After working 9+ hours and by the time you get home - you really need to be creative with your dinner ideas.
What's fast and somewhat healthy instead of TV Dinner. If you are kid growing up eating family-style Chinese food. There are always couple of dishes accompanying the rice. One meat, one fish, one vegetables, one soup & rice. But in reality after working a full day at work unless you prepared ahead cooking 3 dishes and 1 soup is harder than expected especially if you want the kids to be in bed before 8PM. I'm sure a lot of parent are going through the same. Here are 2 meals that I can prepare in less than 30 minute.
2 large bitter melon- cut lengthwise
1/2 lb Pork Belly
1/2 tbsp. shrimp paste
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1. Cut pork belly into slices
2. Cut garlic into slices
3. Add shrimp paste, sugar & pepper into pork and marinade
4. Place the bitter melon inside face up and add the shrimp paste pork belly on top of it.
5. Steam it in medium heat for about 12-13 minutes until fully cooked.
6. In another saucepan - heat the oil until hot then add the garlic to stir fry until fragrant - do not brown the garlic - if not it will taste burnt and bitter
7. When the pork belly is done, turn off the heat and pour the hot garlic oil over it. Done.
Tip: If you want to lessen the taste of bitterness in the bitter melon; pour 1/2 tbsp of salt over the bitter melon and let it sit for 10-15 min, then rinse before using.
2 Zucchini
4 cloves garlic; smashed
1/2 lb shrimp; peeled & deveined
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp oil
1 tsp chicken powder; (optional)
1/4 cup water
salt & pepper
1. Use 1 tsp oil, salt & pepper to season the shrimp
2. Cut the zucchini diagonally to slices
3. Turn the work on high; heat 1 tbsp of oil until hot; add garlic - stir-fry until fragrant but not browned
4. Add zucchini, stir-fry for 2-3 min then add 1/4 cup of water; cover with lid and cook in medium heat for 6-8 min.
5. When the zucchini is almost done; add shrimp and stir-fry for 2-3 min until the shrimp curls up and turn pink
6. Add chicken powder and cook for 1 min, if you are on DASH diet - you can use salt & pepper according to your liking.
7. Serve on dish