Leftovers...

Invariably we all have to deal with leftovers...*queue the groan* whether it's from a doggy bag or from what you made for dinner earlier in the week. What do you do with them? Sometimes it's enough to just reheat the leftovers and eat it...but that gets kind of boring. Or you can create some type of new concoction! I rely on a few tried and true recipes that I tweak to make a quick and easy dinner.

One recipe I rely on is classic fried rice. It is a simple dish, was designed for leftovers and there are endless variations of what you can make. All you need for a really simple fried rice are some onions, some leftover rice and some eggs. You could even make do without the eggs...but then it becomes really bland.

Optimally, for a really good plain fried rice, you will need:

• 2 cups leftover plain white rice (heated up)
• 1 small onion, diced finely
• 2 green scallions, white stems sliced finely and green parts chopped coarsely
• 2 eggs, beaten (like it owes you money!)
• salt and white pepper to taste
• soy sauce (optional, for the restaurant style)

1. In a wok or a frying pan (that will hold all your ingredients), heat up 2 tbsp of oil
2. Pour the eggs in to the hot oil slowly, stirring as you do so.
3. Scramble the eggs and push off to the side of the wok or dish back out into the bowl and set aside
4. Add more oil if needed and heat the oil until it is simmering
   
5. Add the onion and the white part of the scallions if you have any
6. Cook until semi translucent and add the rice, smashing with a spoon or spatula to separate the grains of rice
7. Re-add the eggs and smash into the rice
   
8. Add salt and pepper to taste and soy sauce if so desired
9. Remove from heat and add the green parts of the scallions. Mix quickly and let the heat soften the scallions

I added some leftover vegetables in mine and garnished it with umeboshi, Japanese pickled plum. Mmmm.

And of course there is always room for dessert! I heartly recommend Mochi Ice Cream. I had the Green Tea flavored type. Enjoy!

Follow the Leader to Co'm (Rice) Grill

Yesterday, I went to dinner with two foodie friends. I was treated to quite the Vietnamese cuisine experience at Co'm Grill on Buford Highway and given a little Vietnamese lesson to boot!

Since I didn't know the area very well I followed my friends. Parking turned out to be quite the ordeal...My friends drove in a circle around the parking lot with me in tow...when we finally pull into spots...they started backing up...not knowing what was happening I start backing up as well to follow them until I get the "Stay, sit, good boy" sign from Michelle :-).

We had the Co'm Goi Salad with Beef Tenderloin and Mussels for appetizers and I ordered the Co'm La Lot with Vermicelli Noodles and my friends shared a Banh Hoi which are do-it-yourself Vietnamese burritos. I also stole a wrapper and made one for myself.








I would definitely like to go back and try some of the other unusual dishes I saw on the other tables...but I have a feeling I'll be introducing my friends to some Baby Oyster Omelette at Penang before that happens!

Co'm Vietnamese Grill
http://www.comgrill.com/buford/index.html
4005-E Buford Hwy.
Atlanta, GA 30345
404-320-0405 Tel.

Yummy Curry In My Tummy

Deciding what to make for dinner really isn't an easy task for me. I deliberate for the whole day from the moment I wake up. You're probably asking, "You think about dinner as soon as you wake up?" well yes..I do...to be honest, I think about breakfast first...but dinner is never far behind.

Saturday, I had a craving for Curry Rice, the Japanese dish of delicious curry over sticky Japanese rice. A favorite among most Japanese children and hopefully to many more people!

The good people at Vermont Curry have made it particularly easy for busy housewives, bachelors and bachelorettes, etc. to make this soul warming food.

Curry Chicken - Vermont Style
Ingredients:
1/2 Package Vermont Curry - I prefer the hot variety but you can choose to your level of spiciness
2 Medium Onions - Vidalia, Yellow or White, even Purple
2-3 Potatoes - depending on size
2 Carrots
1/2 lb of Chicken tenders
1 small nub of ginger

Feel free to add some celery or whatever else...I just didn't have any on hand.

Directions:

1. Dice the onions roughly, so you can see them when you're eating them
2. Peel and dice the potatoes roughly the same size as the onions
3. Peel and dice the carrots also roughly the same size
4. Peel the ginger (a teaspoon works wonders) and dice finely
5. Cut the chicken tenders into bite size chunks
6. Heat 2 Tbsp of oil in a medium sized pot until the oil is hot
7. Add the ginger and onions, stirring occasionally until the flavor is released and the onions are semi-translucent
8. Add the chicken and stir until browned
9. Add potatoes and carrots, stir until coated with oil and slightly brown
   
10. Add enough water to barely cover everything
11. Cover and wait for it to boil, stirring once
12. Once the mixture is boiling turn to low head and simmer, skim the scum off with a large spoon
13. Cover and let simmer until vegetables are tender, remove from heat
14. Break up half the package of Vermont Curry and slowly stir into the pot
15. Once the curry is incorporated into the mixture place back on heat and slowly stir, the sauce will thicken
16. Stirring occasionally, continue simmering with the lid on for another 15-20 minutes

White Rice
Ingredients
2 Cups Short Grained Rice

Excellent directions on how to cook the rice both with a rice cooker and the stovetop.

I Feel Like I'm In the Islands!

Yeah! I finally have DSL hooked up. I guess AT&T got its act together and turned on my service this morning!

On one of my "drive until you get lost and find your way home" expeditions way off of HW 400 at exit 10 while , I passed by a Caribbean restaurant located on the corner of Old Milton Pkwy and North Point Pkwy...making a mental note, I didn't have the opportunity to drive by again until I was driving a friend out to be picked up by her friend.

Her friend was late and we decided to try some Caribbean food at the Caribbean Fiesta. It was noon when we walked in the door, people were already seated in the main dining area and the restaurant smelled of wonderful spices and savory meats. It felt like I was back in Miami eating hard dough bread and Jamaican patties with my JBC(Jamacian Born Chinese) friend.

We quickly got in line and placed our orders. My friend ordered the Curry Goat with peas and rice and fried plantains and I couldn't pass up the Ox Tails, I also got the peas and rice and fried plantains along with a coco bread to sop up all the delicious sauce.

The Curry Goat was very flavorful but was slightly tough and had bone splinters in the meat. Overall it was a delicious.

The Ox tails were tender and falling off the bone! The flavors blended together as if the Ox tails were cooked for hours (which it probably was). There were white beans in the Ox tails, adding to the creaminess. A definite must try!

Caribbean Fiesta:

4000 N Point Pkwy
Alpharetta, GA 30022

(770) 521-0021

I wish I had 4 stomachs so I could have tried out the Jerk Pork and the Jamacian Patties, but alas I was only born with my one...although my friends do marvel at where I put so much food :).

More AT&T "Goodness"

After talking to the AT&T rep (who was very polite by the way), the reason I was given for my DSL not being hooked up is some how it got "kicked" out of the system. The earliest I can have it will be 3/18/08 :-(. This is not goodness!

How is it just kicked out of the system? Maybe someone can enlighten me?