Scrambled Tomatoes & Eggs with Scallions

This is another simple recipe that most Chinese households know.  Eggs are not just for baking or breakfast, this savory dish uses eggs as one of the main ingredients and can be enjoyed anytime of the day accompanied with some rice.  

Three ingredients makes this whole dish: 

2 Stalks of scallions (green onion) chopped

2 Roma tomatoes chopped (I like Roma tomatoes because they have less seeds and tend to be a little sweeter, but you can use any other tomato you have in the fridge) 

2 Eggs beaten 

*serves 2

Put about 1 teaspoon of cooking oil in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat.  When you see a slight smoke and the oil is gliding easily across the pan, add the beaten eggs.  Sprinkle a pinch of salt and scramble the eggs then remove from pan.

Add another teaspoon of cooking oil to the pan, then add the chopped tomatoes.  Cook the tomatoes for a couple minutes then season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar (only add the sugar if the tomatoes are too sour, the sugar rounds out the flavor).  

Add the green onions and cook for another minute, then add the eggs back into the pan and break up the eggs further tossing with the tomatoes.  

Remove from pan and enjoy with some rice!

Breakfast of Champions Asian Style: Kabocha Porridge with Sesame Oil Fried Eggs

I LOVE porridge, risotto, grits, anything in that comforting soupy realm is all good.  Growing up in a Taiwanese household, we didn't eat egg mcmuffins, waffles, or pancakes for breakfast.  We ate porridge.  It is so comforting to me to eat a warm bowl of porridge with some eggs or veggies on the side during the cold winter mornings.  Gives me the strength to face the day, well at least until lunch. ><

So this is my favorite winter time breakfast: a simple Kabocha Squash (Japanese winter squash) porridge with a side of pan fried eggs over medium.











There are two hidden ingredients that makes this meal so delish: sesame oil and white pepper.

Any self-respecting cook of Asian cuisine should have these two items in their pantry at all times.

Sesame oil has a very strong rich flavor that just resonnates "Asia" so be careful...a little goes a long way!

White pepper powder gives just enough heat and slight punch with almost a curry-like flavor as well.  It's warming and not as invasive or sharp as cracked black pepper.


TIP: get the white peppercorns instead of the powder.  Freshly cracked white peppercorns are so much more potent so you need a lot less than the packaged powder.








Quick note about the following recipes: all the ingredient measurements are just approximates to taste and preference.

Kabocha Porridge
1 cup of raw rice cooked in 3 cups of chicken stock (about 1 hour)
OR
1 cup of cooked (day old) rice cooked in 2 cups of chicken stock over medium low heat saucepan for about 10-15 minutes
* Cooking time is dependent on your preferred consistency of the porridge.  The longer you cook it, the more the rice breaks down in the porridge and the thicker it gets.

When the porridge is about 5 minutes to preferred consistency, cut  the Kabocha into 1 inch bite size pieces and drop into porridge to cook the remaining 5 minutes.
* To see if Kabocha is cooked through take a toothpick or chopstick and stick it through a piece of the squash.  If it goes through easily then it's done.

Pinch of salt and crack of white pepper to taste.

Fried Eggs in Sesame Oil
Add about a teaspoon of cooking oil and a half teaspoon of sesame oil to a nonstick pan over medium high heat.  When you see a little smoke coming off the pan and the oils move easily across the pan, crack 1 or 2 eggs into the pan.

Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and when you see a slight brown edge forming, flip the egg(s) over with a spatula.  Cook for another minute, turn off the heat, and remove eggs from the pan.  Sprinkle more salt to taste.

If you like egg yolks more runny then only cook the eggs for a 15-30 seconds after the flip.  The idea behind a good fried egg is to get that brown crisp edge.

Brussel Sprouts Braised with Soy Sauce

Brussel sprouts are a very new veggie to me. Before I came to the States few years ago, I was completely unfamiliar with these tiny cabbage looking "sprouts." Over the years I've learned to enjoy this nutrients-packed vegetable in different ways. The recipe I am showing today was created with my Asian instinct - soy sauce.

I wanted to use soy sauce because Brussel sprouts seem to me as more difficult to season, especially I like keep them in halves and enjoy the symmetrical patter on their cut sides. Plus, soy sauce goes well with everything. (Like cheese!)



Ingredients:

handful of Brussel sprouts. Stem and outer leaves removed and cleaned.
half tablespoon of oil
one tablespoon of soy sauce
one teaspoon of sugar
two tablespoon of water

Heat the pan with oil over medium heat. When oil is hot, stir in Brussel sprouts in the pan and coat all halves with oil. When the temperature in the pan returns high, add soy sauce and sugar and mix well. Add water and cover the pan with a lid for 3 minutes. Remove the lid and turn up the heat to make excess liquid evaporates.
Ready to serve!

Toasted pine nuts work great here too.