Fried Sushi Rice Balls

Life has been keeping me super busy. After my parents went back to Thailand last month, all I've been doing is cleaning. On top of that, my husband still has a hard time landing a job, so we are on extra, extra "saving money" mode.

Before the laid off and downsizing our home, I already taught my kids to save on everything. Buy things when they are on sales. Turn off the lights when they leave the room. Instead of buying water bottles, use washable bottles. Plus, no plastic goes to wasteland. When it comes to leftover, reinvent them.

So for this post, I have you... deep-fried sushi rice balls. My dilemma is the leftover sushi rice. I saw a cooking show once where a chef cooked rice balls in his food truck. That made me wonder... if I could use the leftover sushi rice to make rice balls.

I came up with this recipe by trail and errors. But you know what, I got it right the first time!!! Not bad!!! You can double and triple the recipe to feed the crowds. Feel free to test the size of the rice balls too. I usually make them using a small scooper. Anyway, it really doesn't matter the size. Trust me. Who doesn't like fried food?!?!?

Fried Sushi Rice Balls
serves 3-4, depending on the size

2 large eggs, divided
2 cups (12 oz.) cooked short or medium grain rice
1 3/4 cups (7 oz.) panko breadcrumbs
1/2 Tablespoons onion powder
1/2 Tablespoons garlic powder
honey mustard dipping sauce

1. Line a baking pan with a nonstick mat. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the egg.
3. Mix in the breadcrumbs and cooked rice.
4. Using an ice cream scooper (any size you want), form the rice into balls.
5. Place them on the prepared pan and keep them in the fridge until ready to fry them.
6. When ready, add oil to a heavy bottom pot with a deep-fried thermometer, about 2 inch deep.
7. While the oil is heating up, line a baking pan with a wiring rack.
8. Beat the egg in a small bowl. Set aside.
9. On a large plate, mix together the breadcrumb, onion and garlic powder. Set aside.
10. Once the oil's temperature reaches 350F degrees, dip the rice ball into the egg then coat it with breadcrumb mixture.
11. Carefully drop it into hot oil and fry it until golden brown on all sides, about 1 minute.
12. Continue with the rest of rice balls, making sure to fry them in batches and keeping the temperature at 350F degrees.
13. Serve warm with honey mustard dipping sauce.

STORING: Because the rice balls are fried food, it's best to eat them the day they are made. Alternatively, keep them in a container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in a microwave. They won't be crunchy but still tasty.

Allergy Info: These rice balls are free from or can made without dairy, corn, legumes (peanuts and soy), nuts, and fish.

Potato Chips

There are so many prepackaged potato chips so why making my own? Just to test it out and see if I can really make my own potato chips.

The one thing about deep-frying is using the oil wisely. Cooking oil can be really expensive. Recently, I switched the safflower oil to sunflower oil. I read that sunflower helps in reducing seasonal allergy reaction. But one bottle of sunflower oil is almost four dollars. So using oil wisely means to use it more than one time.

I usually deep-fry something sweeter like my puff rice or sopapilla. I'd use the same oil to deep-fry potato chips. I even use the same oil to make something savory like my chicken wings before I throw it out.

A few things to keep in mind before making potato chips. Be sure to buy organic potatoes. Yes, potatoes are one of the dirty dozen. If you want to keep the potato skins on, be sure to scrub them clean. I use a mandolin as it's easiest way to slice potato thinly. This is a must. If the potato is too thick, it would take too long to cook in order to achieve the crunch. Another tip for making potato chips is to put them in cold water to prevent browning. Plus, the water takes away starches, making the chips crunchy.

Potato Chips
make as much as you like

organic russet potatoes
cooking oil for frying, like safflower or sunflower
sea salt to taste

1. Place about 2-inch deep of cooking oil in a heavy bottom pot.
2. Attach a frying thermometer and heat the oil to 350F degree.
3. While the oil is heating, place cold water in a large bowl. Place a wiring rack on top of the baking pan. Set both of them aside.
4. Using a mandoline, slice the potato thinly, putting the sliced potatoes in a cold water to prevent browning.
5. Once the oil is at the right temperature, drain potato slices. Then using a clean towel, dry them off.
6. Place the dry potato slices into the oil. TIP: Frying them in batches to prevent the oil temperature to drop.
7. Fry the potato slices until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes total.
8. Using a slotted spoon, place the potato chips on a wiring rack, allowing the oil to drain.
9. Sprinkle deliberately with sea salt. Enjoy them as a side dish or for snack.

STORING: Because these potato chips are fried, it's best to eat them after they are fried.

Allergy Info: These potato chips are free from or can be made without dairy, eggs, corn, legumes (soy), wheat, nuts, and fish.

Deep-Fried Chicken Wings

What is not to like about deep-fried food? Chicken wings, anyone? I usually baked the chicken wings, but Brek didn't like them. They weren't crunchy, and the skins were too chewy for him.

I decided to do a little homework on how to cook chicken wings better. I read cookbooks and watched cooking shows on how to deep-fry chickens. Not wings. Just the pieces of chickens. Then I decided to adapt the techniques to make my version of deep-fried chicken wings.

Can you say "WOW"? Brek devoured all the chicken wingetts, and Camden stuffed his tummy with all of the drumettes. I was a proud mommy. I luv seeing my kids eating homemade meals and really enjoying them.

What was the technique that I picked up from cookbooks and cooking shows? Really simple. Making sure the oil is at the right temperature, 375F degree. That's about it. Nothing fancy at all. The most common oil I noticed was either canola oil or peanut oil. I tested many types of oil for deep-frying and I fell in luv with the safflower oil. I personally don't like canola oil as it always leave that stinky after deep-frying smell. Just remember to use the oil with high smoke point.

I use heavy bottom pot to deep-fry the wings. If you have a deep-fryer, that would work very well. I have one, but I have to use too many bottles of oil in the fryer. Plus, it takes too much room on my kitchen counter top. Here's my frugal kitchen tip. I always deep-fry something sweets a few times on different days. Give these deep-fry sweets a try: palm sugar puffed rice, banana and apple fritters, or sesame seeds rice balls. After I use the oil to deep fry something sweet, I use the same oil to deep-fry something savory before I throw out the oil. Always thinking!!!

Feel free to make more wings. Since July 4th is just around the corner, why not make these chicken wings and enjoy the fireworks with a happy tummy. Let's get greasy and messy in the kitchen!!!

Deep-fried Chicken Wings
serves 2 to 3

12 chicken wings
oil for deep-frying

1. Preheat the oven to 225F degree.
2. Place the wiring rack inside the baking tray. Put them in the oven, getting ready to keep the wings warm.
3. Pour the oil into a heavy bottom pot. Attach a deep-fry thermometer, and add the oil, about 2 inches deep.
4. Heat the oil to 375F degree.
5. While the oil is heating up, cut the chicken wings into pieces: tips, wingettes, and drumettes.
6. Separate the wing parts into the same-size piles for an even cooking. TIP: Freeze the tips for future use, such as chicken broth.
7. Once the temperature reaches 375F degree, deep-fry the wing parts as followed: wingettes for 8 minutes and drumettes for 10 minutes. NOTE: Deep-fry a few wings at a time, about 7-8 pieces. The oil temperature will drop when the chicken wings are placed in the oil. Keep the oil temperature between 350F-375F degree.
8. Using a tong, take the wings out of the oil to a prepared wiring rack. Keep the cooked chicken wings warm in the oven. Continue to deep-fry the rest of the wings.
9. Enjoy them warm with the honey mustard sauce, BBQ sauce, or hot sauce. My kids actually enjoy them plain.

Allergy Info: These deep-fried chicken wings are free from or can be make without dairy, egg, corn, legumes (soy), wheat, nuts, or fish.