simple dish of comfort food won't hurt us. My idea of comfort food always comes from a chapter of my childhood in HK. I remember when our nanny Aleli (A-Lolli) would cook this for my sister and I when our parents were out on a date. The sweetness of creamed corn against chunks of chicken over rice while my sister and I watched Disney movie after movie never failed to satisfy my appetite.

Recipe for Baked Cream Corn and Chicken over Rice
3 pieces of bonless chicken thighgs (or breasts), cubed
2 cans of cream corn
half a bell pepper (diced)
half an onion (diced)
2 cloves of garlic (diced)
Jasmine Rice ( brown rice)

Marinade for chicken thighs:
3 tbls of soysauce
2 tabls of chinese cooking wine
half a tsp of salt
white pepper, dash
2 tbps of sugar
1 tbsp of corn starch

1. Marinate the cubed chicken in the marinade and leave in the fridge for 20-30 min.
2. Add some oil to the heated pan and add garlic.
3. When garlic is fragrant, add diced onion and fry on medium heat until slightly browned.
4. Add chicken and cook for 2-3 min.
5. Add bell peppers and cook. Taste and adjust with salt.
6. Add the two cans of cream corn and cook on medium-low heat for 5 min until slightly reduced.
7. Serve over white/brown rice.

Enjoy!