Stir-fried Brinjal & Bitter gourd

My apologies for the lack of blogging due to some personal issues going on lately.
My mum was not available to cook and my sister was not home.
So, that made me the only one responsible for lunch. However, much to my dismay, there were a severe limited choices of vegetables left in the fridge. As I was not in the mood to visit the market or eat out,  I had to make do with whatever was left in the fridge. 

Thai Organic mixed brown rice
I'd recommend this brand of brown rice as it is easy to cook and does not end up being mushy or overly dry like other brands I have tried.I think brown rice is a much healthier option than white ones, given that it boasts  many health  benefits  such as prevention of diabetes, more vitamins and minerals. Also, I personally like the rough texture and the sweet aroma of brown rice. 

Ta Da, all ready! 

My Dad does not really favour the taste of brown rice so we reached a compromise by purchasing mixed brown rice.

Ingredients all ready!

Stir fried Baby Brinjals( Egg plants)
I heard many dislike this vegetable as they find it too mushy and gooey for their liking. But I love brinjals whichever way they are cooked, even when steamed with soy sauce. I really enjoy both its soft texture and wonderful taste. Also, this vegetable provides essential nutrients that are needed for the overall well-being of the body.  This dish is easy and quick to prepare, given that I took around 10  minutes for the entire cooking time.

Ingredients

1. 4 baby Indian Brinjals

2. Olive oil

3. 1/2 Carrot(chopped)

4. Vegetarian Chinese chilli paste 

5. light/dark Soy sauce

6. 1 table spoon Fine Brown Sugar 

7. 1 fresh chilli padi(sliced)

Method:

1.Heat the wok over medium-high flame, then add 2 table spoons of olive oil. 

2.Add in chopped carrots and chilli padi, stir fry

3. Add brinjals, and stir fry 

3. Add 2 spoonful of vegetarian chilli paste, and soy sauce. 

4. Season with 1 table spoon of brown sugar and sprinkle in pepper

5. Continue to stir fry until ready to serve. Easy and quick recipe!

Stir-fried Bitter Gourd with Carrots
This is yet another highly unpopular dish, as few enjoy its bitter taste.   On the contary, this is one of my favourite vegetable. This is another extremely easy dish to make, and is perfect for those rushing for time.
The steps are relatively the same for stir-fried brinjals. However, instead of  adding brown sugar and chilli paste, I added 2 spoonful of olive vegetable paste for a different flavour.

There you go! Easy and quick dishes to make, yet yummy! 


xo

Joyful Vegetarian Tomato Pasta

Ingredients

1 lb Penne

• 7 fresh tomatoes(chopped)
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 carrot, diced
• 2 stalks celery(cubed)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2/4 cup unsalted roasted almonds, chopped
• 4 slices of cheddar cheese, cubed (ran out of parmesan cheese ): )
• 2 fresh chilli padi(chopped)
• cherry tomatoes( for garnishing purpose)

Method:
1. Cook penne according to directions. Cook to al dente.

2. When the pasta has cooked, drain and let it cool down a bit.  Mix in olive oil (enough to lightly coat the pasta) to prevent the penne from sticking to each other

3.Bring a pot of water to a boil. Have ready a large bowl of iced water. Plunge whole tomatoes in boiling water until skin starts to peel, 1 minute. Place tomatoes into ice water to ensure it is cool enough to handle. Then remove peel and squeeze out seeds.

4. Add 3 spoonful of olive oil into the sauce pan, then cubed celery, chilli padi and carrots.

Stir in chopped tomatoes and add one cup of water, then bring to a boil. Then season to taste with salt, pepper, and 2 spoonful of tomato paste. 

5.When the sauce is ready, add in the cooked penne and mix well.

Then top with chopped roasted almond and cheddar. It is now ready to be served, garnished with cherry tomatoes

I tweaked the original recipe for my own traditional tomato pasta while preparing lunch for my family today.

 I was so relieved that I did not receive any complaints but ,much to my surprise and delight, some compliments from my personal strictest food critic- my father. 

So, i guess this tweaked recipe turned out successful! 

Personally, I was quite pleased with the outcome of this recipe. The chopped roasted almonds brought a pleasant crunch, and blended well with the sweetness of the tomato.

However, I had slightly underestimated the amount of sauce to serve four. i would advice that more water should be added to avoid  sauce getting too thick or insufficient and let it boil down to the right amount.

I dont know if you have noticed, but I have used celery leaves for  garnishing purpose as I ran out of basil leaves. (please dont laugh!)

xo