New Venture

I'm collaborating with fellow bloggers Amy and Joanne on a cooking blog. We all love to blog, cook, eat and share so posting our recipes and anecdotes made perfect sense.

Check out Racing 4 Waffles.

Sui Choy and Epictetus

After making potstickers last week I had head of sui choy in the fridge that I didn't quite know what to do with. Google to the rescue - I love the internets!

Sui Choy (Napa Cabbage) Salad

Ingredients
Dressing:
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup sugar [I think 1/3 or less would do]
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tblsp soya sauce

Crunchy Bits:
1 cup slivered almonds
1 package instant noodles (toss the flavour packet)
1/8 cup sesame seeds

One head Sui Choy (Napa cabbage)

Directions
Bring dressing to a boil and then let it cool. Make sure sugar is dissolved.

In a seperate pan, place all the crunchy bits. On medium heat, move them around in the pan unitl they are toasted. Remove, and cool.

Chop up the siu choy thinly and put in a big bowl.

Stir in the sauce, then the crunchy bits..refrigerate and then eat.

Number of Servings: 6


On a different note, I'm reading Epictetus' "Discourses" and came across a quote that seems apt for this time of year:

We must endure a winter training, and can't be dashing into situations for which we aren't yet prepared.

First workout of the year (sort of)

The first club workout didn't work out as everyone but the lifeguards showed up this morning. I think half of us were there to socialize more than to swim so it wasn't too great of a loss.

A few of us headed out to Watermania in Richmond for an easy swim. We did a warm up (300m?) then Joanne suggested 200m of 25m drill/25m swim then a pyramid - 100m/200m/300m/200m/100m. The rest of the crew did something involving speed and pacing but I didn't want to overdo it so I just focussed on doing the distance. I did 200m of cool down and then we hit the hot tub.

After the swim we went to Joanne's for waffles and I hung out to doze on the couch with Penney and sort of pay attention to the Cotton Bowl (on PVR).

I hit Safeway on the way home and realized I was in a really good mood (I don't like Safeway so this is pretty amazing). I joked with the cashier then chatted with people at the bus stop, even though I was pooped from swimming, dozing and shopping and I'd been coughing all afternoon I was in a great mood.

It feels so good to be working out again!!

I ended the day by trying out a recipe I saw on the same show I got the salad from yesterday's post. I would have tried the salad too but Safeway didn't have the noodles. The pot stickers were AWESOME!!

The recipe is as follows:

Potstickers
(from Everyday Food)
Serves 4 Prep Time: 25 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes

ingredients

1/2 cup finely chopped Napa or Savoy cabbage
Coarse salt
6 ounces ground pork, not all lean (I used ground chicken)
scallions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped, peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Wontons
24 rectangular (3 1/2-by-3-inch) or square wonton wrappers
1 recipe Wonton Filling
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 scallions, finely chopped (optional)
1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce, for serving

In a medium bowl, toss cabbage with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let stand 10 minutes. Wrap cabbage in a double layer of paper towels; firmly squeeze out excess liquid. Return cabbage to bowl; add pork, scallions, ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Mix well with a fork. Refrigerate leftover filling up to 2 days.

Wontons
Work with one wrapper at a time, and keep the rest covered with a damp towel. Spoon one rounded teaspoon of filling in center. With dampened fingers, wet the four edges. To make a triangle, fold wrapper in half over filling, making sure the ends meet and filling is centered; press edges down firmly to seal.

Moisten one tip on long side of triangle. Then bring together both tips on long side, overlapping them slightly; press tips together to seal.

Fold remaining top corner back. Transfer to an oiled plate; cover with a damp towel to keep moist. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.

In a 12-inch nonstick skillet with a tight-fitting lid, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add half the wontons and cook, turning once, until lightly browned, about 1 minute per side. Carefully add 1/2 cup water (oil may sputter), cover, and steam until translucent and just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Repeat with remaining tablespoon oil and wontons. Sprinkle pot stickers with scallions, if using, and serve with soy sauce.

Start of the new year

I had the best of intentions to start 2009 with a bang but so far it's been more of a wheeze. Plus some sniffles and a whole lot of coughing.

The cold I had after Christmas morphed into a minor flu and now I'm dealing with the post-flu hacking cough and stealth fatigue. I call it stealth fatigue because I feel awesome, make plans to do all sorts of stuff then taking a shower or doing the dishes wipes me out and I have to take refuge on the couch to recover. I'm bored of reading, bored of watching TV, bored of surfing the web ... I want to work out darn it!!

Because of this I'm not making major plans or resolutions for 2009 as it will just frustrate me. I'm going to take it easy and get back into working out without making myself sick again, then I'll think about the next steps.

So, nothing on the training front yet but I have found a recipe that, if it tastes as good as it looks, may be my 2009 recovery food. Carbs and protein marinated in soy sauce and lime - how perfect is that!

Asian Noodle Salad
(from PBS's Everday Cooking)

Serves 2 Prep time: 15 minutes Total time: 15 minutes

ingredients

8 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
6 ounces soba noodles
6 ounces tofu, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
3 TB fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 scallions, minced

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook 8 ounces trimmed green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces, until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a colander. In same pot, cook 6 ounces soba noodles according to package instructions; drain well (do not rinse).

Meanwhile, cut 6 ounces firm silken tofu into 1/2 inch cubes; drain on paper towels. Place in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, and 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil. Pour half the dressing over tofu; toss gently to coat.

In a large bowl, toss remaining dressing with noodles, green beans, and 2 minced scallions. Sprinkle tofu on top. Let cool.