Recipe of the Day: French Tacos

Serves 3
No. I do not mean a French woman's nether-region.

This dish started out as a nice steak with a white wine reduced Dijon mustard sauce. However, there were leftovers in the fridge and I didn't want to waste them. When the cooking was finished I questioned what I had made. It was an abomination of French cuisine in a Mexican shell. Brave Jon took the first bite and declared the dish was safe to eat and quite delicious.

He was right. I was quite delicious.

Recipe of the day: Chicken Parmesan

Serves - 3
This is one of my favorite dishes to make and eat. I remember the first time I had this it, I was 9 years old at the time. I went over to my buddy's house to sleep over, we did this quite a lot. Obviously, we worked up an appetite killing virtual baddies and feeling very accomplished. Meanwhile, up in the kitchen, his mom was cooking up a storm (and now that I think about it, she was hot). Anyways, the dish was delicious and hopefully I have recreated it close to its former glory.

This dish also got some good reviews from some friends. But that's not the point.

Recipe of the day: Pea & Bacon Casserole

Serves - 3
The inspiration for this dish came from a huge craving to eat cream and cheese. There is just something delightful about cheesy things that make you smile. A friend once asked me "If you could only choose one thing, sex or cheese, what would it be?". I would choose cheese. I can't live without that stuff. Add some smoky bacon into it and you have an epic dish of epicness.


Note: I am lactose intolerant, oh the irony.

Recipe of the day: Sweet & sour chicken

Serves 4
Sweet & sour chicken, a staple of the Caucasian-Chinese recipe repertoire. The dish is a total western creation, though it does share some similarities with other Chinese dishes. It doesn't really matter though because I LOVE THIS DISH. When I was a kid every Friday my mom would decide she was too lazy to cook dinner and we would order out. Usually when you order out you get something you don't make at home. We would order Chinese food.

Recipe of the day: Spicy Parmesan Pork

Serves 2
This dish is actually something I threw together from the left overs in my fridge. It is a blend of sweet and spicy flavors with a hint of tangy-ness from the cheese. I think this meal is pretty versatile and can be served with a variety of side dishes, spaghetti, potatoes, vegetables or rice. I use rice because I'm Chinese.

Ingredients

• 4 Pork chops
• 1/2 a can of diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp Corn starch
• 1 tsp Chili sauce
• 1 tsp Soy sauce
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 1 Clove of garlic
• 1/2 a spring onion
• 1 tbsp of butter or margarine
• Pepper
• 2 tbsp of Parmesan cheese
• Some fresh parsley 

1. Dice the clove of garlic and cut the spring onion in to slices
2. Heat up a small amount of oil and a large pan and fry garlic and spring onion until aromatic
3. Put canned tomatoes, corn starch, chili sauce, soy sauce and sugar in to the pan, mix well until corn starch dissolves
4. Cover and simmer on low heat
5. Smack those pork chops so they are tender, and make diagonal cuts on both sides
6. Heat up some butter/margarine in a pan
7. Season one side of the pork chops with pepper and place them in the pan on that side
8. Cook until brown, season other side with pepper and flip over
9. Cook until other side is brown too
10. Transfer the pork chops into the tomato sauce pan, cover and simmer on medium heat for 5 min
11. Flip pork chops over, simmer for 5 more min
12. Place pork chops on a plate and pour the sauce over them. Sprinkle on Parmesan cheese and garnish with parsley
13. Serve with your preferred side dish

Any food with sauce + rice = win

Note: Carlos actually came home drunk this evening, apparently it was his last day at work today, so the boss took everyone out for drinks. He stumbles into the house constantly apologizing and repeating how drunk he is. After noticing the food on the table, he thanks me by hugging me and sharing his booze breath. He devoured the food and posed for the following picture.

4 out of 5

Recipe of the day: Katsudon (and first post!)

Hi everyone! Welcome to my blog: 'Living with Carlos'. Most of you reading this blog will know Carlos as an integral part of your university experience. Whether as your frosh leader, sports commissioner or mentor, you would have met him in some way. Now that he has graduated, I see the blog as a good way to share some funny stories about Carlos as he tackles the real world. This blog will also contain recipes for things I cook (and Carlos eats) and philosophical questions that pop into my head. Enjoy!

Katsudon - Serves 1
Katsudon is a Japanese dish of deep fried pork cutlet on a bed of rice with onions, eggs and a sweet sake based sauce. Apart from deep frying the pork cutlet the dish is very fast and easy to make.

Ingredients - Pork Cutlet

• 1 medium pork loin
• White flour
• 2 eggs
• Fresh bread crumbs
• Salt and pepper

Ingredients - Sauce

• 50ml water
• 1tbsp soy sauce
• 1tbsp sake
• 1tsp sugar
• 1/4 onion

Ingredients - Other

• Fresh steamed rice
• 1 Spring onion

1. Preheat some vegetable oil in a small pot (enough oil so the pork loin can be submerged), also go make some rice with your rice cooker!
2. Make small diagonal cuts on the pork loin and sprinkle with salt and pepper on one side
3. Place the pork loin into the flour and coat it well 
4. Crack one egg into a small dish and add 1tbsp of water, stir the mixture well and coat the pork loin with the mixture
5. Place the pork loin into the bread crumbs and coat well
6. Test if the oil is hot by adding a pinch of flour. If it sizzles, place pork loin into the oil, fry until golden brown or 5 min
7. Remove pork loin and drain on a paper towel, cut in to vertical strips and set aside
8. Place all the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl and mix well, add to sauce pan
9. Chop onion up into slices and add to sauce pan, bring sauce pan up to a boil (high heat)
10. Add sliced pork loin to pan, cover and simmer at low heat for 3 min
11. Crack 1 egg into the sauce pan and spread evenly, cook at high heat for 30 seconds
12. Spoon some freshly steamed rice in to a bowl and pour contents of sauce pan on top
13. Add spring onions as garnish

I used parsley as garnish but it's okay!