Mixed Seafood Fried Rice

In case you hadn't noticed—maybe you haven't been here in a while or maybe this is your first time visiting—I'm craving fish and seafood hard lately. I can't seem to get enough of it. While I am happy to eat it absolutely any time of the year, there's something about the Lenten season that brings it to the forefront. I'm sure it's the fact that I watch too much tv, and all the fast food places are advertising their fish sandwiches at every commercial break (because I'm not Catholic). Whatever the reason, I'm taking full advantage of it and working daily to satisfy that craving.

The other day at the market, I was passing a little freezer case, one of the kinds that's open like a table, not shelves enclosed by doors. There amongst the packages of frozen mussels, clams, and lobster tails, there were a few packages of a cooked seafood mix that were labeled as "paella mix". It included individually quick frozen octopus, squid, mussels, shrimp, and surimi (aka fake fake crab legs or pollock). This triggered a memory of seeing Nigella use a bag of frozen seafood to make a speedy seafood supper once upon a time. I remember wanting to make that; into my cart it went. Okay, into my cart went 2 packages, because if you're gonna do it, you might as well do it right.

One package is still hanging out in the freezer awaiting it's seafood supper fate a la Nigella Lawson. The other package made its way into a big batch of fried rice. Does that sound strange?

Bacon, Broccoli, and Garlic Fried Rice

Can you believe that there are only 4 days left in #BaconMonth!? I honestly cannot; it has flown by at the speed of light! This being the final week, I have 2 more baconrific recipes to share with you. The first being today. Thank you Catherine Obvious (bonus points if you know what that's from). The second being on the very last day of the month.

Why am I waiting until the last day of the month? Two reasons - the first being that it's a very tidy way to wrap things up. I like tidiness...and closure. The second being that Sunday, the last day of Bacon Month, just so happens to be International Bacon Day this year! I say this year because it's always the Sunday before Labor Day, which means the date changes. Can you think of a more perfect way to ice the Bacon Month cake? I cannot. *Turns out, the 30th is actually International Bacon Day this year, and it's the Saturday before Labor Day, not Sunday. So, let's just pretend, okay?

So, please come back for that and we'll raise our glasses to an awesome month of bacon goodness.

Duck Bacon Fried Rice {#EatingIndiana: Maple Leaf Farms}

Welcome to my very first #EatingIndiana feature.  You can click here too learn more about why I started #EatingIndiana, but at the core of it all, I will be featuring Indiana grown/based/established food.

Maple Leaf Farms was established in 1958 by Donald Wentzel near Milford, Indiana.  They began small with 280,000 ducks their first year (seems like a lot to me), but continued growing, and had 1 million ducks by 1964.  Mr. Wentzel passed in 1968, but the business is carried on by his son-in-law, Terry Tucker.  This family-owned company has a commitment to not only family, but also friends, personal fulfillment, community involvement, and high-quality products.

Maple Leaf farms now employs 750 people at operations in not only Indiana, but also Wisconsin, California, and Michigan.  They are at the top of the North American duck market with their White Pekin Duck products, from raw to fully-cooked.

Ajwain (Carom Seeds) Fried Rice ...for MAITRI

A few days ago, I posted a little teaser about an event that I am participating in that is called Maitri. It is basically a friendship chain for foodies (Maitri is the Sanskrit/Hindi word for "friendship") in which mystery ingredients are sent out by one person and identified by another.  This person then makes a dish using the mystery ingredient and shares it on their blog.  This is a fun way to meet other foodies and discover new ingredients.  Maitri was started by Priya of Mharo Rajasthan's Recipes and Reshmi of Rasoi...and  you can find a full list of "how to participate" at either of their sites (click on their blog names).  It's all very simple.  The main requirements are that your dish be vegetarian (no eggs, unless unless used in baking) and that you are able to make a dish within a certain amount of time of receiving your mystery ingredient...and that you're able to send out a mystery ingredient.  If you'd like to peek at what has been made so far, check out this running roundup.

The incredibly sweet Rashmy of Amma & Baby was in charge of sending me my mystery box, and I was on pins and needles waiting to see what surprise would end up on my door step.  And I was not disappointed.  I tore open my package to find something that I had never worked with...or was even familiar with...before.  Rashmy gave me a little note with a clue on it...to aid me in my search for the name.  So, it was a seed (herb/spice) used commonly in Indian and Pakistani cooking.  When I smelled it, I thought it smelled like thyme.  It looked like mini cumin or caraway.  Well, my search led me to the answer...

...Ajwain...otherwise known as Carom Seeds.  Carom seeds contain thymol (that's why I smelled thyme...the same essential oil) and is related to caraway.  Treat them like other seeds (fennel, cumin, caraway, dill, anise)...dry roasting/toasting (or toasting in a bit of hot oil) releases the fragrant oils inside.  Ajwain aids in digestion and is also used in Ayurvedic medicine.  Many Indian cooks add it to fried foods and breads and it is commonly used with lentils.

While I have many things I want to try Ajwain in in the future, I decided to start with something simple that I knew the hubs and I would love and that I already had everything on hand to make.  I see Ajwain Parantha, Potato Samosas with Ajwain, and of course Lentils with Ajwain in my very near future.  But until then, I adore this new (to me) way of making fried rice.  The flavor is very reminiscent of a combination of thyme and cumin.  It was such a perfect match to the nutty, rich crunch of the cashews and the subtle heat of the chiles alongside the delicate scent of the curry leaves. The lemon sprinkled over just before service totally brings the whole dish together.

Ajwain (Carom Seeds) Fried Rice

inspired by & adapted from Gruhinii

serves 2-4

1 Tbs. olive oil

 ½ c. cashews

2 tsp. Ajwain (Carom Seeds)

1 large (or a few small) dried, red chiles, sliced or broken

4 curry leaves

1 small (~½ c.) onion, chopped

2 c. cooked rice (any kind)

~½ tsp. fine sea salt

lemon wedges, for serving

In a large non-stick skillet, heat olive oil. Add cashews and stir-fry until deep golden.  Remove and set aside.  Add ajwain, chiles, curry leaves, and onion to pan.  Sauté for a few minutes, stirring until it smells amazing...and onions are translucent.

 Add rice and stir-fry for a few more minutes, until everything is hot and a bit of the rice is starting to color.  Season with salt.  Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over individual servings.

Rashmy, thank you so much for sending me this secret ingredient...I had a blast with it and I now have a new spice for my arsenal!  And I just wanted to share another fun thing that Rashmy packed for me, along with my secret ingredient...a box of Indian sweets called Soan Papdi.  Another thing that was completely and totally new to me.  It felt like Christmas morning (as a carefree child, not a stressed-out adult) and I carefully peeled the tape back from the box and found a cute little plastic container inside.  Then I opened that and found a block that was cut into slices inside of some soft, wax-like paper.  Light and delicate and pale with paper-thin slices of nuts laced throughout...I was so intrigued.  I lifted one to my mouth, closed my eyes and tasted cardamom bursting at me from every layer of this flaky, layered sweet.  It is made simply from chickpea flour, sugar, fine wheat flour, pistachio, cardamom, & ghee.  I am enamored...and I know I'll be attempting to recreate this on my own one day, too.  Thank you, Rashmy!

So.  What are you waiting for?  Food, mystery, suspense, friendship, new experiences...come join the Maitri fun!

I am also sharing this post with:

For fun, links to my mystery ingredient recipients and what they made with it:

Rathi of Kitchen Fever made Hibiscus Banana Sorbet

Fried Eggs on Garlicky Fried Rice w/ Chile Vinegar

Fried eggs perched atop garlicky fried rice?  Oh yes, it's what's for breakfast.  Or lunch.  Or possibly even dinner.  Yes, I feel for garlic the way some people feel about chocolate.  It makes me happy.  If I see a recipe, article, blog post, book, tv show...whatever!...with some form of the word garlic in it, I have to investigate.  One of these years I hope to get to a garlic festival so that I can roam free amongst my own kind.  Fortunately, the hubs is one of us.  But wouldn't it be great to feel the affirmation of those around me?  To be welcomed by the soft yet sharp, subtle yet pungent whisper of garlic riding the breeze.  Perhaps I should look into the public school system and living conditions in Gilroy.  Hmmm.  I'm off to do a little research while you enjoy a plate of garlicky goodness.

Garlic Fried Rice w/ Chile Vinegar & an Egg

adapted from (My Favorite Philippine Breakfast) Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant

makes 2 svgs.

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 large garlic clove, sliced thinly

2 c. cooked Brown Basmati rice

2 eggs (or more if you wish)

coarse salt, to taste

chile vinegar (mine is jalapeños & de arbol in cider vinegar), to taste

Heat oil in large skillet or wok and fry the garlic pieces until barely golden.  Remove garlic and reserve.  Stir-fry the rice until hot and well coated with oil.  Take off heat and stir in reserved crispy garlic slices.  Remove to plates and quickly fry up (or cook however you wish) the eggs and slide them on top.  Sprinkle with salt and serve with the chile vinegar so each person to splash on as much as they like (or take a chile from the vinegar and eat it with the rice).

Curried Fried Rice

Okay.  I've found another top-notch meatless meal!  Seriously, it's almost knocking my two front-runners out of their top spots.  This is super-filling, super-satisfying, just plain SUPER-DEE-DUPER (sorry, total Flanders moment).  I know that the point of eating healthier is not over-stuffing yourself, but I have to admit that I was feeling the need to loosen my button by the time I was done eating.  And I only had one serving.  That makes me happy.  

I want to give a shout-out to my friend Natashya for her awesome Moosewood Mondays idea.  It's been far too long since I cooked anything-Moosewood-related and even then I wasn't too familiar.  I'm pretty excited about hangin' out~ Moosewood-style☺.

Curried Fried Rice

makes ~4-6 svgs.

1 Tbs.olive oil

4 lg. eggs, lightly beaten w/ a pinch of salt

~~

2 Tbs. olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbs. curry paste

2 medium tomatoes, diced

handful of orange bell pepper, diced

handful bean sprouts

1 scallion, sliced thin

4 c. cooked brown basmati rice

1½ c. fresh or frozen green peas

2 Tbs. soy sauce + more to taste

2 tsp. fresh lime (or lemon) juice

~~

for garnish:

bean sprouts

scallion, thinly sliced

chopped, toasted nuts (I used almonds, but I think cashews would be awesome here, too)

Start by heating the tablespoon of oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and pouring in the beaten eggs.  Basically, you're making an omelet here.  As edges of egg begin to set, lift the edges and tilt the pan to let the uncooked egg flow underneath.  After a minute or two, when bottom is set, flip the omelet.  Turn off the heat and let sit for a minute.  Slide onto a cutting board and slice once in half and then into ½" strips.

In a wok or large non-stick skillet, heat the two tablespoons of oil over medium heat.  Add garlic and curry paste and cook for a minute, stirring.  Add tomatoes and spinach and other veggies,.and cook another couple of minutes.  Add rice and peas and cook until heated through.  Stir in eggs strips, soy sauce, and lemon/lime juice.  

Adjust soy sauce to taste and serve!

note:

I think this would be good w/ some pressed tofu...or if you decided you were in the mood for a little meat, some leftover chicken (chop or shred) would taste great stirred in w/ the rice and peas, as well.

-adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home

Grilled Asian-inspired Chicken Legs + Special Fried Rice

Well, here I am...no longer on borrowed (computer) time {yippee}. Now...still playing catch-up. It's just so hard to get things done when pesky little things...like jobs...get in the way. The only good thing about not having a working computer in the house for a few days was that I got so many other things accomplished.

I finished our latest Cook the Books Club selection in 2 days (now what to make!), I cleaned up the dust bunnies, er ah...cat hair whisps... in places I had been neglecting, I even watched some t.v.