Stir-Fried Salmon with Garlic Noodles

Stir-fried noodles with garlic is a very popular dish of Asians, especially most of the recipes for this kind of stir-fried use Ramen noodles. However, when it comes to this recipe, I like to use pasta noodles, which are used in Italian dishes, such as linguine, spaghetti, fettuccine, etc.  I use pasta for this dish because I like the texture of the pasta noodles, and they are very delicious and suitable for this dish. This recipe uses a fast cooking method, so it usually uses shrimp or fish. Today, I will use salmon for this stir-fry, so let's go to my kitchen and create a wonderful Asian pasta dish.

Ingredients:
2 salmon fillets, about 6 oz. each
2 tbs cornstarch
2 tbs avocado oil
10 oz. spaghetti noodles
Spicy garlic sauce ingredients:
2 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs fish sauce
1 tbs corn syrup

1 tbs cooking wine (dry sherry or sake)

2 tbsp water

2 tsp cream chili flakes
1/2 tsp black pepper
Other ingredients:
2 tbs cooking oil, such as avocado, peanut oil, or grape seeds oil  (your choice)
3 green onions, sliced
Cilantro, chopped
5 garlic cloves, chopped

Directions:
Cook pasta (follow the directions on the outside the package); Drain and set aside.
Cut Salmon into 1 inch cubes; stir in cornstarch and oil. Mix well.
In a small mixing bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients, and mix well.
Heat oil in a wok until hot. Add salmon; cook until salmon is brown all over. Add garlic.
Stir in the sauce and noodles. Stir the noodles and salmon well; then stir in green onions.
Season to your taste with more soy sauce, sugar or salt at this time.
Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Tip: for your spicy taste buds, add minced jalapeno peppers at the end of cooking.

1 cup slice white onion can add to this dish. Stir in the white onion add the same time with the sauce

Chicken Rendang

Rendang is an Indonesian spicy meat stew dish originating from the Minangkabau region in West Sumatra, Indonesia. ... Although culinary experts often describe rendang as a curry, the dish is usually not considered as curry in Indonesia because it is richer and contains less liquid than is normal for curry dishes, and does not have potato or carrots as curry has. It will take hours of cooking, and the bubbling coconut milk and the spices will turn the meat soft and spoon tender. This dish takes on all the intense tropical aromatics of the coconut, ginger, galangal, lemongrass, chiles, and spices, and along the way, the coconut milk deepens into a nutty, buttery sweetness. I use chicken drumsticks for my recipe, but chicken legs will work well. Some people prefer beef instead of chicken.

Ingredients:
8 to 10 chicken drumsticks
1 can coconut milk 14.5 oz
Spicy paste ingredients:
1 inch ginger, roughly chopped
1/2 inch galangal, roughly chopped (omit if unavailable or use 1 tsp powder)
2 lemongrass (the white part), chopped
4 garlic cloves

3 shallots

2 red chili (remove seeds)

1 tsp clove powder
Other ingredients:

1/2 cup toasted coconut flakes, ground
Salt, black pepper, sugar
Chopped green onion and cilantro
Serve with
Cooked Jasmine rice, or Chapati Bread or Nan

Directions:
Wash and dry the drumsticks, and set aside.
Place ginger, galangal, lemongrass, garlic, and red chili in a mini food processor and blend until becoming a paste. Remove into a bowl and mix well with coriander powder.
In a deep sauté pan, add 1/4 cup of oil; stir in all the spicy paste and cook for 5 minutes. Stir constantly to avoid burning. Stir in toasted coconut flakes
Add chicken in one layer and cook chicken on both sides. It will take about 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and sugar (your taste).
Add coconut milk and chicken broth. Bring to boil and lower the temperature to simmer.
Cover the pan with a lid, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes until the chicken is tender; remove lid in the last 10 minutes for the sauce to evaporate. Season again to your taste. At this time, add black pepper. Turn the heat off and sprinkle with green onions and chopped cilantro
Now the Rendang is ready to serve.

 

Tips: I add 1 package of the Goya Sazon seasoning because this spice has cilantro flavor (optional). 

This recipe also needs the star anise. You can add a few. I do not have star anise in my recipe because it is already flavorful.

 

To make toasted coconut flakes. In a sauté pan, add unsweetend coconut flakes. Stir constantly until toasted. Blend the toasted coconut in a blender set to fine. You do not have to grind the coconut if you can get one already ground.

 

You can add 1/2 cup of water or chicken broth if the sauce is too thick.

The World That Everyone Sees Is Different

Once there was a man who collected feces, a woodcutter, and a beggar who met one another. These three people had nothing to do and decided to sit and chat.

The beggar said, "If you were the emperor, what would you do?."

The feces collector said If I were to become emperor, I would order all the feces in the street to converge on me. If anyone came to take the feces away, I would send the army to arrest them immediately."

The woodcutter said, "If I were to become emperor, I would go order a golden axe and daily use this golden axe to chop wood."

Finally, the beggar said, "If I were to become emperor, I would do nothing, sit by the fire every day and eat baked sweet potatoes."

The story above makes it clear that it is difficult for each person to break through the limitations of personal experience and knowledge. Like, if you see a gem, you may marvel at its beauty, others are  thinking how much is it worth . People with different cognitive abilities cannot talk to each other.

Therefore, arguing with others is useless.

 

Homemade Stir-fry Sauce

In Asian restaurants, this is the sauce that they use to make most stir-fry dishes.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup dark soy sauce
1/2 cup light soy sauce
1/2 cup Oyster sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp mushroom seasoning
1/4 cup sesame oil

Directions:
Combine all the ingredients and bring to simmer. Stir and cook until the sugar dissolves. Let sauce cool and place in a glass jar to store in the refrigerator, where it can remain fresh for months.
Use this sauce for stir-fry and to marinade meat or fish.

 

Easy Cookie Dough

I have been looking for an easy cookie dough recipe for quite some time. Today, I am very happy to share this recipe . With this cookie dough, other ingredients can easily be added to create different cookies to satisfy guests.

Ingredients:
Dry ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose Flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Wet ingredients:
1 stick butter, softened
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Combine wet and dry ingredients in two separate bowls.
Sift the dry ingredients.
Use a wooden spoon to beat the wet ingredients until well mixed. You can use a hand-held mixer to do the job.
Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well.
If you do not use the dough now, then wrap the dough in plastic wrap and freeze until you need it.

Add-ins:
1/2 cup mixed nuts ( I grind the nuts) .
1/2 cup raisin or any dry fruits that your choice
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup chocolate chips

All the add-ins to the dough that you create on your own should not be more than 1/2 cup total.

Easy Cheesy Garlic Bread

This is an easy recipe for making garlic bread that I found when I went to search YouTube. The One Pot Chef is one of the listings. Garlic bread is a type of snack that will make you eat it nonstop. The Olive Garden restaurant always serves garlic bread as an appetizer, and it is really great. When making this garlic bread, people often think of yeast, flour, and the time that it takes for the dough to rise is too troublesome.  However, this recipe will cut through all those steps by using self-rising flour and nonfat Greek yogurt. This recipe is the breakthrough recipe for people who have very little skill at making bread, and I am one of them . The dipping sauce can be marinara, tomato, or salsa. Most of the dipping sauces can be purchased ready-made at the grocer, and they are not bad at all. I have also included below a garlic butter recipe, which I find easy to keep in the refrigerator to create this easy recipes .  This bread also reminds me of the garlic bread that is served at a Pizza Hut restaurant .

Ingredients:
1 cup self rising flour
1- 5.2 oz. nonfat Greek yogurt
1 tsp sugar
1 tbs olive oil
1 cup of cheese (your choice)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 tbs melted garlic butter

Directions:
In a small mixing bowl, combine the self-rising flour, yogurt, olive oil, sugar, garlic powder, and onion powder. Mix until well combined. This process can be done in the food processor with a few pulses, or until it forms a ball.
Roll dough out about 1 inch thick using a rolling pin on a lightly floured work surface.
Brush dough with melted garlic butter. Spread the cheese on top.
Bake in a preheated oven set to 400 degrees for about 15 minutes.
The bread can be cut into strips before baking..

 
Garlic butter
1 stick butter softened
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp salt
Combine all the ingredients and wrap it in a foil. Label and refrigerate. Use whenever needed to make garlic bread or other recipes that call for garlic butter.

9 toxic habits you need to avoid

Staying positive isn’t always easy, especially in difficult situations. But there are several habits and behaviors that may be sabotaging your efforts. Recognizing these negative thoughts can help you put an end to self-inflicted negativity.

To keep a positive mindset, here are nine toxic habits you need to avoid:
1. Taking Things Too Personally
Sometimes you can’t help but get your feelings hurt by other peoples’ words or actions. But taking everything personally will constantly bring you down. It’s important to remember that what others say and do is a reflection on them, not you. If someone around you is constantly hurting you, it’s probably time to cut them out of your life.
2. Being Judgmental
Judging others on their appearance, gender, social status or anything else is toxic behavior. Being judgmental is almost always an indication of a problem within us, not the other person. Judging others invokes negative thoughts and behavior.
3. Holding On To Pain
Letting go of pain or loss is never easy. But it’s the best way to move on. The longer you hold onto pain, the more it will negatively affect your thoughts and emotions. Find a way to work through it and release the negative thoughts that you’ve been holding on to for so long. You’ll feel like a weight has been lifted off of your shoulders, and you’ll be able to replace your negative thoughts with positive ones.
4. Being Jealous Of Others
Being jealous of other people robs you of being able to appreciate your own blessings. Jealousy is an unproductive and wasted emotion. If you admire someone for their success, set your own goals that will help you work harder for what you want. Working toward your own goals will allow you to be sincerely happy for those around you.
5. Playing The Victim
Constantly complaining and playing the victim can negatively affect every aspect of your life. It can wreak havoc on your relationships, your work life and your sense of self. Life happens to all of us. Things pop up unexpectedly. The way we choose to handle them makes all the difference. Stop looking at yourself as a victim. Instead, realize that you have the power to overcome any situation with a positive mindset.
6. Being Cruel
People who are cruel lack empathy, respect and compassion for others. Being cruel to others is indicative of inner issues. Unfortunately, cruelty is one of the biggest problems we face in the world today. It’s never productive or acceptable.
7. Lacking Self Control
If you don’t practice self control, you’re setting yourself up to make poor and irrational decisions. You might lash out at others who don’t deserve it and give way to other impulses, no matter how harmful they may be. Self-control is a valuable tool that’s necessary for making good decisions.
8. Trying To Impress Others
The sooner you learn that you don’t need to impress others, the sooner you will open yourself up to living a positive and authentic life. Being true to yourself is what matters. Stick to your morals, live your passion, follow your dreams and respect yourself enough not to let others bring you down..
9. Acting Immorally
Lying, cheating, stealing or any other kind of deception is toxic behavior. Almost every time you choose to act immorally, someone else is susceptible to getting hurt. We all face temptations, but being strong enough to make the right decision can help keep your conscious clear and your thoughts positive.

Source and courtesy: David Wolfe