Chinese tomato egg stir-fry

LEAH’S NOTEBOOK:

*PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SKIP MY MUSINGS AND GO DIRECTLY TO THE RECIPE.

Hello, friends! Happy New Year! I hope that your year is off to a good start. The beginning of 2023 is very wet for us who live in California. I have learned new words in the last few weeks in describing the weather such as atmospheric river, bomb cyclone and Pineapple Express. Two days ago, we experienced hailstones and even a small tornado! Who would have thought that we would see a tornado in California! On a more serious note, my heart goes out to those who lost their lives and homes that were destroyed by the flooding and fallen trees. This historic storm is truly devastating and we are expecting two more this week. I am very grateful that my home has not been affected by the storm and my loved ones are safe.

I also feel that I missed the holidays. I was sick with strep throat infection and yucky viral bugs for the first two weeks of December! I missed almost two weeks of work! I fully bounced back right after but I missed out on my personal Christmas traditions that I look forward to year after year such as enjoying the sights and sounds of San Francisco during the holidays. Luckily, BFF and I got to do our yearly BFF Holiday Wine Date at the Ferry Building and treats exchange the day before I got sick. Fast forward to Christmas Eve (after losing two weeks while being mostly in bed!) — Mr Sweetie and I hosted Christmas celebration where we had 30 family members as guests. The food was delicious and it was a great get together despite being bittersweet as we lost his dad last June. NYE was quiet. We managed to wake up 45 minutes before the ball dropped after having an early dinner and falling asleep while watching Twilight Zone marathon. LOL! I hosted a French Toasts brunch for 5 the next morning on New Year’s Day and finally had a get together with my siblings on the first Saturday of 2023. My girlfriends and I also finally had our first annual holiday dinner since the pandemic at a really delicious restaurant in San Francisco’s Mission District (I am still thinking of the butternut quesadilla that we had to this day!) before the New Year.

Okay! Thank you for allowing me to chronicle my holiday memories of 2022! I am truly excited for 2023 and looking forward to new adventures and new possibilities. My intentions for 2023 are to slow down, quiet my mind and soul by turning off the unnecessary everyday noises and continue to grow in my faith.

Wishing you and your loved ones all the blessings of great health, of finding joys along the way and delicious togetherness with people that you hold dear in your heart this new year!

CHINESE TOMATO AND EGG STIR-FRY

(1-2 servings)

I came across the recipe of this dish somewhere on Instagram. Chinese tomato and egg stir fry has been described by many who grew up in Chinese household as comfort food. I am not Chinese but I remember eating stir-fried egg and tomatoes for breakfast in the Philippines with garlic rice. My childhood dish was the simpler version of being seasoned with only salt and pepper and sometimes fish sauce as compared to the Chinese way of preparing this dish. This stir-fry is so simple yet delicious. It takes about 10 minutes to make from start to finish. I first made this dish at the end of last summer with my own tomatoes that I planted and harvested. This has become my go-to whenever I want something quick, easy and comforting. Since the pandemic, I have been slowly stocking up my pantry with seasonings that were not familiar to me such as Shaoxing wine, rice wine, different types of Asian peppers, etc but are staples in Asian cuisines. I urge you to do the same as having on them on hand has brought me new delicious adventures in my kitchen.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large eggs
• 2 medium tomatoes, sliced into quarters
• 1/4 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp Shaoxing wine *see note
• To taste: soy sauce, salt, white pepper
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil (divided)
• 1 scallion, sliced
• 1/2 tsp minced ginger (optional)
• About 2 tbsp water

1. In a small bowl, beat eggs together.
2. Add Shaoxing wine, white pepper, sesame oil and salt to the beaten eggs.
3. Heat a wok or nonstick skillet to medium until hot. Add 1 tablespoon oil.
4. Pour in the egg mixture and scramble while cooking. Remove from heat while still soft. Transfer to a plate.
5. Pour the rest of the vegetable oil and turn the heat to medium high. Add the quartered tomatoes, sliced scallions and ginger (if using) and stir-fry for a minute. Add sugar and water.
6. Put back the scrambled eggs into the vegetable mixture and drizzle soy sauce to taste. Cover and cook until the tomatoes are soft for about another minute.
7. Serve over hot rice. Top with more scallions, if desired.

MY NOTES

1. Shaoxing wine adds a level of depth to a dish. Only very little is used such as about a tablespoon for a big dish. Here is a very informative post about Shaoxing wine from a wonderful blog: RecipeTins Eats.
2. Update (01.29.2023) — I forgot to mention that I used vegan eggs in these photos, hence, they are not as runny as real eggs but still very delicious!

Did you make CHINESE TOMATO AND EGG STIR FRY? Please let me know by leaving a comment below.