Cheesy Cauliflower
Topic: Vegetables
My mother always cooked the vegetables in a crispy way or half cooked only becasue my father likes it that way. Being grown eating those crispy veggies, it became a great influenced in my cooking nowadays because I always cooked the vegetables in a crispy way also. Here's one of those crispy vegetables that I cooked.

Ingredients:
1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into florets
1 medium size carrot, sliced thinly
100 g quickmelt cheese, grated
1 medium size onion, minced
1 tsp. of minced garlic
1 tbsp. olive oil (any cooking oil will do)
1 tbsp. fish sauce
chop cilantro/stalk of green onions for garnish
pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the garlic, onion, carrots and cauliflower and cook for a high heat for about 1-2 minutes.
2. Turn off the heat and add the fish sauce and pepper, stir to blend well.
3. Transfer the vegetables to an ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with the grated cheese and chop cilantro/green onions.
4. Bake in a preheated 250o oven for 5-6 minutes. Don't overcook. Serve immediately.

Shrimp Fried Rice
Topic: Rice
It's shrimp season in Kuwait nowadays that's why most of the food we ate this month have shrimps also. My hubby is very fond of fried rice, and adding shrimp to it will make his meal perfect. Even our 2-year old son Azhfaar likes fried rice also, so LIKE FATHER LIKE SON.

Ingredients:
4 cups cold cooked rice
1 cup shrimp, peeled leaving tails on
1/2 cup mixed vegetables (corn, carrots and green peas)
1 egg beaten
1/3 cup pre-soaked chopped dried mushroom
1 meium size onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp. light soy sauce
1 tsp. fish sauce
1/4 tsp. black pepper powder
1 stalk of green onions, chopped
2 tbsp. cooking oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Heat oil in a wok. Add and cook the egg until lightly brown. Flip to cook the opposite side. Transfer into a flat dish or chopping board, roll and cut thinly. Set aside.
2. Add the shrimp and mushrooms into the remaining oil, stir for a minute then add the garlic and onions, stir for few seconds then add the mixed vegetables.
3. Add the rice. Stir to blend well. Add the sauces.
4. Season with salt and pepper, continue stirring until the rice is heated through.
5. Turn off the heat and add the chopped green onions and the cooked egg. Stir to distribute all the ingredients evenly.

See also:
Tips on Cooking Fried Rice

Garlic Fried Rice
Topic: Breakfast Recipes
Watching fabulous movies late last night made me tired of waking up early this morning to prepare our breakfast. When I glanced at the clock, it's almost 8:00 am and I still have to take my shower! I thought we will go to the office without breakfast this morning but luckily, when I went out of the bedroom I smelled a fried rice and I saw a meal ready in the dining table. Oh, my hubby managed to wake up early and cooked rushly. This is what he prepared with fried fish:

The recipe I am writing below is not exactly the one in the picture above because that's my hubby's recipe, I don't know the exact ingredients he used. Anyway, here's the recipe for garlic fried rice:

Ingredients:

3 cups cold cooked rice
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small onion, minced
1/3 cup flakes of fried fish
3 tbsp of used cooking oil(had been used for frying fish or chicken)
salt to taste
chopped green onions for garnish

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in wok.
2. Add the garlic and stir until brown. Add in the onions and fish flakes.
3. Add the rice, stirring to blend well with the rest of the ingredients.
4. Season with salt. Cook until all the rice are heated through.
5. Turn of the heat. Sprinkle with chopped green onions and stir to mix well.

Serve with Fried Egg and slice cucumber.

See also:
Tips on Cooking Fried Rice

Crispy Fried Okra
Topic: Vegetables
Yesterday, while I was browsing some Thai websites, I read one recipe which sounds appealing to me, CRISPY FRIED OKRA, wow sounds good!

So last night, I checked our refrigerator if we still have some okra so that I can try it, luckily I found but only few, about 10 pieces only. No problem, I will still try it. Actually, the recipe was very simple, so when I cooked I add some spices to taste even better. The result, wow, very crispy! For those who don't like getting the slimy juice of okra, then this is the solution, very dry and no slimmy juice at all. The best way to eat this recipe is dip it in chili fish/soy sauce with lemon or a plain tomato ketchup.

Ingredients:
1 pound okra, half open lengthwise each
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2/3 cup cooking oil
salt to taste

Directions:
1. Mix all the flours, baking powder, salt, spices and water together. Stir and mix well. Drop the okra in, make sure that all side of the okra will be coated well with the batter.
2. Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan over medium heat.
3. Drop the okra in the pan separately and fry until golden brown.
4. Remove the okra onto a paper towel lined dish.

Serve immediately.

Coconut Fried Shrimp
Topic: Shrimps
This recipe is almost the same with the Deep Fried Shrimp with breadcrumbs, when you look at, it really similar but you will distinguish the big difference when you tasted it. Even my sister Jong who is allergic of shrimp tried it since it was coated with coconut (the antidote of her allergies). Unfortunately I didn't able to take a clearer picture because we were in a hurry that time to attend a meeting, see...it was blurred!

Ingredients:
20 medium shrimps, peeled leaving the tails on
1 egg
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup shrimp broth (you can make shrimp broth by boiling the shrimps' head with 2/3 cup water for 3-5 minutes)
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 cups dessicated coconut
1/2 tsp. salt
oil, enough for deep frying

Directions:
1. In a bowl, combine egg, 1/2 cup flour, broth, salt and baking powder.
2. Place 1/4 cup flour and coconut in 2 separate bowls.
3. Hold shrimp by tail and dredge in flour, shaking off excess flour. Dip in egg/broth batter, then coat with coconut.
4. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. Fry 4 or 5 shrimp at a time in oil about 1 minute, turning once, and fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce.