I eat, I read, I watch — dining solo #25
Kung Pao chicken, veg, and buckwheat soba noodles
I eat, I read, I watch — dining solo #25
Today’s post is the 25th of “I eat, I read, I watch,” my column highlighting a solo dinner and my reading or watching accompaniments. Please treat yourself well at mealtime too. Don’t just eat alone - dine solo! You’re worth it. And it’s not hard to do.
Missed the earlier instalments? Check out the bottom of the post.
I eat: Kung Pao Chicken
This probably happens to you too - I buy a rotisserie chicken and then I get stuck on what to do with the meat after about meal three. I googled this dilemma and came up with Kung Pao Chicken. And then, of course, I modified the hell out of it:-) ‘cause that’s what I do.
I started, however, with the Kung Pao marinade, and with this I pretty much stuck to the recipe. I whisked together 1/4 cup water, 3 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar, 1 Tbsp cornstarch, 1 Tbsp honey, 1 tsp toasted sesame oil, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, and then I ground some black pepper in (I don’t have white, which the recipe called for).
Then I got some vegetables ready. Veg are, in my view, pretty interchangeable in this kind of mix so I went with what I had - red onion, red pepper, yellow pepper, and Chinese eggplant. Sadly, I used up all my mushroom at lunch. Everything is better with mushroom.
I heated some oil on high in the frying pan. I have a very good wok, but hauling it from the cupboard, cleaning it properly, and putting it away all seemed a bit of an ordeal tonight. Frying pan is fine. I tested the heat with a little onion, and hearing a good sizzle, added the rest of the onion. After a big of stirring, it was softening, so I added the other veg and some pieces of cooked chicken breast.
Now’s where I started to free style. The recipe said dried red chilies and peanuts, neither of which I had. I am, however, working my way through a jar of Lao Gan Ma Chili in Oil with Peanuts Hot Sauce. Seemed an obvious substitution so I dumped in a spoonful. Then I swirled in half the marinade (I made too much for the amount of veg) and stuck a lid on while I cooked some buckwheat soba noodles for three minutes in boiling water.
I added the cooked drained noodles to the pan, mixed it all together, and scooped it all into a bowl. I topped the whole lovely mess with chopped green onion and a shake of toasted sesame seeds. Paired with a non-alcoholic beer, yum!
Prep Time: 15 minutes from concept to dinner
Origin: The meat, onion, and peppers were Canadian. The marinade ingredients likely not, and the chili/peanut mix and the noodles are from China.
Cost: less than $5.
Favourite way to eat leftover chicken? In the Comments below please!
I read: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
It’s been a very long time since I’ve read a book by Stephen King. Not that I don’t like his writing - at one time I was a big fan. Just so many other things to read! But his book on writing is mentioned by so many in the biz I had to give it a try. I was not disappointed! Let’s face it, King knows a thing or two about story-telling. This is his story of getting into writing and it’s a helluva good one, right up to his wife rescuing the first draft of Carrie from his waste paper basket and telling him it was worth pursuing. He later sold the paperback rights to Carrie for $400K. That was a ton of $ in 1974!
King’s tips on the business of writing though are also practical and the writing style is easy to read. A must read for anyone starting out.
Got a reading recommendation? Add it to the Comments below.
I watch: I, Jack Wright
Now that I’m on Britbox (having dumped American Netflix), I have a whole new world open to me. And a really really good quality world too. I, Jack Wright is a family drama which begins with the death of the wealthy patriarch. Jack’s been tricky though - he’s changed his will just before his death and no-one is happy, other than the granddaughter who has her own problems. It’s so well written, so well acted, and so gripping. The episodes are coming out one at a time which is great for keeping viewers hooked to their service. I feel like I should be allowed them all at once, though, given I pre-paid my subscription for a year.
Have you found anything worth sharing? In the Comments below please!
Missed the earlier instalments of this column? Click:
#1 (pork chop & green beans)
#2 (trout & veg)
#3 (shrimp pepper bisque)
#4 (rice & peas with coleslaw)
#5 (ramen)
#6 (burger & fries)
#7 (duck sausage & salad),
#8 (shrimp & veg with pasta)
#9 (Wigilia)
#10 (mushroom shepherds pie)
#11 (roasted veg and sausage)
#12 (leftovers)
#13 (garlic shrimp with rapini on egg noodles)
#14 (beef stew)
#15 (salmon mac and cheese)
#16 (salmon cakes and ragout)
#17 (pork tenderloin, red cabbage, potatoes)
#18 (pulled turkey and salad)
#19 (almond butter chicken korma)
#20 (lobster tacos with asparagus)
#21 (rainbow trout, garlic mashed potatoes, and roasted asparagus)
#22 (pork tenderloin and black-truffle infused egg noodles with fresh asparagus)
#23 (grilled halloumi with roasted asparagus and mushroom salad)
#24 (savoury Bread Pudding)
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