Fried rice with pumpkin

The weather was wonderful today.  I had a nice walk at Bushy Park this morning.  The park is the second largest Royal Park which is located to the north of Hampton Court Palace.  It has remains of medieval farmland, a Tudor deer park, 17th century water gardens and wartime camps.  It is also home to the famous Chestnut Avenue, a formal Baroque water garden and the beautiful Diana Fountain.  There are lots of lovely animals to see like ducks, coots, rabbits, squirrels and over hundreds of free-roaming Red and Fallow Deer in the park.   The park is definitely one of the best London parks for autumn walks. 

It is perfect to have green lunch after this leisurely walk.  Then I made a cup of Jasmine tea and fried rice with pumpkin.  It is yummy and healthy.  How wonderful a day it is!

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Serve: 1

Ingredients:

-         80g pumpkin (diced)

-         45g mushroom (diced)

-         50g onion (diced)

-         18g green peas             

-         1 free range egg   

-         1 bowl of leftover rice 

-         1 garlic clove (minced)

-         ½ spring onion (chopped)

-         ½ shallot (minced)

-         ¼ tsp table salt

-         120 ml water      

-         2 tsp olive oil

-         ½ tsp sesame oil

-         1 tsp light soy sauce

Method:

1.	Crack an egg in a small mixing bowl, add a tiny pinch of salt and use a fork to beat it together well.   Put a small non-stick pan over a lower heat and add ½tsp olive oil. Carefully pour in the egg. Use a wooden spoon to keep gently stirring and break it into pieces.  Then remove it from heat and set aside.
2.	Heat another ½tsp olive oil in the pan over low-medium heat.  Add garlic, pumpkin, 80ml water and a pinch of salt and then stir-fry for 3 minutes until the pumpkin is just tender.  Remove and set aside.
3.	Meanwhile, heat 1 tsp olive oil in a non-stick wok or large pan over medium heat.  Stir-fry shallot and onion for 1 minute; and add mushroom and green peas.  Add 40 ml water, salt, sesame oil and stir-fry for 3 minutes.
4.	Toss in the pumpkin and leftover rice; add 1 tsp soy sauce then stir-fry for another 3-4 minutes.
5.	Tip in the egg and spring onion; and stir-fry for a further 1 minute.
6.	Ready to serve.

Pineapple Fried Rice

Today is Father's Day.  My dad loves pineapple very much.  He always buys and eats pineapple.  He likes using pineapple to make desserts and main dishes.  He loves cooking pineapple fried rice to celebrate his birthday and Christmas. "My dearest dad, I miss you very much.  Happy Father's Day!"

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Serve: 2

Ingredients:

l  Leftover rice 2 bowls

l  90g pineapple (diced)

l  1 egg (beaten)

l  2 tbsp fish sauce

l  2 tbsp vegetable oil

l  ¼ tsp salt

l  8 shrimps (peeled and deveined)

l  120g mixed pepper 

l  150g chicken breast (diced)

l  1 chicken sausage (sliced)

l  2 tsp spring onion (finely chopped)

l  1 tsp ginger (grated)

l  2 tsp garlic (finely chopped)

l  3 tsp shallot (finely chopped)

l  2 tsp turmeric powder

Seasoning:

Chicken:	Shrimp:
l  2 tsp soy sauce	l  ½tsp fish sauce
l  1 tsp sugar	l  A pinch of salt
l  ½ tsp sesame oil	l  A pinch of black pepper
l  A pinch of black pepper

Method:

1.	Season the chicken with soy sauce, sugar, black pepper and sesame oil.
2.	Season the shrimp with fish sauce and black pepper.
3.	Add salt into egg and beat it with a fork. Heat the pan over low heat, then add ¼tsp oil, pour the egg mixture into the pan.  Cook first side and then flip and cook other side until it is done.  Let it cool down and cut into small pieces.
4.	Heat pan on medium, add ¼tsp oil, add the shallot, shrimp and spring onion to stir-fry until the shrimp is done.  Set aside.
5.	Heat pan on medium heat, add ½tsp oil, add garlic and chicken until well cooked .
6.	Heat pan on medium heat, add ½tsp oil, garlic, shallot and cook the mixed pepper and chicken sausage for 3 minutes.  Set aside.
7.	Add oil into a non-stick wok over medium-high heat, add the leftover rice and stir-fry for 3 minutes.  Add turmeric powder, fish sauce and salt into the rice, mix well and fry for 2 minutes.
8.	Put back the cooked chicken, shrimp, mixed pepper, sausage, egg and pineapple into the rice.  Stir-fry for another 2 minutes.

	Tips:
1.	Fried rice is best made with leftover rice which had been refrigerated.
2.	For better results, it would be better to cook the ingredients well before mixing with the leftover rice.  Do not press the rice when stir-fly, otherwise it would be very sticky.
3.	Remember to taste before serve.  In general, more oil is to be used in fried rice recipes.  As this is a healthy version, less oil is suggested to be used.
4.	Turmeric powder is optional to be used.