Basil leaves Fried Eggs (Taiwanese dish)

I bought this small pot of Basil from Tesco one month ago.  It looks very healthy. I am lucky this time. It still keeps growing bigger and bigger.  I have cut some for cooking 3-cup sauce chicken for a few times during the past few weeks.  I don’t know how long I can keep it.  Hope it lasts longer and longer!  If you are good at gardening, please give me some advice on planting herbs. 

About two years ago, I ate a very simple Taiwanese dish; Basil fried eggs, in a restaurant in Taipei.  The dish is very popular in Taiwan, my friends told me that many Taiwanese moms like cooking this quick and healthy dish for their kids.  I know some people like deep-frying the leaves in oil before pan-fry the eggs.  But I stir-fry in the pan instead,  it is more healthy.  Hope all of you like it!

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Serve: 2

Ingredients:

-         3 free-range large eggs

-        30g fresh basil leaves

-         ¼ tsp salt                                      

-         ½ spring onions (finely chopped)

-         1 tsp olive oil

-         ¼ tsp sesame oil

Method:

1.	Beat the eggs and season them with salt in a mixing bowl.
2.	Rinse basil leaves under running water.  Never clean them until you're ready to cook with them,
3.	Heat a non-stick pan over a medium heat and add ½ tsp oil.  Place the leaves inside the pan and quick stir-fry for about 15 seconds.  Then put them into eggs and stir well.
4.	In the meantime, add ½ tsp oil in the pan over low-medium heat.  Add the spring onions in the pan and stir-fry 15-20 seconds.  Pour the egg mixture in the pan and pan fried it.
5.	Drizzle sesame oil once the eggs are set.  Then flip the egg gently to another side and pan-fried for a further 1-2 minutes until it is a bit golden brown.
6.	Serve with rice.

Sweet corn with Minced beef potato cakes

I love thai food very much, like spring rolls, green curry chicken, satay sticks, pat Thai and so on.  They are all yummy dishes.  Last month, my daughter and I went to Bangkok for a three-day short break.  The weather was very lovely.  We went shopping, enjoyed the tasty dishes and had great and relaxed spa and massage.  We chose a buy-one-get-one free package on the first day, we could personalize our spa experience, such as choosing the aroma and facial scrub we like, room temperature, etc.  Then we tried the four-hand massage on the second day.  After the massage, we were taken back to the reception and seated at the table for our afternoon tea.  We enjoyed it very much. 

I really miss Thailand a lot.  Even I share my lovely experience with my friend this morning.  She said she likes going there with me in the near future.  Hope we can have time to be together at Thailand soon! The dish I prepared is served with Thai sweet chili sauce.  Yum! Yum!

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Serve: 3 (Total: 8 pieces)

Ingredients:
- 250g baking potato (boiled and mashed)

- 130g minced beef

- 60g sweet corn

- 60g onion (finely chopped)

- 1 shallot (finely chopped)

- 30g bread crumbs

- 1 egg                                                                   

- ½ tsp dried parsley

- 1 tsp table salt

- 7 tbsp plain flour

- a pinch of ground black pepper

- thai sweet chili sauce

Seasoning:

- 2 tsp light soy sauce

- ½ tsp oil

- ½ tsp sugar

- 1 tsp garlic powder

- 1 tsp water    

- ½ tsp corn flour

- a pinch of ground black pepper

Method:

1.	Season the minced beef with soy sauce, oil, sugar, water, corn flour, garlic powder and ground black pepper.
2.	Add water in a saucepan and boil the potato for about 15 minutes until tender.  Drain well and mash the potato. Season the mashed potato with salt, ground black pepper and parsley and then set aside.
3.	In a large mixing bowl, mix the mashed potato mixture, minced beef, onion, shallot, sweet corn and 4 tbsp plain flour well.
4.	Preheat the oven to 180°c.  In a small mixing bowl, whisk an egg. Place 3 tbsp plain flour in a small plate.
5.	Pat some flour on both hands.  Shape the mixtures into 8 patties.  For each patty, coat with plain flour, egg and bread crumbs carefully all over.
6.	Place the patties on a baking tray with a non-grease baking paper.  Bake the patties at 180°c for 30 minutes until golden brown.
7.	Serve with thai sweet chili sauce.

Spinach Baked Egg

During the 3-week Asia visit, I ate a lot and got fat again.  I keep stick to a healthy diet and have regular exercises after coming back.  I keep doing 1-hour Yoga three times a week and 1-hour Pilates once a week.  This afternoon I made a healthy light lunch.  I have this yummy dish with 2 small pieces of garlic toasts. 

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Serve: 1

Ingredients:

-           1 free-range egg

-           50g spinach (washed baby spinach)

-           2 small closed-cup mushrooms ( finely chopped)

-           2 small baby plum tomatoes (finely sliced)

-           1 reduced fat matured white cheese (chopped)

-           ½tsp olive oil  

-           1 garlic clove (crushed)

-           a pinch of salt and ground black pepper

Method:

1.	Pre-heat oven to 200°c.
2.	Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat.  Add ¼tsp olive oil and garlic into the pan.  Add spinach, 50g water and a pinch of salt; stir-fry about 1-2 minutes until spinach is wilted.  Drain well.
3.	In the meantime, add ¼tsp olive oil and 50g water in the pan and cook the mushroom for 1-2 minutes.  Drain well.
4.	Place the spinach, mushroom, cheese and tomato in a ramekin.  Then break an egg and bake for 10-12 minutes until the egg is just set.
5.	Serve with garlic toasts on the side.

葱爆肉片(豬)

今天早上非常忙碌，在鎮內的樂施會不停接收善心人的捐贈物資。做完半天義工即趕快回家煮一人午飯。因為太肚餓和疲倦，所以在回家路上已不停地想着要煮一個又快又好味的菜拌飯。這就是葱爆肉片。

準備時間：10分鐘

烹調時間：10分鐘

份量: 1人

材料:

-   豬肉/五花腩100克 (切片)

-   葱3條(斜切條)                            

-   蒜頭1瓣(切片)           

-   ½條紅辣椒(去籽切片)

-   1紅葱頭(切片)

-   油1茶匙

調味:

-   糖½茶匙

-   生抽1茶匙

-   白酒 / 紹興酒 ½茶匙

-   麻油1茶匙

醬汁:

-   生抽1茶匙

- 蠔油1½茶匙

-   白酒1茶匙

做法:

1.	用糖、生抽、白酒、麻油醃豬肉片。將醬汁材料拌勻備用。
2.	將切好的葱段分開兩份，白色和綠色部份各一碗。
3.	開中火熱鑊加油，爆香蒜片和白色葱段約一分鐘。加入肉片再炒3-4分鐘。
4.	放入綠色葱段和紅葱片再炒2分鐘。
5.	倒入已調勻的醬汁和紅辣椒段炒1分鐘即成。
6.	可伴白飯。