A magical trick with leftovers : Japanese rice balls
Leftovers are almost inevitable when we prepare or take a meal. We are pleased to have clubhouse chefs at properties managed by Kai Shing, who exchange cooking tips with residents on many occasions, explain how to reduce food waste at home. Act now to become a gourmet well-versed in food-saving tricks!
An array of fresh vegetables, fish and meat at the market always tempts us to buy more than we need at a time, leading to foodstuffs being thrown away when they expire or spoil. To avoid wasting food is as easy as pie indeed. Note down purchase dates and the amount of foodstuffs bought, then apply the 'first in, first out' principle – consume those bought earlier first – to better ensure the freshness of ingredients.
Raw ingredients such as vegetable roots and stems, bones, shrimp heads and crusts that are generally discarded can 'live a second life'. You may prepare mixed vegetable soup or pot with leftovers to boost fibre intake in your diet. Alternatively, mash the leftover vegetables with a food mixer and add sago and coconut milk to produce a tasty, nutritious sago dessert. The seemingly useless shrimp heads can be deep-fried and mixed with leftover lettuce and cucumber to make a mouth-watering salad. You may enjoy a fine mix of crisp and refreshing goodness straight away.
Let's also consider the food that has been cooked but not consumed, such as rice and soup dregs. Leftover pork from a soup may not look palatable, but soup-cooking has already carried out the parboiling process that is essential to the preparation of other delicacies. For instance, leftover pork being put in a stew with fermented bean curd and lotus root will be tastier. The trick also helps save a lot of cooking time. How about excess cooked rice? Chef Woo Chi-wai from the Park Island clubhouse says making Japanese rice balls can be an option.
Japanese rice balls
| Ingredients | |
| Rice (leftovers) | 140g |
| King oyster mushrooms (leftover top parts) | Pinch |
| Carrots (leftover base parts) | Pinch |
| Broccoli (leftover stems) | Pinch |
| Pork, beef or chicken meat (leftover bits from cutting) | Pinch |
| Black olives | Pinch |
| Salt | To taste |
| Japanese soy sauce | To taste |
Instructions
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Rinse and dice the king oyster mushrooms, carrots and broccoli;
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Season the meat, king oyster mushrooms, carrots, broccoli and black olives with salt and soy sauce; then stir-fry in a wok for three minutes;
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Wrap the fried ingredients in leftover rice, shape into balls and serve;
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Add seaweed, tuna, eggplant slices and others to taste.