Cardio and Cooking: Put in ALL THE THINGS!!

I am proud to say that as of Wednesday last week, I have been pretty consistent in getting back to my regular exercise routine. Feeling lazy and useless is awful. Feeling productive and healthy is awesome.

I know that fried rice isn't the healthiest food choice to keep you going, but it's quick and easy to put together even when you don't have a lot of things around the house or time, for that matter.

Things I have learned today about fried rice:
- It is best to use rice that was steamed at least a few days ago. I know it's weird, but fried rice is much better when the rice is a bit stiff rather than soft.
- You can put practically anything into it to make a decent meal.
- Flavourful things like pork floss, when added, basically substitute for sauce.
- It doesn't need to be thaaat oily to be good.
- Like most things, it's a lot cheaper to make at home rather than purchase from a restaurant or store.
- Somehow, it tastes so much better when prepared in a wok. Even so, I make my fried rice like an unauthentic Chinese cook - in a standard frying pan.

Look at me being all white-washed with my lack of wok and chopsticks.

 Average Fried Rice

*Serves 1*
1 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 large egg
3 Tbsp pre-cooked and refrigerated jasmine rice
3 Tbsp mixed frozen veggies
Half of a green onion
1 tsp roasted sesame seeds
2 Tbsp pork floss

1. Add oil to nonstick pan on medium heat.
2. Finely chop garlic and green onion, and add only the garlic into the pan to brown.
3. Crack in one egg, and scramble in the pan until slightly cooked.
4. Add rice, veggies, and pork floss, and stir until combined and cooked.
5. Turn off the heat, and add the sesame seeds and green onions (I like it when the green onions are only slightly cooked.)
6. Remove from heat and serve.

Remember, you can add practically anything to fried rice. If I have any, I like to add diced Chinese sausage and broccoli.

---

For the first time in my undergrad experience, I'm taking a night course, and I plan to be properly prepared this time. For whatever reason, last week, I brought chicken wings with veggies and rice. Durrr... We only get a 10 minute break, which is just enough to run to the microwaves, heat up my meal, burn my tongue because it's too hot, eat a few bites, close up the container and run back to the class. = = I was sooo hungry and tired...

Lesson learned! Tonight, I'm packing survival sammiches! (I just finished wasting my life and watching an episode of "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo".)

Things I have learned today about sammiches:
- Although I had them all throughout elementary, junior high, and high school, they are easy to carry around and consume.
- Just like with fried rice, you can basically put anything into a sandwich, and it will still be a sandwich.
- Sandwiches seem to have a pretty standard structure - some form of bread, a base of some sort of vegetable, some form of protein, and some sort of dressing. If it isn't like that, it's usually just a bunch of stuff mixed together and spread onto the bread/bun.
- There are a lot of different kinds of sandwiches...submarines, burgers, rolls, paninis, banh mi, wraps, open-faced, finger, falafels, pitas, dips, buns, dogs, melts, naans, po' boys, toasties, pans...I love them all :)
- Apparently the first recorded sandwich is attributed to "a famous Rabbi, Hillel the Elder" who made a sandwich out of "chopped nuts, apples, and wine between two matzohs". Cool!

I kind of just tore the lettuce leaves into pieces, so it doesn't look very even, but I'm going to be like a hungry savage when the time comes to devour them. I won't be a classy savage, so I won't care about presentation so much.

Survival Sandwich V1.0

*Serves 1 hungry student*

2 scotch baps (or whatever buns/bread you have lying around at home)

Kraft Chick 'N Rib BBQ Sauce (or whatever sauce/dressing you like)

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast

2 leafs of iceberg lettuce (or whatever vegetable you fancy)

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

1. Turn on your broiler.

2. Lightly oil a baking dish. 

3. Dry the chicken breast with a paper towel. If there is water, the chicken won't brown when it's cooking.

4. Brush both sides of the chicken breast with a little bit of oil, about a teaspoon of BBQ sauce, and sprinkle salt and pepper to your liking.

5. Place in the baking dish, and under the broiler it goes for about 8 minutes.

6. After 8 minutes, pull out the oven rack, and flip the chicken breasts. Place back under the broiler for another 8 minutes.

7. To check whether or not the chicken is cooked through, use a chopstick/fork/utensil to stab it through. If the juices run clear, you are safe.

8. Remove the chicken from the oven and slice evenly.

9. Slice open a bap, squirt about a half teaspoon of sauce on each side, and place some pieces of lettuce over top to spread out the sauce. Lay about half of the pieces of chicken over the bed of lettuce. Seal shut with a toothpick. Repeat for the second bap.

10. Leave to cool, and pack for the treacherous journey.

-M

Love for the Locals: Creole Envie

I've been falling a bit behind in my posts because for whatever reason, Blogger won't let me upload photos on my computer. The photos in this post were first transferred from my phone camera to my computer, and emailed to myself, so that I could save them on my iPad mini (which E gave me for Christmas), upload to my blog via the app, and edit via Blogger on my computer. I really hope Blogger figures itself out sometime soon, because the task was a little bit daunting.

Aside from that, I have decided to start a new segment entitled, "Love for the Locals". It will feature authentic local eateries from the heart of Edmonton. I feel that a lot of these gems are so underexposed, and people need to know about them, so I'll start with Creole Envie.

Creole Envie is an independent, creole/cajun food business run by chef and darling, Danielle Majeau. Although she now runs a restaurant, take-out and catering are still available options! I had the pleasure of meeting her through a coworker from one of my summer workplaces, coincidentally named Danielle. Chef Majeau is a sweet lady, evidently passionate about what she does. My coworker, Danielle and I decided to enjoy dinner at Creole Envie tonight.

 

Believe it or not, but Creole Envie originally opened on Stony Plain Road in the summer. It was mainly a catering business, but with the higher demand for seated dining on Danielle's amazing food among other things, they closed down and reopened in a small restaurant located on 112th Avenue (easily accessible by one train ride to Stadium, and a bus transfer on the 2). 

Along with the help of some friends, and her sweetie of a husband, Scott, Chef Majeau created a beautiful space where the Highlands Kitchen used to be, next to La Boheme. The interior follows a classy, but cozy theme of deep purples, reds, white and black. As my coworker put it, Creole Envie gives off the vibe that you're just entering someone's humble abode, decorated with these cute, lacy curtains. You're given the opportunity to enjoy fine dining, without the high strung feeling that normally goes with it, and in its place, a warm family welcome. :)

Entrez-vous~

This is where Danielle and I sat :)

I don't know what it is about blackboards, but I love 'em.

 

 

Normally, I don't gush over washrooms, but they were so cute. Are you a "Po' Boy" or a "Po' Girl"? Beyond cute. You could appreciate the New Orleans decor on the coat hooks, as well as a naturally Magnolia-scented hand soap made specifically for Creole Envie. Love love love. :)

 

Of course, the most important part was the food. My coworker, Danielle and I dined on a Groupon which allowed us to spend up to a $31 value for only $15 (plus tips, of course). Tonight's dinner was way more than what we bargained for.

My coworker, Danielle, and Chef Majeau have been long time friends from even before the birth of Creole Envie. As a result, I get the heck spoiled out of me. She served us dessert before we even ordered. Danielle and I set them aside for after dinner, but we lost the battle and had to take them home with us.

This Po' Boy was an open-and-shut case of amazing. Generous slices of green tomatoes, battered and deepfried, on a bed of shredded lettuce, fresh red tomato slices, sweet pickles, and Chef Majeau's magically amazing cajun mayo. Normally, I am not a fan of pickles, but the way that this sandwich was constructed, you could taste each individual ingredient, and it was nothing short of amazing. You can't really see it in the picture, but this sandwich was about the length of my two hands holding the thing. You could not take a bite without having to wipe your mouth each time.

Sweet potato fries. Yeah. You think you've had good sweet potato fries? Well, you haven't unless you've tried Chef Majeau's along with her homemade dipping sauce. No need to wipe oil and grease from your fingers, because it's not there.

The following is actually from my very first visit to Creole Envie before school started, which was also with Danielle. I managed to catch them literally on the day they closed down the old place on Stony Plain Road...

This is what was the Fried Catfish Po' Boy. It was amazing then, and is probably even moreso now.

Creole Envie is a must-try if you're in Edmonton. Dadeo's ain't got nothin' on this bunch, and I vow to return.

If you're still interested in the Groupon, the deal is still on for 2 more days, and you can get a Creole meal for 2 or 4!

As well, the Edmonton Fork Fest could not come at a better time, and guess who's on the list! Creole Envie, that's who. The Fork Fest runs from January 20-24 and January 27-31. Check out their website to see who else is on the list, and view the menus!

-M

Budget-Friendly Bites: On Campus, Episode 3

L'Express in SUB offers breakfast in the morning, but just like with any time you eat outside food, you need to take note of better deals. The menu lists a breakfast sandwich priced at $4.75 which is the one in the bagel. There's another breakfast sandwich in an English muffin which is only $2.50 (pictured below)! It has a plain omelette, sausage of either chicken or pork, and a slice of cheese. It's a bit salty to me, but that's because I'm a bit sensitive to salt. Other than that, it's a decent quick breakfast for a reasonable price. During exam season, they give you even better breakfast deals, so look out for that! Also, remember that L'Express is one of the SU-run businesses in SUB, so costs can be further subsidized by using your OneCard or grabbing a "Reuse-a-dish" dish.

1/10/13: With a big bite taken out of it. This was my first day going back to having breakfast since the Christmas break (among other things).

On another day, I didn't want to spend too much, so I stopped by Subway. Luckily, Subway is now offering the 6-inch Ham or Egg Salad for $3. That means that with tax, either of those two sandwiches are $3.15 as opposed to $3.66. Sure, it doesn't seem like much, but saving is saving!

The thing about Subway is you can actually ask for unlimited vegetables and dressings. It will only cost extra to add more meat or cheese. I forgot about this until my ex-Sandwich Artist friend reminded me.

I love hot sauce on my subs. I used to get mustard until I heard a guy in front of me order hot sauce. My life was forever changed. *_* (They either use some sort of tabasco or Frank's...does anyone know?)


1/11/13: 6-inch Ham on Italian toasted with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, olives, green peppers, and hot sauce! 

I know this post's really short, but I thought I'd add it anyways :)

-M

Looking Back: 2012

Every other food blog I read has done a post that alludes to some sort of New Year's reflection, so here is mine. :)

Growing over the past few years, I have come to exhibit what one of my friends, Oat, dubbed "fobby food disease". It can be defined as the silly habit of taking pictures of your food before eating it. In my defense, and possibly in the defense of others with the same tendency, I take pictures of my food for a number of reasons. To make this even more stereotypically Asian, I have come up with 8 (in no particular order)...

1. To remember what I ordered at a place I visited for the first time,
2. To remember what something I ate looked like,
3. To remember good times and company I've had,
4. To remember food and restaurants that I will rarely get the chance to visit,
5. To document my culinary ups and downs in the kitchen,
6. To share with others,
7. To stare at when I'm bored because I have a fascination with browsing food photography,
8. And lastly, to remember places I like to eat at and those that I do not like to eat at/should not go back to.

I started this blog in September of last year after deciding that perhaps spamming my Facebook friends' newsfeed might not be very considerate. So, I moved my love for food to an outlet where people only read my stuff if they wanted to and not out of imposition.

Through a tornado of smoothies, steaks, and not too many dollars spent, here are some highlights of the year

September 4: The food blogging begins!
September 6: The best chocolate cupcakes M has ever made
September 9: A potluck of epic proportions
October 7-9: Home Alone M: Thanksgiving Special
November 2-4: M dines in Cowtown
November 29: The "Super Fail Cinnamon Bun/Biscuit Thing" Disaster
December 19: Redemption of the "Super Fail Cinnamon Bun/Biscuit Thing" Disaster
December 22: We survived the Mayan apocalypse!

All in all, this year has been pretty interesting. Resolutions? I hope to keep up this hobby so I can say in a few years that I did something other than school and work, out of pure enjoyment.

Thank you so much to those of you who take the time to read what I write. I really do appreciate it :)

Here's to new discoveries and experiences for us all! *insert hypothetical "cheers"*

-M

Budget-Friendly Bites: Fast and Faster Food

E and I were at West Ed Mall, so we decided to grab a quick bite from T&T Supermarket. E wanted something more meaty and hearty, but I kind of just wanted a salad. Conveniently, T&T offered both!

Normally, I'm not one to take a chance on T&T ready-to-eat food because of my easily-offended stomach, but when E pointed out the salad, I gave a "what the hay" shrug and picked it up.

They called it an "Asian Chicken Salad", which, to be honest, was quite accurate. Usually, when you get salad with chicken (with the exception of chicken salad as from Tim Horton's), the chicken comes in dry, shredded pieces. This one was shredded, but it was like that Chinese-style steamed chicken meat...it was so soft and tender and moist. The vegetables were surprisingly fresh, and there was tons of romaine lettuce, cucumber, celery, red bell pepper, carrot, green onions, and grape tomatoes (which I removed on my own terms). The "croutons" consisted of slivers of almond, sesame seeds, and these small fried noodle-like things. The dressing was super light, and not as oily as I expected. It was like...an Asian-inspired vinaigrette of some sort...It probably amounted to what would fit in both sides of a standard takeout box, and was only $5!

It feels kind of weird that I ate the entire thing even though it was practically all vegetables...

While groceries from T&T can be a bit on the expensive side, as with other grocery chains, there can be some decent deals on the weekends. That was the case for their milk tea. I love the taste of Darjeeling milk tea :)

Yay, milk tea! This is my favourite flavour :D

E opted for a selection from the hot foods. He chose a 2 item combo, which came with rice and a bowl of soup. I tend to be a bit more sensitive to foods high in salt and oils, but for the typical person, there were quite a few choices. Unfortunately, I didn't catch a picture of it. :/

There's apparently some sort of winter season special?

Lesson of the day? Don't necessarily rule out T&T as a quick meal choice if you happen to be at WEM!

On the way to badminton, I needed to stick something in my stomach before playing, so we stopped at Wendy's. Wendy's, although fast food, has a menu of 8 items for $1.89 each (paralleling the value picks menu at McDonald's). The JBC (or Junior Bacon Cheeseburger) isn't too bad. It's slightly smaller than your average burger with a square-shaped patty of beef, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and a slice of processed cheese. For $1.89 plus tax. Not a bad option, aside from its lack of nutritional content, but if you're going to Wendy's, you're expecting low quality, fast food.

Wendy's JBC.

Of course, your best option to have a balance of low in cost, but high in nutritional content would be to make your own meals, but sometimes, it's not a bad thing to indulge a little!

-M