Pork Fried Rice

I started my new salicylate elimination diet today, but I still managed to make a pretty satisfying and tasty meal. Fried rice has always been one of my favorite things, but leaving soy sauce out of the recipe can leave the finished product a little bland. I have recently been using fish sauce more and decided to try it for a little kick in my fried rice. The result was really good--tasty, but not over-powering.



Pork Fried Rice
3/4 c brown rice
2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp fish sauce
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced on the diagonal
2 thin cut pork chops, sliced into strips
8 - 12 spears asparagus, chopped into 1" pieces
a handful of bean sprouts
a splash of fresh lime juice
salt to taste

1. Cook the rice according to package directions. This can be done up to 2-3 days in advance.
2. Heat the sesame oil in a skillet or wok on high heat. Add the onion and celery, and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Add the pork strips, and cook until no longer pink.
4. Toss in the asparagus and bean sprouts. Stir fry another 2-3 minutes.
5. Add the rice, fish sauce, and lime juice. Stir fry until heated through. Season with salt to taste.

Salicylate Elimination Diet

Salicylates are chemicals that occur naturally in many plants acting as a natural immune hormone and preservative, protecting the plants against diseases, insects, fungi, and harmful bacteria. Salicylates are also created synthetically and are a major ingredient in pain-relieving medications like aspirin. It has recently come to my attention that many foods contain salicylates, and given my severe allergy to aspirin, I have decided to remove these foods from my diet for a time to see if my health improves.

Considering my already limited diet, this poses some challenges for consuming enough calories on a daily basis. The following is a list of all of the foods I can eat for the next 3 weeks.

Fruits	Banana, lime, pear - peeled, apple - golden delicious only, papaya
Veggies	Asparagus, bamboo, bean sprouts, beans - dried, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, chives, leek, lentils - brown or red, lettuce - iceburg, onion, shallots
Nuts, Seeds & Oils	Cashews, hazelnuts, pecans, poppy seeds, safflower oil, sunflower oil
Grains	Buckwheat, millet, rice
Meat	Beef, chicken, lamb, pork, salmon, turkey, white fish
Misc	Arrowroot, cocoa, fennel - dried, garlic, maple syrup, parsley, rice flour, saffron, salt, sugar, tapioca

If anyone has any suggestions for recipes including only these ingredients, please let me know!

Homemade Pho

There are almost as many pho (Vietnamese noodle soup, pronounced "fuh") places as there are coffee places in Seattle, so needless to say, people here like their pho. On a rainy winter day, few things are as appealing as a hot bowl of sweet and spicy noodle soup. With the record-breaking rainy weather we have been having here, I decided to make my own pho to satisfy my craving.

Although the recipe takes a little while to put together and requires a few non-standard pantry items, it is well worth the effort.




Pho
Broth
1 onion, halved
2" piece of ginger, halved lengthwise
2-3 lbs of beef bones, preferably leg and knuckle
3 quarts of water
1/2 cinnamon stick
1/2 tbsp coriander seeds
1/2 tbsp fennel seeds
2 whole star anise
1 cardamom pod
3 whole cloves
3/4 tbsp salt
2 tbsp fish sauce
3 tsp sugar

The Fixin's
1 lb rice noodles
1/2 lb flank steak, london broil, sirloin or eye of round, sliced as thin as possible
4-5 basil stems
1 lime, cut into wedges
1 jalapeno, sliced
2 big handfuls of bean sprouts

Preparation
1. Turn your broiler on high and move rack to the highest spot. Place ginger and onions on baking sheet. Brush just a bit of cooking oil on the cut side of each. Broil on high until ginger and onions begin to char. Turn over and continue to char. This should take a total of 10-15 minutes.
2. Fill large pot with water. Bring the water to a boil, then add the bones, keeping the heat on high. Boil vigorously for 10 minutes. Drain, rinse the bones and rinse out the pot. Refill pot with the bones and the 3 qts of cool water. Bring to boil over high heat and lower to simmer. Using a ladle or a fine mesh strainer, remove any scum that rises to the top.
3. Place the cinnamon stick, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, star anise, cardamom pod and the cloves into a mesh spice bag.
4. Add ginger, onion, spice bag, sugar, fish sauce, salt and simmer uncovered for 2 - 3 hours. Strain broth and return the broth to the pot. Taste broth and adjust seasoning - If the broth isn't flavorful enough yet, add 1 teaspoon more of fish sauce, a large pinch of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. Keep doing this until the broth tastes perfect.
5. Slice your flank/london broil/sirloin as thin as possible - freeze for 15 minutes prior to slicing to make it easier. Arrange all other ingredients on a platter for the table. Your guests will assemble their own bowls. Follow the directions on your package of rice noodles.
6. Bring your broth back to a boil. Line up your soup bowls next to the stove. Fill each bowl with rice noodles and raw meat slices. As soon as the broth comes back to a boil, ladle into each bowl. The hot broth will cook your raw beef slices. Serve immediately. Guests can garnish their own bowls as they wish with the bean sprouts, lime wedges, basil and jalapeno slices.


Tips
- For people without my crazy food allergies, add a bit of hoisin sauce and Sriracha hot sauce for added flavor.

Wednesday 6/2

Forever 21 tee. Turquoise Boutique jeans. Katie & Kelly shoes.

Tuesday 6/1

Getting dressed the last few days before vacation is really hard. I don't want to wear anything that I want to take with me, so I end up digging through the "other end" of my closet.

Turquoise Boutique jeans and tee. BCBG shoes.

Monday 5/31

Happy Memorial Day. The sun finally came out this afternoon!

Forever 21 tee. Turquoise Boutique jeans. BCBG shoes.

Sunday 5/30

Another cold and gray day ): I blame the weather for my lack of color lately.

Turquoise Boutique sweater, jeans and flats. Forever 21 bodysuit.