Southern food has a soul and a story. As does Asian cuisine.

On this blog I love blending flavors from different cultures. That is what “Southern” food is truly all about.

Famed Atlanta chef, Hugh Acheson, said it best in this article: “Southern food is a celebration of the people within the community, using the agrarian bounty that is constantly around them. It pays homage to the past but is a constantly evolving, ebbing with the seasons and flowing with the constant progression of the South.”

Po’ boy (a traditional sandwich from New Orleans, Louisiana) meet Szechuan shrimp. Szechuan shrimp is one of my favorite dishes that my dad will make for us when we visit my family in Virginia. The taste is amazing, but the preparation is amazingly easy.

This Asian inspired po’ boy really gives you a swift kick in the mouth from the spices, and I think I may be serving this up as part of our Superbowl party on Sunday.

Szechuan Shrimp Po’ Boys (serves 2 to 3)
1 pound jumbo shrimp (about 15-20 shrimp), peeled and devined
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup panko crumbs
2 tablespoons, plus 1 tablespoon canola oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons ginger, minced
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
2 tablespoons water
Wasabi Coleslaw (recipe below)
1 freshly baked French baguette (commonly found in most grocery stores)

Let’s Cook:
Preheat the oven to 400˚F.

Combine the egg whites and black pepper in a medium bowl. Dip the shrimp individually into the egg white to coat well. Then cover each shrimp with panko crumbs, making sure to press down slightly to ensure that the crumbs stick to the shrimp.

Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat for about 2 minutes, then place the shrimp into the skillet. Let fry for about 2 minutes, then flip each shrimp to the uncooked side. Then place the cast iron skillet into the preheated oven and bake for 4-5 minutes, or until the shrimp turn pink.

While the shrimp is in the oven, heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the ginger and garlic to the saucepan and saute for about 1 minute. Then add the ketchup, soy sauce, Sriracha and water – mix well. Turn the heat down to low and let the sauce simmer until the shrimp is ready to be removed from the oven.

To make the sandwiches, cut the French baguette into the length that you desire (5″ to 8″), cut the baguette down the middle but not all the way through. Add as much wasabi coleslaw as you would like, then top with pieces of shrimp (3 to 4 shrimp per sandwich) and finally spoon about 1/2 tablespoon of the ketchup sauce on top of each shrimp.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

Wasabi Coleslaw
1 cup shredded green cabbage
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/3 cup wasabi mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste

I started this blog almost two years ago as a not only a way to archive my family’s recipes, but to also explore eating health benefits of Asian cuisine and staying fit and healthy.

I have always prided myself on being more on the athletic side, from cross country in middle school to varsity tennis in high school to dancing in college. (Yup, that’s me)

When we moved to the suburbs 2 years ago, I stopped dancing but took up kung fu. After almost a year of training in kung fu, and working my way up to a brown belt, I quit because I realized that I was more of a lover than a fighter.

Over the past year I have relied on my own will power to stay in shape, with my only form of exercise being when I am able to somehow convince myself to go for a run (I hate running) or when I take the dogs for a walk. (I did manage to complete a half-marathon though.) This, combined with an incredible amount of stress from work, not treating myself well and eating like crazy (a side effect of having a food blog).

I finally came to the realization that the reason I was feeling so crappy was because I was slowly gaining weight, pants were getting tighter and I was just was no longer feeling healthy anymore. Even though I think we eat relatively healthy foods in our house, not working out was starting to take a toll on me, both physically and mentally.

So, while this is not exactly a New Year’s resolution (I started a membership at the gym in early December), I am on a quest to get myself back to my high school weight (have about 35 lbs to lose). And I decided that if I share this goal with all of you… you can help hold me accountable for my actions.

Never fear, this will remain a primarily a food blog. Food is one of my great passions, and it is also such a big part of staying healthy and fit. I will throw in a bit of…
- Thoughts about working out… the blood, sweat and tears,
- Workouts that I am currently obsessing over,
- Any races or events that I’m training for,
- What foods and recipes I’m working on that are both healthy but yummy.

It’s only been a month, but I am already feeling happier and much less stressed now that a regular workout schedule has been put in place.

Glancing over at my 101 in 1001 list, here are a few goals that I’m working towards in the health section:

1. Get back to my high school weight
2. Go on a yoga retreat.
3. Go without soda for a month
4. Complete a sprint triathlon

I hope you join me on my journey. I’m excited to see what’s in store this year!

In the meantime, I will leave you with this easy tilapia recipe that incorporates the Chinese cooking “holy trinity” if you will: green onions, garlic and ginger. This dish is easy enough to make for a quick and healthy lunch, but fancy enough for a weekday dinner.

Tilapia with Green Onions, Garlic and Ginger (2 servings)
2 tilapia fillets
1/2 tablespoon canola oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 thumbsized piece of fresh ginger, minced
1/2 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
4 green onions, cut into 1/2 inch long pieces

Let’s Cook:
Rinse and pat dry the tilapia fillets, then cut each fillet into 7 or 8 pieces, about 2 inches long.

Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Then add the tilapia fillet and let cook for about 2 minutes until the side is slightly golden. Then flip the fillets over and add the garlic and ginger to the skillet, sprinkle evenly over the fillets. After cooking for about 1 minute, add the soy sauce and let cook for another minute.

Finally, add the green onions and flip the tilapia fillets again. Let cook for another minute, then remove from heat.

Serve with jasmine rice and enjoy!

My favorite type of taco: the fish taco. Hands down.

I should clarify… Even before my pescetarian days, fish tacos were my favorite even when I would eat the beef, chicken, pork and duck tacos.

However, I have found that fish tacos are either a huge hit or big miss when it comes to dining out in restaurants. I have a small catalog of local Atlanta restaurants that have the best fish tacos, and will only order fish tacos when I have the chance to visit those eateries.

Since visiting these restaurants with the great fish tacos now requires a 45 minute drive (hello, suburb life), I finally decided to roll up my sleeves and make my own.

Tilapia is one of my favorite types of fish to cook with. When farmed in the US in environmentally friendly systems, is a sustainable form of seafood. But you have to make sure to be aware of what you are buying in the stores because a lot of the tilapia found in US stores actually comes from China/Taiwan or Central/South America (source: Monterey Bay Aquarium).

If you just ask the fish monger at the store, they will be able to tell you the exact origin of the seafood, if it isn’t already labeled in the display. I’m partial to buying most of my seafood at Whole Foods not only because I know that they are more environmentally conscious than most other stores, but the fish mongers are a lot more friendly and helpful as well.

This fish taco recipe lends itself to be great for both tailgating and in-home football watching parties. The fish, onions and tortillas can be cooked on either an outdoor grill or on your stove top. The Mexican rice can be prepped beforehand and transported to your tailgating spot and serves as a great side to these tacos.

What game(s) are you looking forward to watching this weekend? I know most of the Southeast, including us, will be glued to the LSU v. Alabama game tomorrow.

Grilled Fish Tacos (serves 2)

Tacos and marinade
2 Tilapia fillets, about 3/4 lb
1/3 cup olive oil
juice from 1 lime
zest of one lime
1 teaspoon agave
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon seafood seasoning (e.g. Old Bay)
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (e.g. Sriracha)
4 flour tortillas

Sauce/dressing
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon lime juice
zest from half of a lime
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder

Topping items
grilled onions
diced tomatoes
roasted corn, cut off the cob
avocado slices

Let’s Cook:
Mix together the olive oil, lime juice, lime zest, agave, cumin, chili powder, seafood seasoning and hot sauce in a small mixing bowl. Marinate the tilapia in the mixture for 1 to 2 hours.

In the meantime, roast the corn in the oven for 30 minutes at 350˚F.

Preheat an outdoor grill on high heat and lightly oil the grate. Remove the fish from the marinate and discard any access liquid. Grill fish on the grill for about 8-9 minutes, until the pieces are easily flaked with a fork. To grill onions for topping, slice the onions and grill on the same grill as the fish for about 3-4 minutes, until the onions start to brown on the edges.

To make dressing, mix all ingredients together in a small bowl.

To assemble tacos, heat tortilla on the grill for about 1 minute, flipping halfway through. Then place desired number of fish pieces in the middle of the tortilla, topped with onions, corn, tomatoes, avocado and sour cream dressing.

Mexican Rice (serves 6) adapted from Pioneer Woman’s recipe
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups, long grain rice, uncooked
1 can Rotel, Original diced tomatoes & green chilies
1 tomato, cut into small chunks
1 can vegetable broth (14oz.)
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

Let’s Cook:
Heat the vegetable oil on medium high heat in a skillet. Add the onion and garlic and saute for about 2 minutes, then add the rice and saute over low heat for another 2 minutes.

Add the Rotel and tomato, and stir to combine. Let cook for 2 minutes.

Add the vegetable broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Then turn down to low, cover and let simmer for 10 to 12 minutes. Fluff when the rice is done, serve and enjoy!

When my dear friend, Patricia, invited me to take a cooking class with her at the Buford Highway Farmers Market. I immediately jumped at the chance because where else can you learn some new recipes, eat a fun dinner and get a $10 farmers market gift card – all for a total of $20. Seriously, the best deal in Atlanta.

The topic for that particular evening was “Chinese Drive-In Night” with Chinese Southern Belle. Which I found so fun because of the combinations of traditional American dishes made with some great Asian flavors. Burgers seasoned with green onions and ginger, burger buns made from rice, fries made from Korean Yams and cole slaw with Wasabi dressing.

The rice cakes immediately reminded me of these rice burgers that I saw while in Taiwan a few years ago. My brother and I saw them at a McDonald’s while playing tourists at Taipei 101. While I couldn’t stomach eating any McDonald’s, even overseas, my little bro ordered a rice burger and chowed down while I stared at the rice buns in amazement.

The rice cakes are wonderfully crispy on the outside and chewy, sticky goodness on the inside. I prefer to eat these burgers open face because as good as the sticky rice is, having two rice cakes with one burger is a bit too much rice, even for me.

P.S. Thank you SO much for your kind words about my new photography portfolio site. Lots of work went into putting it together, and yet, it’s still a work in progress! Thanks for the words of encouragement! Lord knows I need it right now! hehe

Salmon Burger (serves 4)
Ingredients
3/4 lb wild salmon, cut into small 1/4 inch (or smaller) cubes
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1/4 cup panko, plus more for coating
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 egg

Let’s Cook:
Mix all the ingredients together well in a medium mixing bowl. Form burger patties from 1/2 cup mixture each, flatten to about 1/4 inch thickness and coat each side with additional panko.

Grill or pan fry for about 3 to 4 minutes each side. Serve with below rice cakes and coleslaw.

Sesame Sticky Rice Cakes (makes 6 cakes) – adapted from Chinese Southern Belle’s Chinese Drive-In Night cooking class
Ingredients
2 cups glutinous rice
4 cups water
1/3 cup corn starch
1 1/2 T sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
vegetable oil, for frying

Let’s Cook:
Steam the sticky rice using a steamer and this method.

Press the rice out on a flat surface (I used a cookie sheet). Make sure the rice is firmly pressed together, you want the rice cakes to be dense. Cut rice cakes out into circles about the same size as the burgers.

Mix together the corn starch, sesame seeds and salt in a small mixing bowl. Then coat each side of the rice cakes with this mixture.

Pan fry each rice cake in vegetable oil over medium high heat, until both sides are golden brown. Serve with salmon burgers from above.

Ginger Korean Yam Fries (serves 4) – adapted from Chinese Southern Belle’s Chinese Drive-In Night cooking class
Ingredients
3 Korean yams, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch thick strips
2 tablespoons corn starch
3 tablepoons water
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
1 teaspoon cinnamon
vegetable oil, for frying
salt, to taste

Let’s Cook:
Mix the corn starch, water, ginger and cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl. Add the Korean yam strips and coat well with the corn starch mixture.

Heat the vegetable oil in a deep pan over high heat, then fry the Korean yam strips until they are golden brown, about 8 – 10 minutes.

Remove from oil, I like to place the fries on paper towels to soak up the extra oil. Sprinkle with salt. Serve immediately.

Asian Cole Slaw with Wasabi Dressing (serves 4) – adapted from Chinese Southern Belle’s Chinese Drive-In Night cooking class
Ingredients
6 cups Napa cabbage, sliced thinly
1/2 cup Daikon radish, shredded
1 red pepper, seed removed and then sliced thinly
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons wasabi mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt

Let’s Cook:
Mix the Napa cabbage, radish re pepper and green onions together in a large mixing bowl.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients and mix well together. Pour over the vegetables and toss well. Serve with the burgers and rice cakes.

In October 2010, I made the decision to stick to a vegetarian diet. The reasons were two fold: the horrid situations at factory farms and I just felt healthier when I was on a vegetarian diet.

However in the recent months I have started to eat seafood again. Although having seafood is still a relatively rare occasion, I do try to keep in mind exactly what I am cooking and consuming. Ever since I started volunteering at the Georgia Aquarium, and took their Seafood Savvy class, I have been much more aware of what seafood I am cooking and ordering at restaurants.

“Increased demand for popular seafood is depleting global fish stocks and harming the health of our oceans.”

When we went to purchase the shrimp for this low country boil, I made sure to select shrimp that were fished from US boats. This was important because shrimp are fished by bottom trawling, which is fishing by dragging a fishing net behind a boat along the bottom of the ocean. The cons of this type of fishing is that there is a lot of habitat destruction and a lot of by-catch. Many times this by-catch includes sea turtles. Sea turtles are very dear to me, I think they are magnificent creatures and I love getting to see them when I go scuba diving.

Luckily, all US boats that fish by trawling are required to use TEDs (Turtle Exclusion Device) and BRDs (By-catch Reduction Devices).  In fact, the state of Georgia led the nation in using BRDs and TEDs.

A fun tip: If you do get a chance to visit the Georgia Aquarium, make sure to ask a volunteer or staff member to show you where the Turtle Exclusion Device is. There is one hanging from the ceiling in the Georgia Explorer exhibit, it’s pretty neat to see in person.

Lowcountry boils are prominent throughout Georgia and South Carolina, as well as Alabama – as I have discovered while tailgating before college football games. A lowcountry boil is very similar to Louisana’s crawfish boil, however shrimp is used instead of crawfish and the boil is cooked with a relatively mild seasoning compared to Louisana’s concoction of cayenne pepper and hot sauce.

The orgins of this lowcountry boil come from the Gullah people of the islands along the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina. When Africans in the slave trade would bring African, French and Spanish cooking influences. The lowcountry boil was born through the need to quickly and easily create meals for large groups of people.

Ingredients (makes 4 servings): Inspired by Paula Deen’s recipe.
- Crab/Shrimp boil seasoning, 2 tbsp per quart of water
- 5 new potatoes
- 4 ears of yellow or white corn
- 1 pound of shrimp, unpeeled
- Optional: Juice from one lemon

Let’s Cook!
Fill a large pot with enough water to cover all of the ingredients, and bring to a boil. Add the crab boil seasoning seasoning. While cooking the rest of the ingredients, adjust the crab boil to suit your taste. Add the potatoes and cook on medium heat for 20 minutes. Add corn and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Add the lemon juice. Add shrimp and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and serve. Enjoy!

Photo credit: Thank you to Jacob of Esther JuLee Photography for the fun instagram photo of me and Esther fighting the balmy Georgia heat to get the perfect food photo before we dig in. Yes, “patience is key when eating with professional photographers.”