WORTH SHARING A MILLION TIMES: MISO AND MAPLE SYRUP GLAZE

I think of this blog pretty much every day but I’m a terrible friend to it. I neglect it and don’t really take care of it. But today is a day I decide to make an effort to make it happy… to make it smile!

Be prepared, this terribly simple recipe is super delectable and your entire family will love it, including kids and babies… I’ve tried it and it works. You want a nice fast and healthy dinner? This is the best recipe you’ll have tried in months!! I made mine with nice jasmine rice and garlic spinach. The fish took 12 minutes to make (4 to prepare, 8 to cook), which is less than the rice, which took 20! Try to beat that Jamie Oliver with your 30 minutes meal!!!

Picture taken for Ricardo's website... I didn't have time to take a picture myself!

MISO AND MAPLE SYRUP GLAZE

Makes 2 large fillets or 4 fish steaks

(Good for salmon, trout, pork and chicken)

INGREDIENTS

¼ cup maple syrup

2 tbsp miso paste

2 tbsp grapeseed oil (or olive oil)

2 green onions or 1 shallot, finely chopped

1 tbsp sambal olek (or an asian hot sauce)

1 tsp curry powder

½ tsp Sichuan peppercorns, crushed

PREPARATION

Sauce

Blend together all of the ingredients.

Cooking the fish

Place 4 fish steaks or 2 large fillets of your choice on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (the sauce will caramelized once cooked) and generously brush with the miso and maple syrup glaze. Bake in the center of the oven, under the broiler, for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the type of fish, or until cooked (be careful not to overcook your fish). Serve hot with rice and a nice green vegetable!!

My Version Of A Nasi Goreng (Fried Rice)

On this rainy day, I need to prepare something that’s easy to make, satisfying for the tummy and for which I have all the ingredients at home. Not an easy task, I have to admit. Still, I’m one who’s prepared most of the time and one who always keeps a nice stash of non-perishables in my cupboard!

Today, my creativity has targeted an Asian dish: Nasi Goreng. Nasi Goreng finds its origin in Indonesia and Malaysia and pretty much means fried rice. I call my version of the dish “improved” simply because I gave it my own twist. To make it more fun and colorful, I added a few ingredients. This way, I’m making sure we’re getting a few veggies, protein and some crunchiness which is always fun in the mouth. I’ve indicated optional next to the ingredients I’ve added. You can decide to make the normal version or put your own twist to it, depending on what you’ve got at home. The easy thing about this recipe is that you can make your rice in advance. When you’re ready to cook, it’ll take you about 10 minutes to get the whole thing done. This is fantastic on a weeknight when time is limited!

IMRPOV NASI GORENG

Makes 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp Sambal Olek (2 if you like it hot!)

125g raw shrimps, peeled

125g raw chicken, diced

3 green shallots, minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp soya sauce

2 tbsp oisin sauce (optinal)

1 tbsp fish sauce (optional)

4 eggs

3 cups cold cooked rice

1 small can (8 oz) bamboo shoots (optional)

1 small can (8 oz) water chestnut (optional)

½ cup green beans (optional)

1 can (7.4 oz) unpeeled whole straw mushrooms (optional)

PREPARATION

In a small bowl, mix together the green shallots, garlic, soya, oisin and fish sauces. Set aside.

In a wok, heat the oil over high heat and add the Sambal Olek and chicken. Cook the chicken until it is colored.

Add the shrimps, sauce mixture, bamboo shoots, water chestnut, green beans, straw mushrooms, and rice. Cook for another 5 minutes, until the rice is hot.

I a small pan, cook the eggs separately, over easy.

Place the rice in a dome shape on a plate. Cover with and egg and decorate with pieces of tomato and cucumber.  

Simple Scallop Ceviche For A Nice Sunny Day

Ok, so I’m about to show off a little right now… and will probably make a few people jealous. I’m writing this blog entry while sitting on my balcony, enjoying a magnificent sunny and warm day. I just had a fresh salad and, most decadent thing of all, had a Corona to top it all off (don’t assume this is something I do every day!). This is the life! This is the real perk of being on maternity leave. Although I have sleepless nights and have to cater to a newborn, I have to admit that this makes things relatively better and much easier to cope with.

The only thing that will get my big butt off this chair? Cooking diner for my family. You know the new Bruno Mars song? “The lazy song” in which he says “Today I don’t feel like doing anything”? Well, that’s exactly what I’m doing and I’m loving it! Even writing this recipe feels like pure pleasure and, almost, feels relaxing! After all the chaos of the past few weeks, this feels like vacation and I’m indulging 100%.

So what recipe will I introduce today? Mmm. A nice scallop ceviche. Perfect for this beautiful day. Even better for a woman who hasn’t eaten raw fish in almost 1 year! Enjoy this with a crisp chilled white wine and you’re bound to think this was a Saturday.

SCALLOP CEVICHE

Makes 2 servings

INGREDIENTS

8-10 large scallops

 1 small shallot, minced

¼ red bell pepper, thinly chopped

About 1 tbsp Yuzu

2 tsp sesame oil

2 tsp rice vinegar

Sea salt and black pepper

About 2 tsp black sesame seeds

PREPARATION

Finely dice the scallops.

In a small bowl, mix the Yuzu, sesame oil and rice vinegar. Add the scallops, shallots and red peppers. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Finish off by adding the black sesame seeds.

Note: Yuzu is a citrus fruit originating in East Asia. You can find it’s juice in specialized Asian stores.