Family dinner: Healthy Fried Rice

I made some very healthy fried rice for my family today, as I'm trying to eat healthier and amp up my workouts in preperation for the carb onslaught that is the holidays- I live a mostly hedonistic lifestyle and diet, but since I have an great affection for fresh produce and work out pretty much every day of the week (4 super-intense workouts a week and 3 less intense toning ones), the damage isn't too bad. I also happen to live in a family where I didn't even know what butter, hot dogs, donuts, or graham crackers were until I was seven or eight. However, I do try to keep to a mostly unprocessed diet when I'm not craving sugary carbs too much, so here's a healthy recipe for delicious restauraunt-style fried rice!

RECIPE: (Serves 6)
*2 cups of brown rice
*1 cup of shrimp, roughly chopped
*2 cups of broccoli, steamed
*2 teaspoons soy sauce
*1 teaspoon salt
*Pinch of black pepper, to taste
*1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely diced
*1/2 an onion, roughly chopped
*1/2 a tomato, roughly chopped
*3 cloves garlic, finely diced
*1 teaspoon lime juice
*1 tablespoon vegetable oil

PREPERATION:
1.) Prepare rice according to instructions on bag or cooker
2.) Steam broccoli, prepare and chop all the vegetables
3.) Bring water to a boil and cook shrimp

4.) Stir fry rice, vegetables, shrimp, and other ingredients in the vegetable oil for about 3-4 minutes or until nicely mixed
5.) Turn the heat to low, put lid on, and let steam for another 10-15 minutes, occasionally stirring to
make sure it doesn't stick or burn

Treats from China!

I've revved up my workouts these last couple weeks and now am barely coherent from the pain... yet strangely addicted to doing interval training and with a new appreciation for both my treadmill and my (newly toned!) biceps. Thought I'd make note of that since I am now hanging on to my sanity by a thread as I write this post...

Dad arrived home safely today after almost two weeks in China for a business trip, and brought many goodies with him! Though he only went to Shanghai and Hangzhou, Mom told him to make sure to bring back some Beijing pastries, and I'm consuming them without an ounce of guilt, though probably worth more than an ounce on the scale.

A whole huge bag of famous beijing pastries! You can't get these anywhere but in Beijing, so my dad had a friend bring him some. He also got a bunch of candy from Shanghai, which is famous for it's treats as well as for it's delicious White Bunny milk candies. He visited many specialty candy stores in search of yummy satisfaction for our family.

More delightful soveneirs...

Cute bracelets made from the same kind of wood they make buddhist prayer beads out of.

Asian Noodle Soup

A steaming bowl of noodles in hot broth, some Dickinson, and my dog as a snuggle-buddy/pillow- what else could you want in life? Noodle soup is a clasic comfort food that I revel in; it is both simple to make and I ate quite a lot of it growing up as a kid.

Many of the ingredients that my mom often puts in the soup, such as potatoes, carrots, and especially lamb/goat meat, are very common in Northwestern Chinese cooking. This recipe is totally versatile for any type of asian-style noodle soup and you can adapt it according to your own tastes and preferences.

Make it vegetarian by omitting the meat and adding cabbage or lettuce, or go carnivorous with a chunkier beef soup. This is a recipe your kids will love and I'm sure many asian families will smile at.


RECIPE: (Serves 4)
*2 tomatoes
*1 pound of lamb or goat meat
*1 onion
*A joint of ginger about the size of your thumb
*1 box tofu
*2-3 potatoes
*About 2 cups (a good handful) of fine Angelhair noodles- I recomment buying an Asian brand like Wu-Mu dry noodles

as there is quite a difference in the texture. You can get thee in any asian market or grocery store, probably even in your local grocery if you have a larger Asian population in the area.
*1 whole bulb of garlic
*1-2 cups cilantro
*1 tablespoon soy sauce
*Add salt to taste (possibly around 2 teaspoons- can't be definite, so just keep adding until you're satisfied)
*Several cups of water to boil (depending on how thick you want your soup; I would use, for this recipe, around 5 cups)
*2 tablespoons vegetable oil
*2 large carrots

PREPERATION:
1.) Finely chop tomatoes, lamb, and carrots

2.) Slice onion to about the size of the first knuckle of your thumb

3.) Finely dice ginger
4.) Stir fry onions and lamb in 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil until meat is cooked

5.) Boil water for soup
6.) Finely dice the tofu, potatoes, garlic, and cilantro
7.) Once the water has come to a boil, put in the the carrots, garlic, potatoes, tofu, meat, onion, and tomatoes
8.) Let boil for 5-10 minutes or until everything is cooked, adding in the chopped cilantro when everything is about done (so it doesn't overcook or wilt)
9.)Add in noodles and simmer for a minute or two; then close the fire and shut the lid, letting it sit for another couple minutes