Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Ginger Fried Rice Recipe

We would like to introduce a feature food and recipe blogger Brian Ly from tubbybakes.com.
He currently resides in Toronto, an avid foodie and a creative food photographer for an upcoming Foodie shop in Burgundy, France.

“Hey, I'm Brian, and I'm the owner/author of tubbybakes.com; a food and recipe blog located in Toronto. I was asked by Trish at the Asian Supermarket World Foods and Imports to share my recipes and postings and to encourage others to try out different recipes. I thought I'd start off with something simple, so today I will be posting my ginger fried rice recipe.”



ginger fried rice
I had a sudden craving for fried rice last night and decided to stir something up. But after a long night, I thought it would be best to take a nap first…8 hours later, I woke up and the magic began. 
ginger fried rice
Peel and finely chop the ginger.


ginger fried rice
Ta da!
ginger fried rice
 Do the same to the garlic


ginger fried rice
Add the ginger and garlic into the pan and get them nice and golden brown. Remove from pan.
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ginger fried rice
Add the scallions to the same pan. 

ginger fried rice
Mix in the rice with the scallions. 



Ginger Fried Rice Recipe

Prep time: 10 mins – Cooking time: 20 mins 
1/4 cup or less of canola oil 1 tbsp minced garlic 1 tbsp minced ginger some salt 1 cup thinly sliced leeks or cup of scallions – white and green parts 2 cups day-old cooked rice 1-2 large eggs 1-2 teaspoons soy sauce
Heat oil in a large skillet on medium to high heat. Add ginger and garlic into the pan and stir until golden brown. About 30 seconds. When it’s done, remove with a slotted spoon or tip the pan and spoon it out into a bowl lined with paper towel. Salt if desired.
Turn the heat down to low and add the leek/scallions. Scallions take a couple of seconds, but the leeks will take a few minutes. Once they’re sizzling, turn the heat up and add the day old rice and break it in thoroughly.
While the rice is going at it, heat another small pan and start frying the eggs. Once they’re golden around the edges, pop them out.
Lay the rice on a plate and top with egg. Garnish with ginger and garlic and a bit of soy sauce. Enjoy.
  
Tips Use day old rice. Why? You want fried rice don’t you? Using fresh rice while it’s still warm won’t give it time to release its moisture resulting in a soggy mushy rice. This isn’t a recipe for soggy mushy fried rice now is it?

Friday, October 5, 2012

Spice of the Month: Cumin



Cumin is earthy, smoky and downright toasty. This sensational spice is a must-have for fall cooking

Cumin Basics
Dating back to the Old Testament, this ancient spice is a relative of parsley (but you’d never know it by the flavor). Tiny slivered brownish-black seeds are super aromatic and explode with even more flavor when ground into a fine powder. Some specialty markets may also have white cumin seeds.

Popular across various cultures, you’ll find cumin as a staple in Asian, Mediterranean, Mexican and Middle Eastern cuisines.
Nutrition Info
One tablespoon of whole cumin seeds has 22 calories and 1 gram of fat along with 1 gram of fiber and 22-percent of your daily iron needs.

What to do With Cumin
Ground cumin is a common ingredient in both curry and chili powders. It’s warm, not spicy – a nice balance to fiery spices like cayenne and chipotle.

Use cumin to add a deep, nutty flavor to chicken, fish, pork or beef. Add to a marinade for a platter of grilled veggies like zucchini, eggplant, peppers and portabello mushrooms. Jazz up chicken soup, beef stew and turkey chili. Or blend into salad dressing and hummus.
Cumin seeds can also be enjoyed whole – they’re divine when sautéed in oil and added to soups and sauces. Indian classics like lentil soup and masala use this method frequently.
Shopping and Storage Tips
Store cumin seeds or ground cumin in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months. To bring out the flavor of cumin seeds, lightly toast in a dry pan.

Taken from foodnetwork.com