Cheap and Healthy

Today, I'm going to introduce you another cheap and healthy Recipe =)

It is called Taco Rice!! Easy, Cheap, and Healthy... friendly recipe for busy people↓

Taco Rice

Ingredients (2 servings):      Ground Beef or Pork      200g

                                          Lettuce      2-3 leaves 

                                          Tomato     1

                                          Diced Onion       1/2

                                          Egg           1

                                          Cheese     3-4 table spoon

                                          (Mexican mix/ cheddar)  

                                          Salsa sauce          2-3 table spoon

                                          Cooked white rice   As much as you want

                                     ☆Salt and pepper     1-2 pinches

                                     ☆Ketchup      5 table spoon

                                     ☆Worcestershire sauce         3 table spoon

                                     ☆Curry powder/ Cumin       2 table spoon

※You can use mexican taco spice mix instead of using ☆'s ingredient.

Step 1: Add salt, pepper, and 2 tbl spoon of ☆'s mixture/ taco spice into cooked rice and mix well.

Step 2: Cut the Lettuce and Tomato into small pieces and put them on the rice.

Step 3: Saute the onion until brown, and ass ground meat into the pan.

Step 4: When the meat is perfectly cooked, add the rest of ☆'s mixture or taco spice, and mix well.

Step 5: Put "Step 3" on the "Step 2"'s plate. 

Step 6: Add on the pan fried egg, Cheese, and Salsa sauce. 

Ready to Serve Now =)

It is a perfect dish for lunch or dinner on a busy day!!

My Garden

I've been growing variety of veggies in my balcony since 2008, and I had the best quality of home grown veggies this year. So I made a simple Bagna Cauda dip for fresh veggies.

Here is a picture of my balcony!

I grow baby red and white radish, baby lettuce, baby carrot, vitamin lettuce, sweet basil, shiso, and green onion. 

It was watery, tasty, and flavor-full.

I will post my simple Bagna Cauda Recipe soon =)

Enjoy the beautiful summer weather!! 

Chicken Nanban

The chicken nanban I posted in my last post was pretty popular among my friends, so I'm posting the Ricepe today.

Chichken Nanban

Ingredients (4 servings): 

 Chicken part: Bone less chicken thigh or chicken breast       5-7 piece 

                        Flour       2 cups 

                        Egg (Lightly beaten)     1-2

                        Salt/Pepper      1-2 pinches  

                        Oil        for deep flying 

                         

 Marinade part: Soy sauce      4 tbl 

(Nanban sauce) Sugar             5 tbl

                          Vinegar         6 tbl

                          Dried chili (if you like spicy)          a pinch

   

      Tar Tar part: Onion (Diced)       1/4

                           Pickles (Diced)      3-4

                                   *I use the baby dill pickeles   

                           Mayo         7 tbl

                           Tomato Ketchap        2 tbl 

                           Salt/Pepper       1-2 pinches

                           Seeded mustard (your preference)       1 tbl

Step 1: Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces, salt and pepper and dip the chicken into beaten egg.       

            Set a side.

Step 2: Prepare the marinade by mixing all the ingredients together in a sauce pan, and heat it in a low    heat (or you can add them in a bowl and microwave it for 30-45 second). Set a side.

Step 3: Prepare the tar tar sauce by mixing all the ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.

Step 4: Heat oil in a saucepan ( least 10 cm deep) over medium heat for deep frying. Lightly coat the chicken (Step 1) with flour and set aside. Break off a tiny piece of chicken and drop in the oil to check the temperature. When the piece sizzles and floats to the top, the oil is hot and ready.

Step 5: Start deep frying the chicken coated in flour, and remove the chicken from oil when the color turn into golden blown. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel and deep fry the rest of chicken. Do not deep fry too many pieces of chicken at once because it will drop the temperature of oil.  

Step 6: To serve, dip the fried chicken in the marinade to coat, and arrange the pieces on a plate. pour the tar tar sauce over the chicken, and ready to eat!!! (The left over marinade sauce can be added to the plate because it gives extra flavor and tastes)

Enjoy my Recipe =)

Recent Cooking

I love Living in Canada, but I have to face many farewells with good friend of mine and it is always a sad event for me. That is because there are a lot of international students, but also many people move to Europe/ United States for their new job/school... I always make some farewell gifts to cheer my friends and wish them luck! 

Farewell gift for Iori!!

Cooking Monster and Elmo cream puffs=)

I missed Chicken Nanban in Miyazaki, Japan, so I made it!!

Eco friendly plate=)

I used edge of the broccoli, left over mini tomatoes, head and bottom of onion, broccoli's stem and the head of king oyster mushroom, cleaned radish skin!!

I made a Chirashi sushi for potluck party at my friend house. Chirashi sushi is always popular at any potluck party!!! 

Here is a picture of my petite garden!!

It's getting warm in vancouver as well, and almost summer!! 

My gloomy days are over =)

Italian night

Few days after I shopped at an Italian market, I had an Italian cooking night at my house with my best friend mark!! We got an italian beer, white and red wine, and all the ingredients from Italy =)

I made a caprese salad, Spaghetti Carbonara, Spaghetti Mozzarella Pomodoro, and some meats plate!

Mark made a Mussels Marinala!! 

I have a sweet Basil plant in my petite garden, so I pick fresh basil leaves and use it in my dish =)

I made Lobster Ravioli with simple cream sauce for sunday lunch...

(white wine, cream sauce, fried basil, pecorino romano, lobster oil) 

Spaghetti Mozzarella Pomodoro

(whole tomato can, garlic, salt and pepper, fresh basil, mozzarella)

 I remove the pan from heat and mix mozzarella cheese right before serving =) 

So mozzarella cheese is lightly melting!

Caprese salad

Spaghetti Carbonara

(pancetta, whipping cream, salt and pepper, one of whole egg, and an egg york)

At first we set up our dinner in my balcony, but it was a bit too cold and we moved inside!

It was an amazing night!! My life is always better when there is great food and great friends =)

Italian Market

I visited one of an Italian market in Vancouver called "Bosa Foods" with my best friend Mark. I love this place because they sell many kinds of fresh Italian ingredients in cheaper price than any other stores. It located in the east side of Vancouver, 15 min by bus from Joyce station. The  European style building brings up the store even more fancy =)

There are few ingredients that I always get from Bosa foods. It's a Pancetta (salted pork), Pecorino Romano, and Buffalo Mozzarella. When I first got the Pancetta, I was really shocked because the price for the Pancetta (for the size on the picture below, upper right side) is under $2!! and It has great flavor, and give perfect taste and the salt level to my simple pasta. Also, the Pecorino Romano cheese is very cheap in this store compare to other organic store where they sell the same cheese!! For Buffalo Mozzarella, the price is almost the same as other stores, yet the buffalo Mozza here is so much softer and the texture, the taste, and the freshness is perfectly better than any other one.

I got a papadelle pasta, lobster ravioli, baby clam, sausage, sun dried tomato, pancetta, pecorino romano, and the buffalo mozzarella. 

They also sells many cooking tools and dishes for Italian foods, and it is very cheap as well. I got the sexy red pasta machine, oil bottles, and pasta dishes!!

I'm just too excited to cook Italian foods now, and I'm planning to have an Italian night with my cooking buddy Mark soon!! =)

Vacation cont.

Here is the Cancun trip photo diary pt.2!!  Enjoy =)

Breakfast buffet

my breakfast plate

Coffee with 3 kinds of bread

On the way to an island called "Isla Mujeres"

First time I met the Manatees!!

It is one of the most beautiful beach in the world=)

Sunset and hammock

Had a Japanese Gyoza

Japanese style marinated Cactus  

A fish from Deep sea with Aburi style

Crab Miso Ramen was soooo good!

Shrimp cocktail at the beach side restaurant

Mussels  

Garlic Shrimp lunch plate

Black cod lunch plate

At Centro Cancun

Cactus was on sale at Walmart!

Chile rellano

(Stuffed deep fried chile with tomato sauce)

I actually made the Chile rellano at home last week so I'll post a picture and the Recipe soon =) 

It's a Mexian beef plate

He is talented!!! 

Margaritas!

Dessert Buffet

My favorite Swim up Bar =)

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