Tag Archives: asian

My Favorite Asian Green Beans

by

If you haven’t noticed yet, I’m big on cooking at home. Now only does it save money, it’s also always a healthier option. When you cook, it’s less oil, less butter, and less fat since you’re in control on the ingredients.

I almost always have a side of veggies with every dinner meal. Because I grew up in a Chinese household, there’s always been a variety of foods on the table to be eaten family style. Usually our house had one meat dish and two different plates of vegetables, and of course rice, for a family of four. So I love variety when it comes to dinner. When I cook for two, I always have one meat dish and one veggie dish (we try to go without rice too). This week I’ll share with you a meal that I cook for MG and myself (chicken and veggies). We’ll start out with the veggie dish first – green beans!

Green beans

Green beans are my favorite vegetable. I love the crunch of the bean and the squeak between your teeth when eating. I basically always make this recipe when I have green beans – it’s my go-to! It’s Asian because of the soy sauce and oyster sauce, and the sauces make the beans extremely tasty. Another big plus, it’s a 3 step dish!

Ingredients:

  • 16 oz package of green beans
  • 5 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 green scallion, chopped
  • Soy sauce
  • Oyster sauce
  • Sesame oil
  • Olive oil for cooking
  • Salt and pepper for taste

Directions:

1. This is my tip: steam or boil the green beans first so they cook faster! I like to boil because it only takes 5-7 minutes. Then drain and set aside.
2. Add a teaspoon of olive oil to a pan on medium-high heat, and cook the garlic and scallions until crisp and golden, but not burnt. Now add the drained green beans to the pan – I love the sizzle in this process!
3. Sprinkle salt and pepper, add a teaspoon of soy sauce, a teaspoon of sesame oil, and a tablespoon of oyster sauce. Mix it into the beans until beans are thoroughly coated. Serve right away!

Ginger and scallions

Sprinkle seasoning

Oyster sauce
Get this at any Asian market – it’s also delicious just eating it with rice!

Beans
Those crunch garlic/scallion clumps are deee-li-ciousss ^^^

All done
Yeah, we basically licked up all the sauce!

What’s your favorite vegetable? Do you have any veggie recipes to share? I’m always on the lookout for new vegetable recipes!

Stay tuned on Friday for my chicken recipe to pair with the green beans!
Jay

Canada, eh?

by

I’m back! After a weeklong vacation in Vancouver, I’m home. Ming-Gih and I decided to visit my grandma, my aunts, and my cousins in Vancouver. My Aunt Kathy from Ireland and my parents from Texas all flew up the same week, so it was a mini family reunion.

DSC02638-2Look how cute my Grammy is!!!

DSC02913The reunion – thanks everyone for making us feel so welcomed! 

I captured a bunch of things we did while vacationing. Maybe you can take note if you are planning a trip up to Vancouver too. Loads and loads of pictures, so here we go!

We flew on Allegiant Air to Bellingham, Washington for about $140 round-trip, per person (this airlines has some great deals!). We rented a car and drove across the border into Vancouver. But before we went into Canada, MG and I looked for something to do in Bellingham, and lo and behold! We found a waterfall near the airport so decided to check it out. Really pretty scenery, and you know it’s good when there are three brides all taking wedding pictures in the area!

Whatcom Waterfall   Mg and Jay

Waterfall Edge of GloryWe are on the edge of glory here^^^! It was pretty terrifying looking down.

Shroom
This shroom looks SO cool, doesn’t it?

The first night we got into Vancouver, we went to the Night Market. Thankfully, it was still open. During the winter time the market is closed. We got some delicious foods, and I bought some cute socks!

Night MarketWe needed a buddy system – the place was packed!

Night Market with Duckie
Here’s my buddy in front of the night market icon

Now for the food!

Bubble WafflesBubble waffles!!!

DSC02562
The cutest pork buns you will ever see!

RamenRamen ends the night perfectly, hot soup and noodles on a cold night

Vancouver is a seaport, so we were surrounded by lots of water. We went to their version of Fisherman’s Wharf.

DSC02582

DSC02596How gorgeous is this?

Fishermans-Wharf
You can buy lots of fresh seafood on the wharf. This man sells shrimp. This puppy sells fish!

We also went to Horseshoe Bay to look at all the Fall colors. I’m in adoration of all the Fall colors that are in Vancouver. Being from the Bay Area, it’s rare to come across yellowing and red leaves. It’s breathtaking.

DSC02675

DSC02667Watching the kids play in the leaves made me really want to jump in too! Look at the little one sitting in the pile – cute!

DSC02670Another shot of the scenic Bay

DSC02678
My handsome man on the pier ^^^

MG and I ventured to Whistler for a romantic getaway (as romantic as you can possibly get since I was stricken with food poisoning). Imagine taking bathroom stops every 20 minutes on a 2-hour drive… But the views of Whistler definitely made up for the unfortunate sickness. We went during off-season, so we got some extra attention from staff members. Dining at nearby restaurants was also affordable since it was off-season. A 5-course meal at Aura was only $30, and a 4-course at Rimrock Cafe was only $45 (our favorite dinner thus far).

Nita Lake LodgeWe stayed at Nita Lake Lodge, and I highly, highly recommend this hotel. The hotel is clean, the staff is friendly, and the complimentary accommodations include bike, canoe, and kayak rentals. Our bathroom floor was heated stone, so every morning my toes were toasty. We also had a fireplace in the room and a kitchenette. If you’re ever in town, stay here!

DSC02748Back view of the hotel

We took full advantage of the free canoe! Because it was off-season, MG and I were the only ones on the lake. It’s better than something from The Notebook!

whistler-canoe

DSC02712

DSC02722

DSC02730That view ^^^ That reflection ^^^

DSC02732I find this picture to be so amazing – it’s the reflection of the nearby trees along the lake.

On our drive back from Whistler to Vancouver, we made stops along the way to look at the views. That’s part of the fun during a roadtrip right?

Our first stop – Shannon Falls.

Shannon-Waterfall

DSC02804Can you find me?

The next stop we made was the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. At ~$32 per adult, it was a pretty hefty price, but the views were worth it!

DSC02898This was during a weekday, near closing time so it wasn’t packed with tourists. I was able to get a picture of me on the bridge by myself! The bridge is 450ft across and 230ft above the river.

suspension-bridgeThese totem poles look so cool! Can you find MG?

DSC02847This walkway was called Treetop Adventures, and the bridge allows you to walk around the canopy of the forest. 

DSC02855

DSC02864

The best part of the park was the Cliffwalk. You basically walk around the edge of, well, a cliff. MG has a height phobia, so this was the most intense part of the trip. He’s such a thrill seeker, that one!

suspension-bridge-mg

DSC02885

For you foodies out there, here are some of the crazy things that we ate during the trip. It’s all Asian foods! When in Vancouver…

DSC02578
MG’s favorite – the buttered pineapple bun. Is that a stick of butter in the bread? Why, yes it is.

asian-food1Hot pot at home and squab

asian-food2HK toast and a big bowl of rice noodles!

JapadogJapanese style hot dogs – Nori, Japanese mayo, and teriyaki sauce

DSC02907
Duh…

It was such a fun vacation, but I’m glad to be back! If you’ve ever been to Vancouver, did you do any of the above? What other things are recommended for my next trip?

What did you do this weekend?
Jay