Category Archives: Sides

Bacon Fried Rice

Asian, Bacon, Chinese, Events, Game Day, Kids, Nueske's, Pork, Rice, Sides

One of my kids favorite recipes is fried rice. I think that even at a very early age, my father-in-law had served it up for breakfast to him while they watched him while we were at work. Yes, I’m talking like two years old or something of that nature. Let’s just say he was young. But at that age, that food stuck in his head, that’s what fried rice can do to someone. Since then, he has come a long way in terms of exploring food. He is big into smoked meats such as ribs, brisket, and chicken, and lots of other things. Let’s just say he is no longer a chicken tender and french fry kid. With that said, one of his favorite dishes is bacon fried rice, so much that he makes requests for it. I’m down with that because this is a great opportunity to get vegetables into this rice, along with eggs (that he hates), that he devours it all up. That is called winning.

Bacon Fried Rice

Let’s get started.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of Jasmine, or long grain rice
  • 2 cups of water
  • 5 slices of Nueske’s Bacon, diced
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 whole carrots, diced
  • 1 large shallot, diced
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 whole eggs, beaten
  • 1 tbsp Red Boat Fish Sauce or Three Crabs Fish Sauce
  • 1/2 tbsp cracked black pepper
  • 1/4 cup of soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup of frozen peas
  • 1 tbsp chili oil, optional
  • additional water

Start by making your rice. I use a rice cooker, and to that I add the rice to the rice pot, and rinse several times in cold water until the runs clear. Drain and add equal parts of water. Cover, and turn on the rice cooker until it is finished. I love the rice cooker.

Now I do this the same day, and the trick to making fried rice the same day is to make sure the rice gets dry. I accomplish this by removing the cooked rice onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, fanning it out, and letting it sit on the counter for several hours. Otherwise, let the rice cool, store in the refrigerator and use the following day.

Make sure you have prepared the remaining ingredients.

Heat a large wok on medium heat. Add in the diced bacon, and cooked until slightly crisp. Keep the bacon fat in the wok, along with the bacon. Next toss in the garlic and shallot and cook for about 40 seconds or so. Add in about two tablespoons of butter and your chili oil. Stir, then toss in the carrots.  Add in about 2 tablespoons of water. Stir.

How to make bacon fried rice

Turn up the heat.

Add in the beaten eggs, and stir, ensuring the the eggs are thinned out and cooked. Using your spatula, break up the eggs into pieces.

Toss in your rice, and begin breaking that up, using your spatula, and scraping underneath the rice in the wok. Use your wok master skills and wok like you mean it. Toss in the fish sauce, cracked black pepper, and soy sauce. Keep woking, aggressively under high heat until you get a nice light crust on the rice.

Serve immediately.

The result is an awesome bacon fried rice. You get the great smokiness from the bacon, and when everything is mixed together, well, let’s just say it’s awesome, and perfect for breakfast as well. Hope you enjoy!

Son-in-Law Eggs

Appetizers, Asian, Breakfast, Ethnic, Events, Game Day, Sauce, Sides, Snack

I’ve told you before, but I will mention it again, I am a big fan of hard boiled eggs. They are so simple to make and provide a quick energy boost when you have a busy schedule. I have been hooked on the 8 minute eggs, but then again I am always thinking of other creative ideas such as these Son-in-Law eggs. If you have never heard of Son-in-Law eggs, don’t worry, that’s why I am here to tell you about them, and after you make them, you can thank me. Trust me, these are wickedly awesome.

I’m not too sure of the naming of this recipe, but it probably has something to do with having a man’s mother-in-law inflict a bit of fear into the man, that if you do not treat her daughter with respect and love, well, she will indeed inflect some fear into you and well, you probably get the point. But there is something beyond this, and something so amazing about the combination of flavor and texture that really makes this dish shine.

Son-in-Law Eggs Recipe

This is a perfect use of hard boiled eggs, and believe it or not, the eggs are deep fried. Yep, deep fried. Who would have thought?

The sauce has this great sourness and spice that when paired with the creamy deep fried egg and shallots, just blows ones mind. Again, trust me. You will probably want to use the sauce on things like fried chicken or fish. It’s awesome.

Let’s get started.

Ingredients:

  • 3 whole eggs, cooked to your hard boil liking (I go with 8 minutes for a creamy, yet set yolk)
  • 1 tbsp cooking oil
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 tbsp palm sugar (you could use light brown sugar as well)
  • 4 tbsp tamarind sauce
  • 1 clove garlic, grated
  • 1 Thai chili pepper, smashed
  • 1 pinch of chili flakes
  • 3 cups of cooking oil for deep frying
  • 1 large shallot, thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Start by making your sauce.

Add the one tablespoon of cooking oil to a small pot. Bring to medium heat, then add in your garlic. Cook for about a minute, then toss in the fish sauce, palm sugar, tamarind, and chili pepper. Cook for a couple of minutes, then remove from the heat and set it to the side.

Peel your hard boiled eggs.

How to make Son-in-Law Eggs

Heat another pot with the cooking oil on medium heat. After a few minutes, add in the thinly sliced shallots, and cook for about 5 minutes or so, until they are lightly browned and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and set them on to some paper towel to drain.

Bring the oil back to about 350 degrees, then carefully add the peeled hard boiled eggs. Cook for about 8 minutes or so, until they are lightly browned. You can go longer if you want, but I always think they are going to explode. Once lightly browned, remove with the slotted spoon and let them drain on the paper towel, lightly patting.

Slice the eggs in half and add them to a serving plate. Shower the eggs with the fried shallots, then pour the sauce over the eggs. Shower with fresh cilantro and dig in. Feel free to serve with cooked jasmine rice if you desire.

Again, the flavor combination is out of this world. Thai food at it’s best in terms of texture, and flavor. Hope you enjoy!

 

Chana Masala

Beans, Ethnic, Indian, Onions, Rice, Sides

Lately I have been on an Indian food craze. Well, maybe not so much a craze, but let’s just say I cannot get enough of the flavors of Indian cuisine. Maybe it is a phase that I am going through, much like when I go through a Thai craze, or a Mexican craze, but whatever it is, I’m cool with it.  A recent dish I made, the Indian green lentil curry with kidney beans, along with a recent posting from a friend of mine, sparked the idea of making the chana masala. Basically, chana (chick peas) masala is a very common Indian dish that is a bit spicy, and a bit dry in the sense where there is very little liquid. The dish can be eaten as a side dish, or topped onto rice. I prefer just eating it as a main dish as it is extremely comforting.

Chana Masala Recipe

What I love about this type of recipe is that many of the ingredients are already ones you have in your home, and if you do not have the basic spices, well, now is your opportunity.

Let’s get started.

  • 15 oz can of chick peas, drained and rinsed
  • 2 roma tomatoes, diced
  • 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 jalapeño or serrano chili, diced
  •  1/2 tbsp ginger and garlic paste (or fresh ginger)
  • 1/4 tsp garam masala
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 1/4 tsp cardamon
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 2 tbsp canola oil

Start by heating your oil on medium heat. After a couple of minutes, add in your onion and cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until they have sweated through.

Next add in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, then add in the garam masala, chili powder, ground cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cardamon, and turmeric. Stir, and cook until  you have a dry paste.

How to make chana masala

Next add in your tomatoes and cook until much of the liquid has absorbed, a few minutes. Add in the ginger paste, and stir. Cook another minute or so.

Add in the chick peas and water. Stir, and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring on occasion.  Add in the chopped chili pepper, and stir again.

You are now ready to plate. Serve in a bowl and shower with some of the fresh cilantro.

The flavor is out of this world. This spice mixture, well, let’s just say it’s addicting. A bit spicy (which I love), and the great earthy flavor is just dynamite. Hope you enjoy!

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Chana Masala
Author: 
Recipe type: Sides
Cuisine: Indian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 3-4
 
Ingredients
  • 15 oz can of chick peas, drained and rinsed
  • 2 roma tomatoes, diced
  • ½ large yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 jalapeño or serrano chili, diced
  • ½ tbsp ginger and garlic paste (or fresh ginger)
  • ¼ tsp garam masala
  • ½ tsp chili powder
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • ¼ tsp cinnamon powder
  • ¼ tsp cardamon
  • ½ cup water
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 2 tbsp canola oil
Instructions
  1. Start by heating your oil on medium heat. After a couple of minutes, add in your onion and cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until they have sweated through.
  2. Next add in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, then add in the garam masala, chili powder, ground cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cardamon, and turmeric. Stir, and cook until you have a dry paste.
  3. Next add in your tomatoes and cook until much of the liquid has absorbed, a few minutes. Add in the ginger paste, and stir. Cook another minute or so.
  4. Add in the chick peas and water. Stir, and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring on occasion. Add in the chopped chili pepper, and stir again.
  5. You are now ready to plate. Serve in a bowl and shower with some of the fresh cilantro.
  6. The flavor is out of this world. This spice mixture, well, let’s just say it’s addicting. A bit spicy (which I love), and the great earthy flavor is just dynamite. Hope you enjoy!

Sun Dried Tomato Hummus

Appetizers, Beans, Delicious, Events, Game Day, Sides, Snack

My wife and I are big fans of hummus. Typically I make a batch every few weeks or so, so that we can take some to work to snack on, or have some when we come home from work as a quick dip for chips for vegetables. My standard is the classic. A bit of garlic, chickpeas, lots of tahini, and a bit of lemon juice, salt, and cold water. But there are times when I go off that beaten path and do something a bit different, as in this case. I wanted to use some leftover sun dried tomatoes, and what better than to put them into hummus and ‘kick it up a notch’ as the good Emeril Lagasse once said.

Sun Dried Tomato Hummus

The base remains the same, however the addition of the sun dried tomatoes really adds a nice depth of flavor.

Let’s get started.

  • 15 oz can, chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons tahini
  • 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes
  • 6 1/2 tablespoons ice cold water
  • Salt, to taste

Add the chickpeas to a pot, and cover with water. Bring to a simmer, and cook for about 15 minutes. Drain, and add them to a food processor.

How to make sun dried tomato hummus

Add the tahini to the food processor, along with the garlic, lemon juice, salt, and sun dried tomatoes. Turn on the processor and build a nice, smooth consistency. Drizzle in the ice water as you continue to process.  It should be nice and smooth. Taste, and adjust any salt to your liking.

Simple, easy, and delicious. Who doesn’t love that, right? Hope you enjoy!