Fried Chicken Bowl

Never would I have thought that fried chicken would one day be featured in my bowl meals because fried chicken - KFC style, the fried chicken we grew up eating, is one of the last food dishes I would cook at home.

Out of sight, out of mind. Well, that was until this $2 off fried chicken coupon was sighted in my supermarket shopping account. And what can be better than using this discount to buy an item that I would never prepare/cook at home.


How about waiting for a double discount deal? That popped up in my mind. I will wait for a 5-dollar Friday - that's when 8-piece fried chicken goes on sale for $5 (vs other times, almost twice the price, about $9); then use this $2 discount on this 5-dollar Friday.Woot! 8-piece fried chicken (mix of fried drumsticks and thighs) for $3! (pardon the overuse of exclamation marks).

That's frugal living (did you know: our family also uses store-bought whole rotisserie chicken to prep the family's protein bowls); and planning ahead is part of frugal living including today's semi-homecooked bowl meal.

Continue Reading >>

Pan-Fried Leftover Gimbap with Egg

Nothing (or almost nothing) comes to waste when it comes to frugal-living cooking, even for that tricky leftover cooked fish. For example, leftover snapper fillets from last night dinner was transformed to egg frittata upgraded with veggies and rolled oats. Egg frittatas because our family loves egg frittatas e.g. Onion Egg Frittata, Chive Egg Frittata, Gouda Cheese Egg Frittata and Frozen Veggies Egg Frittata.

Today's leftover did not end up as any kind of egg frittata. But egg still made magic when it comes to leftover Gimbap transformation. 


You can also make homemade healthy sushi, then pan-fry them with egg, this same way.

Continue Reading >>

Pico De Gallo / Salsa Egg Frittata

Egg frittata is my go-to for egg makeovers. Our family still enjoy our routine hard-boiled eggs and occasionally, sunnyside up sheet-pan style. But egg frittata is one of those clever ways to load up the eggs with leftovers, extras, add-ons - in short, "bonuses".

Adding on to this egg frittatas list of Onion Egg Frittata, Chive Egg Frittata, Gouda Cheese Egg Frittata, Frozen Veggie Egg Frittata, Leftover Fish Egg Frittata is this Pico De Gallo/Salsa Egg Frittata using leftover Pico De Gallo, idea inspired from a popular dish Asian-style fry tomato with eggs.




You may want to use salsa if you have leftover salsa but do take note, salsa is a more blended version of tomatoes, onions, jalapeno, so it tends to be more "watery" and liquid than Pico De Gallo (preferred) which is a mixture of fresh chopped tomato, onion, jalapeno, lime, and cilantro. 

Continue Reading >>

Broccoli, Green Beans Chicken Protein Bowl

It's back to grain bowls, veggie bowls, protein bowls whatever you call it, once again

Almost like this Broccoli, Green Beans Noodle Salad without gluten-free high-protein noodles, this Broccoli, Green Beans Chicken Breast Protein Bowl is made from leftover rotisserie chicken which to-date is still my family's best wallet-friendly time-saving meal-prep that I am going to repeat for as long as my website is kept alive. Besides, rotisserie chicken is very versatile Broccoli Cauliflower Chicken Quinoa Bowl, 20-minute Chicken Salad, Chicken Salad Sandwich/Wrap, Chicken Collard Wraps.

Do you currently own an electric food steamer? Food steamers is one of my most-often utilized small kitchen appliance in the kitchen.

Continue Reading >>

Vegetarian Rice Paper Rolls

Instead of making Korean Pork Belly Lettuce Wraps or Tuna Chickpea Lettuce Endive Wraps, consider these light, refreshing vegetarian alternatives such as Peas and Corn Lettuce Wraps or Tofu Salad-Veggie Rolls. 

I have not made rice paper rolls for the longest time ever since these Summer Rice Paper Rolls. Just like salads, these low-carb gluten-free rolls is quite the perfect summer food. Minimal cooking, fuss-free preparation to save you from stove-top cooking; yet refreshing and satisfying to enjoy on warm summer days. 


These rolls are quick and easy to put together with this tip/trick: Buy your favorite store-bought salad-box vegetables (Note: combination with leafy greens + finely julienned carrots, beets, radishes, bell peppers preferred) so that you do not have to prep (rinsing/drying/slicing) a variety of vegetables from scratch. Fill rice paper wrapper with rainbow veggies straight from the salad-box, add thinly sliced firm tofu (Note: needs to be firm or super-firm tofu to ensure minimum moisture that is preferred for wrapping) and this 15-minute healthy meal is ready before you even know it.

Continue Reading >>

Easy Budget Edition Pen Cai 盆菜

Pen Cai (literally translates to “basin dish”) is a popular festive dish customarily enjoyed during Lunar New Year. A "basin dish" is a way to describe a brimming pot layered with premium seafood e.g. abalone, scallop, fish maw and meat e.g. roast pork. In short, a dish loaded with luxurious ingredients and delicacies to symbolize abundance and prosperity.

A menu mainstay in many Cantonese/Chinese restaurants during Lunar New Year, many home cooks now also make their own version at home.

Inspired by this concept, we made our own budget home version of "Pen Cai" with Chinese deli take-out leftovers (e.g. braised pork ribs, deep-fried-then-braised yuba/tofu sheets, fried prawns/shrimps).


Though not truly premium and luxurious, our home edition does not pale in flavors (and deliciousness). More importantly, it is very easy to prepare (compared to restaurant-style Pen Cai which might take an hour , minimum) and enjoyed by everyone at home.

Alternatively, this Abalone Scallops Veggie Hotpot Soup also makes the cut for Chinese New Year celebration.

Continue Reading >>

Cheesy Crispy Leftover Fries

A while ago, I shared "How to make leftover fries great again!" at social media, not intending to make a full post out of it here; then again I thought why not? A post does not always need to be lengthy as long as it captures the essence of the message. So, a quick post to share how to revive soggy leftover french fries and make them great again. Here comes Cheesy Crispy Leftover Fries.

Continue Reading >>

Chicken Veggies Rice Soup

A warm and comforting soupy grain bowl is one of those grain bowls or protein bowls sought after during cool weather season, which is right now.

If Leftover Chicken Breast Salad can be prepared in 20 minutes, why not this Chicken Veggies Rice Soup?

Continue Reading >>

Chicken Skin Tomato Bruschetta

Besides this updated Easy Garlic Bread Toast recipe, there is also an upgraded version - yet another easy and delicious recipe: Crispy Chicken Skin Tomato Bruschetta.


I love how the leftover chicken skin crisp up while the bread gets toasted in the oven. The chicken skin brought in savory flavors and a wow-factor into this otherwise ordinary bruschetta. Enjoy with this budget-friendly asparagus soup (made from "scraps" you might unknowingly discard).

Continue Reading >>

Leftover Fish Egg Frittata (+ Veggies + Oats)

Most of the times, there are no leftovers when it comes to cooked fish. Unlike leftover chicken, leftover cooked fish is trickier to deal with. But especially during inflationary times when bulk-buying groceries/produce/food items gets more bang for the buck - that's when you do buy more then usual, cook more than usual and THERE WILL BE leftovers.

Nothing comes to waste when it comes to frugal-living cooking, even for a tricky leftover cooked fish. There is always my beloved egg frittatas to turn to e.g. Onion Egg Frittata, Chive Egg Frittata, Gouda Cheese Egg Frittata and Frozen Veggies Egg Frittata.

So, the leftover snapper fillets from last night dinner were transformed to this Leftover Fish Egg Frittata upgraded with veggies and rolled oats.


Leftover cooked fish tend to be "dry", adding vegetables such as shredded carrots, or roasted zucchini helps re-introduce a little more moisture into the frittata. I also added (or sprinkled) some oats on top before oven-cooking the frittata, to make it texturally more exciting (plus it's added fiber too!).

Oh did I say? Though made into a protein bowl lunch here, these leftover fish egg frittata can be a great idea for a nutritious breakfast as well (yeah, that's rolled oats in there! right?)

Continue Reading >>

20-minute Leftover Chicken Breast Salad

Store-bought rotisserie chicken is our saviour when it comes to meal prepping for weekdays lunch and dinner (that's 10 meals!)

Make healthy protein bowls in a jiffy such as Chicken Broccoli Sweet Potato Bowl, Chicken Cauliflower Quinoa Bowl; also save and shred chicken breast the next day for Chicken Cabbage Salad, Chicken Broccoli with High-Protein-Noodle Salad, Chicken Salad Sandwich.


No time to shred the chicken breast? Simply enjoy chunky breast meat like an entree, with freshly steamed/roasted vegetables.

This meal today takes no more than 10 minutes cook time, with another 10 minutes preparation time to slice/prep the veggies. If you already have the veggies sliced/cut in advance: Congratulations! Because dinner will be ready in no more than 20 minutes, just like this 20-minute Sous Vide Beef Salad Bowl.

Continue Reading >>

Chicken Salad Sandwich/ Leftover Turkey Sandwich

Leftovers from Tandoori Chicken Salad? The leftovers can conveniently be used as fillings for sandwiches and wraps; and especially when making sandwiches using pita bread, this Tandoori Chicken Salad can easily be stuffed into the bread pockets.

What if you did not make Tandoori Chicken Salad? Don't worry, this Easy Chicken Salad made from leftover rotisserie chicken will also do the trick.

YESsss, yes, and yes! Of course, leftover turkey works perfect and in fact, so appropriate after all the Thanksgiving turkey leftovers.

Continue Reading >>

Tandoori Chicken Salad

Leftover chicken does wonders to salad or grain bowls; not only it saves time during grain bowl preparation, it is also a quick and easy protein add-on to any meal.

Today, we have leftover (leftover from Indian take-out) tandoori chicken, shredded and topped over a salad base of cherry tomatoes, arugula, lettuce and cucumber.


For vegetarians, replace the chicken with Korean Spicy Chilled Tofu, Korean Spicy Baked Tofu or Soy-Roasted Tofu.

Continue Reading >>

Chicken Broccoli Salad Bowl with Corn, Sweet Potato

My new-found favorite store-bought rotisserie chicken is the perfectly plain roasted variety from Whole Foods Market. By perfectly plain roasted, it means chicken, and no other seasonings. However, that does not mean no flavor. The chicken is still naturally flavorful, moist and tender.

Besides being wallet-friendly, a pre-cooked whole chicken saves time in the kitchen, so that a salad-bowl meal such as Broccoli, Cauliflower Chicken Quinoa Bowl, Asparagus Cauliflower Chicken Quinoa Bowl or this Vegetables and Rotisserie Chicken Bowl with Corn and Sweet Potato can be ready and steady in no time.


This is the kind of wholesome, healthy and delicious meal treat that I look forward to, after a good morning workout. Check these workout meals (pre- or post-workout) that were prepared with mindful eating and balanced nutrition in mind.

Continue Reading >>

Asparagus Soup (without cream) 芦笋浓汤

2022 update: As part of sharing frugal kitchen tips/tricks and zero-waste kitchen, this is an updated post focusing on saving the fibrous bottom stems of asparagus (which are often discarded as the tender top stems are consumed) to make soup. While the original post was about blanching the bottom stems, today's update is roasting the bottom stems as it imparts more flavors into the blended soup.

[Preparing asparagus] Separate the fibrous bottom end and less fibrous top spears - hold the entire spear at both ends and gently bend the spear till it breaks into two (where the spear naturally snaps), leaving you with tender less fibrous top spears and more fibrous bottom stems. Make Asparagus with Maitake Mushroom Stir-Fry with the tender tops while keeping the bottom stems to make Asparagus Soup.
[Roasting asparagus bottoms] 400F/20-30mins, roast asparagus with chopped onions/green onions, garlic powder and black pepper. To save time cutting onions, use onion powder instead of chopped onions/green onions.
[Making soup] Recipe found in the original post below using immersion blender or use power blender with option to add cream/milk for thicker soup consistency.

---Original posted 2013---
The entire asparagus - bottom stems (peeled) and spear tops usually end up as stir-fries in my kitchen. However, when tender tips are used for steaming or in en-papillote recipes, the bottom stems are saved for a soup like this Asparagus Soup.


Asparagus Soup 芦笋浓汤
All you need is homemade chicken stock (made by boiling chicken, ginger and onions). Vegetarians can use homemade vegetable broth. First, blanch the bottom stems of the asparagus, allow to cool. Reheat/boil homemade chicken stock (or vegetable stock/broth), then add in bunch of bottom stems. When stems soften, turn off the heat. Puree using hand-blender. Salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with fresh green/spring onions and serve warm.

A spring light lunch - soup served with "flat-bread" pizza!