My Recipe

Stir-fried Brown Rice Vermicelli with Vegetables Singapore Style

Ingredients:

One 250 g package dried brown rice vermicelli
2 pieces pressed tofu
1/2 cup packed dried black sliced fungus 木耳丝
3 oz onion
3 oz green bell pepper
2 oz red bell pepper
1½ oz carrot
1 large egg (optional)
2½ tsp curry powder
3/4 tsp turmeric powder

Tofu Seasoning:

3 Tbsp Char Siu sauce
8 tsp water
1 tsp sesame oil

Seasoning:

2½ Tbsp light soy sauce
3/4 tsp mushroom seasoning
dash white ground pepper
9 Tbsp water

Method:

1. Cut each piece of pressed tofu into 2 halves. Cut each half into 8 slices and in turn into thin strips. In a 1 L saucepan, mix tofu seasoning and bring to a boil. Add tofu, stir gently and bring to a boil. Simmer for 2 minutes. Turn off heat. Stand mixture for 30 minutes. Remove and drain. Discard seasoning in saucepan.
2. Soak rice vermicelli in cold water for 20 minutes. Remove and drain. Cut into shorter lengths.
3. Soak fungus in hot water for 30 minutes. Rinse and drain.
4. Slice onion, bell peppers and carrot into thin strips.
5. Beat egg and set aside (if using).
6. Mix seasoning ingredients and set aside.
7. Heat wok and add 1 tsp oil. Fry egg (if using) until set. Break up into smaller pieces with a wok spatula. Remove.
8. Add another 1½ Tbsp oil to wok. Stir-fry fungus for 30 seconds. Add carrot and bell peppers, toss for 30 seconds. Remove.
9. Reheat wok and add 1 Tbsp oil. Sauté onion for 30 seconds. Add curry powder and turmeric powder. Stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add seasoning ingredients and rice vermicelli. Keep tossing until seasoning is absorbed. Return vegetables in Step 8 to wok. Toss to combine. Add tofu and egg (if using) and toss gently. Remove and serve hot.

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Nutrition value for 1/6 portion of recipe:

Calorie 282, Fat 8.7 g, Carbohydrate 43 g, Fibre 3 g, Sugar 3 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Sodium 294 mg, Protein 9 g.

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• Black (Wood Ear) Fungus
• Mushroom Seasoning
• Pictures of selected ingredients used in my recipes
• See my other recipes

McDonald’s Starts Table Service in Germany

McDonald’s Corp is introducing table service in Germany as it reinvents itself as a “modern, progressive burger company” under new Chief Executive Steve Easterbrook.

The world’s biggest fast-food chain has been testing myriad new ideas, including kiosk ordering, custom burgers and even a completely new restaurant brand in a bid to revive slumping sales and better compete with more nimble chains ranging from Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc to Burger King.

“This is where McDonald’s is headed,” Easterbrook said at a McDonald’s in the Frankfurt Airport that serves more than 1 million customers a year.

Diners at that restaurant can now choose to be served at their table after placing an order at the front counter, via a digital kiosk or with a waiter carrying a tablet computer.

McDonald’s has tested table service in other markets, a spokeswoman told Reuters.

Easterbrook, 47, made the announcement at the reopening of the restaurant, which is Germany’s biggest with more than 500 seats. Germany has been a challenging market for McDonald’s, which has struggled to find the right recipe for selling to the nation’s health- and cost-conscious diners.

McDonald’s executives have identified Germany, the United States, Japan and Australia as priority markets in its turnaround efforts.

Easterbrook, a Briton who took the helm on March 1, is only the second non-American to take the job. His challenge is to halt a slide in sales around the world.

Weakness in France and Germany, which has almost 1,500 restaurants, contributed to a 1.1 percent decline in comparable sales in Europe in the fourth quarter. Britain, France, Russia and Germany together accounted for 67 percent of European revenue in 2013.

McDonald’s said earlier this month it would remake itself after competition from Chipotle, Chick-fil-A and other chains bit into U.S. restaurant sales. Easterbrook has already said McDonald’s USA will switch to chicken raised with fewer antibiotics, putting it more in step with Chipotle and Chick-fil-A.

Source: Reuters

FDA Says Gene-Modified Apples, Potatoes Safe to Eat

Regulators also said they are as nutritious as conventional produce.

A number of new varieties of genetically modified apples and potatoes are safe to eat, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says.

The agency said it evaluated two varieties of genetically modified apples from Okanagan Specialty Fruits, Inc. in Canada and six varieties of genetically modified potatoes from J.R. Simplot Co. in Idaho.

Regulators concluded the engineered produce is as safe and nutritious as the natural versions.

“The consultation process includes a review of information provided by a company about the nature of the molecular changes and the nutritional composition of the food compared to traditionally bred varieties,” Dennis Keefe, director of the FDA’s Office of Food Additive Safety, said Friday in an agency news release.

“This case-by-case safety evaluation ensures that food safety issues are resolved prior to commercial distribution,” he added.

The Granny Smith and Golden Delicious varieties of apples — collectively known by the trade name “Arctic Apples” — were engineered to have lower levels of enzymes that cause browning from cuts and bruises, the FDA said.

The Ranger Russet, Russet Burbank and Atlantic potatoes — collectively known by the trade name “Innate Potatoes” — were engineered to have lower levels of enzymes that cause black spot bruises.

The potatoes were also engineered to produce less acrylamide, a chemical that can form in some foods during high-temperature cooking such as frying. Acrylamide has been shown to cause cancer in rodents, according to the news release.

The drop in acrylamide production was achieved by lowering levels of an amino acid called asparagine and by lowering levels of reducing-sugars.

The FDA review is based on safety and nutritional assessments provided by the companies as part of a voluntary consultation process.

Genetically modified produce must meet the same safety standards as traditional produce, the FDA said.

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Classic Hors Doeuvre with Cheese and Filo

Ingredients

1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
6 oz feta cheese, crumbled
6 oz smoked mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
2 shallots, minced
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
1 egg, lightly beaten
salt and freshly ground pepper
7 sheets frozen filo dough, thawed
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

Method

1. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, feta, mozzarella, shallots, parsley, egg, a generous 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Using 2 forks or your hands, toss thoroughly until all the filling ingredients are uniformly combined.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil 1 or 2 baking sheets. Cut the whole stack of thawed filo lengthwise into quarters. Each strip will be about 3½-inches wide.
3. Working with 1 filo strip at a time and keeping the others covered with a barely damp towel, place the filo strip on a dry work surface. Brush it lightly but thoroughly with the melted butter.
4. Place about 1 tablespoon of the filling 1 inch from the bottom edge. Fold the lower right corner of the pastry up and over the filling, forming a triangle. Roll the triangle straight forward, then again on a diagonal. Continue folding, forming a triangle each time, until you reach the end of the strip. Transfer to a prepared baking sheet and brush the top of the triangle with a little more butter. Use the remaining filo and filling to make the remaining triangles, placing them on the baking sheets.
5. Bake the triangles until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes (the filling will be very hot), then serve.

Makes 28 pieces.

Source: Hors Doeuvre

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Today’s Comic

Food Art: Rice Krispies Cereal

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