A typical summer day in Hong Kong. I looked out staring pathetically at the dreary weather. With my feet curled up under my blue skirt, I rested my head on the top of our white couch, sighing.
After running around the office all day delivering packages, editing scripts, writing documents I was thoroughly exhausted. Besides work I was barely making it to my regular pilates/barre/yoga/circuit training classes and family meals. It suddenly felt so strange I had time to actually sit down and rest. I had nothing to do. Nothing. The word echoed silently in the vast emptiness of my mind. It almost felt surreal. Yet it felt unfamiliar and strange.
Like anyone else, I always wanted “more time for myself”; wondering “when the next break” would be; dreaming about “what if..I could do this..”. Now that I did have time, I didn’t like it as much as I thought. Humans are so strange. We never are satisfied with what we have, we always want more and more. I have seen people who are less happier than those who possess way more than they need. Happiness was definitely not a gift, nor something that can be brought; but rather something we choose to have.
One thing that I personally love to do that makes me feel happy is cooking. Putting on the apron and heading to the kitchen is like putting on a shiny armor for a soldier. I felt proud, I felt content. It was where I belong. Minutes and hours can fly by without me realizing. I find joy in the smell of baked bread, or bruised lemongrass. It really is truly amazing. Both the eyes, mind, nose and fingers work together in perfect harmony to create a perfect dish. I spotted a bag of frozen shrimp that was leftover thawing out in the sink. I immediately picked it up and started brainstorming what I could do with it.
The scent of spicy ginger, the pungent onions, the sweet garlic and aromatic peppers floated into the air. I inhaled the beautiful smells. I smiled. This is what I had been waiting all week for.
To avoid using soy, we simply seasoned the shrimp with a little salt. The Korean chili pepper flakes added a beautiful red hue to the dish, giving it a bright splash of color. The key to this dish is the aromatics. I know 6 cloves of garlic and 7 stalks of spring onion sounds like a lot, but when under high heat, it will wilt to almost nothing. The simpleness of this dish is what makes it so brilliant. I had my dad stand next to the gloomy window holding up our reflector to help with our pictures. He couldn’t resist but take a bite. He confirmed what I suspected. It was amazing.
Despite the abundance of grey clouds congregating in the sky, it acted like a diffuser, only allowing the occasional ray of light to softly penetrate through the windows creating the perfect lighting for photography. It wasn’t so bad after all. This gloomy weather, the unrestricted afternoon I had to freely play around in the kitchen. I was content. I was happy, simply because I had chosen to be.
Our meal prep from last week: Korean Chili Shrimp Stirfry (Recipe Below), Mushroom Laab Salad (Recipe Here), Pan Fried Tofu, Stirfried Bok Choy.
Price per box (Serves 6): HKD $18.08 (USD $2.31) – including 1 x korean chili shrimp recipe, 1 x mushroom laab salad, 1 block of tofu, bag of bok choy
- 1 lb Shrimp (or mixed seafood)
- 1 small carrot, julienned
- 1 onion
- 6 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1" ginger
- 7 spring onions
- Sesame seed (optional)
- Seasonings:
- 1 tsp salt
- 1.5 tbsp gochugaru (korean chili pepper)
- 2 tsp agave/honey (or stevia/sugar of choice)
- Finely mince the onions and ginger.
- Cut the spring onions into 1" pieces, separating the green tops and the white bottoms.
- Heat a non-stick pan. Add in sliced ginger, onions, white parts of the spring onion. Stirfry for 3-4 minutes until soft.
- Add in the carrots and cook or another 3-4 minutes.
- Add in the minced garlic, shrimp and the rest of the seasonings. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the seafood is just done.
- Stir in the reserved spring onions (green part). Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
Leave a Reply