Saturday, February 28th - Ramen and Bok Choy and the AMAZING FOUR FOOT DOSA

Breakfast, I poached 2 eggs in the microwave. I don't know why I keep trying to make this work but it never does. You'd think I'd come to my senses but noooooo. I keep reasoning to myself that sometimes when it's just me, it's too much work to boil water and do the whole vinegar and swirl thing. But microwaving them, I can never get the yolks underdone without leaving that icky goo on the whites. As well, you always have to lubricate whatever vessel you use so it's not as nice and wholesome like when you poach them properly.

I took 1 cup sized glass prep bowl. I added a 1 tsp of oil and rubbed it around. I cracked two eggs in and added a bit of water. I covered it with a plate and put it in the micro for 1 minute. I checked it and the whites were way way under done. So I added 20 seconds on to the timer and it was too much and the yolks were cooked through. I took them out as I was eating. I toasted a whole wheatbun we had in the freezer and used some whole grain mustard. I had a glass of orange juice instead of coffee.

Lunch, I had a muffin and coffee while I was out and about. And a bag of microwave popcorn while I'm typing this.

Dinner will be a spicy Korean Ramen with some of mom's Mandu and some fresh baby bok choy.

Okay so I was going to my friend DJ's party and I forgot that there was going to be a highlight. He and his mates have a regular tradition of the four foot dosa. This place on Fraser makes party sized dosas and deliver them on this long special trays. They were SOOOOO GOOOD and probably better than the regular sized ones. I find that regular sized ones, which are about 12inces actually have very little filling since you're meant to spread it out. But every inch of four foot long one was crammed with filling. The EGGPLANT was just irrestistible. I kept going back.

A dosa is an south indian crepe made from rice and lentil flour. It's crispy if served right away and rolled with a curry filling. You normally crack into it and eat whichever way suits your fancy... inside out or spread and linearly :-D. The dosa 'crepe' is cooked darker than french crepes. Or at least they're about as dark as the crepes you get at those crepe stands where they spread them out with a squeegee. DJ ordered a lamb, chicken and two veg, palak paneer (spinach and cheese) and eggplant. He ordered them from:

http://www.noorumahal.com/

4354 Fraser St. (at 28th)
Tel : 604-873-9263

They'll deliver if you order overy 15$ to almost anywhere in the 'downtown' area.

Our other favorite is the 'House of Dosa' on Kingsway and Knight that have a 6$ special on Mondays. They're normally about 15$ a dosa. We'll be going soon enough.

Friday, February 27th - Mushroom and Kale Risotto

Breakfast was a bowl of cereal. Natures Path Heritage flakes with some Cheerios thrown in for oaty goodness.

Lunch, I made a wrap with a whole wheat tortilla, 4 sardines, 1 roma tomato chopped, tarragon mustard and a few marinated eggplants (jarred). It was fabo!

Dinner was Mushroom Risotto with Kale

2-3 leaves of kale chopped
1 cup oyster mushrooms
1-1.5 cups crimini mushrooms
1.5 cups shitake mushrooms (fresh)
clean and trim and chop to the size you like. halves is fine.
1 shallot
1 clove garlic
1 -1.5 litres broth (boiled and then kept warm)
1 c arborio rice.
1 c white wine (isabel reisling cuz it is too horrible to smell but it tastes okay)
sautee the mushrooms in olive oil and set aside.
sautee the shallot and when soft ad the garlic briefly, don't let it brown.
add the rice and make sure there is enough olive oil in the pan so that all the rice is coated and glistening.
add 1 ladle of broth and stir until it is mostly absorbed. continue like this.

When you're about half way through the broth and 20 minutes in, add the kale and stir and continue to add the broth as before.
When you're about 3 ladels away from finishing and the texture of the rice is almost where you like it. (test as you go) add the mushrooms back in and season with pepper (you probably won't need salt depending on the broth you use).
If the rice isn't soft enough but you're nearly out of broth, add more water to the broth but make sure it's hot.

When you've added the last ladle, add 2 pats of butter and grate in about 1/4 c of fresh parmesan and set aside covered for 5 minutes. Serve with fresh grated parmesan and truffle oil if you have it.

It was great. It is important to make sure you add the kale early enough to cook through. It is a very hearty green and needs the time.

We had a Sauvignon Blanc from Church Estates from the Okanagan. It was very light and fruity. Quite nice with the risotto.

Thursday, February 26th - Blackbean Broccoli and Tofu stirfry

Breakfast was organic vanilla yogurt with cereal. D takes 5 scoops with a soup spoon. I think that's too much. I did the same and it looks like 3 of those individual cups. He said he measured with the suggested serving portion on the tub. That's the problem with me and most Koreans, portion control? Don't agree? Well, go have lunch at a Korean and have a noodle bowl. So I need help. I like to limit the size of the bowl I use and whenever possible have premeasured portions.

Lunch was a bowl of cereal because I was a bit rushed and couldn't be bothered to think of anything.

Dinner was a stirfry. We saved the blackbean and liquid from the Crab dish we did on Sunday. Mom would usually keep her Mehwuan (Spicy) crab sauce as well to eat with rice for maybe a day but she normally tosses after because she doesn't like to serve leftovers whenever possible. But we kept it cuz I hate wasting food! Plus after all the wine and crabby goodness, the sauce was crazy tasty. There was quite a bit of it. Probably more than was necessary for this enormous stir fry but D is going away so we needed to use it. I probably should have saved some to eat with rice.

Blackbean Broccoli and Tofu stirfry (with Brown Jasmine Rice)

1/3 red onion chopped (1/2 cup)
1 inch ginger sliced
1-2 garlic cloves (small)
1 medium crown of broccoli. (about the size of a nerf ball, small football)
1 can of baby corn
1 package of extra firm tofu (350 g)

green onions and chopped nuts for garnish.
(the nuts were D's idea but I tend to think of chopped peanuts as a thai thing and cashews as a chinese thing. the texture was nice.)

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