Rice Cube "Temari Sushi"

They're not really sushi, as they're made with non-sour jasmin rice

and they're not really temari, as they're square,

but whatever!

I've got myself a rice cube:

If you do not own one of these, just use a piece of cling wrap and

shape your rice like you shape temari sushi,

at least your pieces will be round ;-)

Now, this is what I used for what I made today:

- jasmin rice (for 1 person) 

- 3 sticks of surimi

- 1 egg

- 1 teaspoon of mayonaise

- 1 teaspoon of sriracha

- 1 teaspoon of okonomiyaki sauce

- 1 green onion

- rice seasoning (nori flakes, sesame seeds, etc.)

- salt

Apart from the rice, everything else is optional and swappable...just make whatever you like and make it all to your taste (for example, I'm planning avocado, smoked salmon and a mayo/horseradish topping for next time)

Cook the rice according to the instructions on the package (mix in rice seasoning when half of the rice is used),

cut/mash the surimi and mix it with the mayonaise and sriracha,

and last but not least, mix the egg with some salt and scramble it.

Now, assemble the cubes:

I used plain jasmin rice and scrambled eggs, topped with okonomiyaki sauce and green onions

the other half are seasoned rice, topped with the surimi mixture.

Jasmin rice is nice and sticky, so they felt just like ordinary sushi,

they didn't fall apart, even when picked up with chopsticks

a nice and festive rice option for weekday dinners, I think!

Red Braised Bean Curd Sticks

I made an unofficial version of a "red braised" thing, as I lacked star anise and a cinnamon stick, but I made up for it with a pinch of 5-spice-powder (I think)

Anyway, here's my first time cooking Dried Bean Curd Sticks!
They look rather tasty inside their package and smell like fish food when you open the package, but I just needed to know what they would be liked when prepared;
luckily, I was not disappointed!

- Half a package of dried bean curd sticks
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1" piece fresh ginger, rough sliced
- ¼ teaspoon of 5 spice powder
- ½ red spanish pepper (chopped)
- water (hot)
- salt, and sugar to taste
- 1 scallion, minced

First rehydrate the dried bean curd sticks as instructed on the package. 
Then drain the bean curd sticks and cut them into 1 bite size pieces
(throw away any parts that did not soften)

Heat the oil in wok, add sugar, stir and caramelize until brown. 

Add the bean curd pieces, the wine or sherry , the dark and light soy sauce, ginger, red pepper, 5-spice-powder, and water about halfway up the bean curd. 

Bring to a boil, then braise for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently, reducing the liquid to a slightly viscous sauce. 

Add salt and sugar to taste.

Top with minced scallions and serve with rice and green veggies
(for example, with white rice and broccoli…picture sadly not included)

I really liked them,

even after all the rehydrating and cooking, they were nice and chewy!

(in a pleasant way)

if you've never prepared dried bean curd sticks, I recommend you try them at least once so you know what they're like.

yum ;-)

Quick, spicy, sweet and fresh sandwich

this is a really nice dinner that can be assembled quickly, 

with a maximum amount of taste!

First, stir together the components for 

a fresh garlic sauce:

- 3 tablespoons of Greek yoghurt

- 1,5 tablespoon of mayonaise

- 1 clove of garlic (chopped)

then chop 1 cm thick slices of your red cabbage and place them in an oven dish

make the marinade:

- 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil

- 1 tablespoon of honey

- 1 tablespoon of ras-el-hanout

give it a good stir and brush the marinade on the slices of

red cabbage, then place the oven dish

in a preheated oven (200 degrees Celcius) for 25 minutes

in the mean time, cube one chickenbreast per person,

and bake it in a little olive oil.

When the chicken is done, stir in some sambal.

Then assemble the sandwich,

start with the bread,

add some garlic sauce,

the spicy grilled red cabbage,

then the hot chicken pieces,

some more garlic sauce,

and the final piece of bread!

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Balsamic Vinegar

A surprisingly tasty recipe;

especially if you grew up hating brussel sprouts, you got to try this.

- brussel sprouts (150 grams per person)

- red onion (1 per person)

- balsamic vinegar (2-3 tablespoons per person)

- oil

- salt

- pepper

This recipe can easily be scaled up to the number of people joining for dinner, however, you must be able to spread the brussel sprouts in your oven so there's just a single layer.

Start with cleaning and quartering the sprouts, then toss them in an oven dish with oil, salt and pepper.

Stick them in a preheated (450F) oven, for 15 minutes. In the mean time, cut your onions (not too small, you don't want them to burn). 

Add the onion to the sprouts, toss it well and spread it all out once again. 

Then let it all sit in the oven for another 15 minutes.

You do want to keep an eye on it, as it might take 5 minutes more or less cooking time (depending on the size of the sprouts and your oven)

When it's done, sprinkle the balsamic vinegar over it and toss it wel. Add some extra salt and pepper to taste.

Great with a couple of baked potatoes with sour creme and spring onions!