Part 3…Fantastic Chinese dinner party on Wednesday evening…Last recipe…Last night’s dinner at Phai Tong Thai…

Today is the last post featuring recipes from Wednesday night’s Chinese dinner for our friends at our bush house. Over the past three days, I’ve shared the recipes for the dishes I prepared for Di, Peter, Leon, Dawn, Tom, and me. We certainly had plenty of food, and as I mentioned yesterday, the leftovers have kept us well-fed for several more meals. I was glad I made as much as I did, especially since everyone enjoyed the food.

Oddly enough, last night we dined, for the first time, at the newer Thai restaurant in Marloth Park, Phai Tong Thai, and they served the same three recipes we’ve posted over the past three days. It struck me as a little unusual since the dishes seemed more Chinese than Thai, but that didn’t stop any of us from enjoying the meal. The food was flavorful, the setting was lovely, and the ambiance on the farm along the Crocodile River made for another memorable evening.

It was quite a long journey down a dirt road to reach the restaurant, but once we arrived, we knew the drive had been worth it. The setting was peaceful and beautiful, and sitting there with the river nearby, enjoying good food and conversation with friends, made for another lovely night out.

Once again, the four of us had a wonderful dinner together. It seems like we’ve been doing a lot of eating, talking, laughing, playing cards, and socializing lately, and I’m certainly not complaining. These are the kinds of days and evenings we remember long after the food has been forgotten.

I can’t believe Di and Peter have already been here for over two weeks. Where has the time gone? It seems as if they just arrived, and now we’re already thinking about the fact that they’ll soon be moving on to their next adventure.

Their time here has been a blur of great food, long conversations, socializing, plenty of card games at the house, and, of course, Quiz Night. They seem to be loving every moment of their time in Marloth Park, and we’ve loved having them here. They have been wonderful house guests, easygoing, independent, and always ready for the next adventure.

I especially enjoy hearing about how they manage their work while traveling. They are remote-world travel workers, and it’s interesting to see how well they integrate their work into their daily lives. They somehow manage to get their work done while still leaving plenty of time for adventures, meals with friends, exploring, and enjoying everything a new destination has to offer. I think there’s something to be said for finding that kind of balance.

After missing Jabula last night because we chose to try Phai Tong Thai, tonight we’re heading back to Jabula for another evening of exceptional socializing, fabulous food, and, of course, the rugby game. We’ve certainly gotten into a nice routine here, although I know we’ll miss Di and Peter when they leave.

Their departure is coming up on September 5. After they leave Marloth Park, they’ll head off for a week long horseback trek near Johannesburg and then off for their motorcycle adventure in Cape Town. They’ll leave one day before we head to Madagascar, so our paths will soon take us in different directions once again.

But that’s the nature of our life. People come into our lives, we share wonderful experiences, and then everyone moves on to the next adventure. We’ll miss them, but our beautiful life in the bush will continue, hopefully for many months to come.

It’s a gorgeous day today, warm and sunny, just the kind of Saturday morning we love here. Our usual Saturday-morning bale of lucerne arrived, although so far, we’ve yet to see many animals taking advantage of it. No doubt, as the day continues, they’ll show up.

They always do.

And that’s one of the many things I love about life here. We never quite know who is going to wander into the garden next.

Jess’s Pork Fried Rice

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6

INGREDIENTS

Pork and Rice

• 1½ lbs boneless pork loin or pork tenderloin, cut into small bite-sized pieces
• 4 cups cold, cooked white rice, preferably day-old
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or another neutral cooking oil:  I used macadamia nut oil.
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten

Vegetables

• 1 cup frozen peas and carrots, thawed
• ½ medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 scallions, sliced, with some green tops reserved for garnish
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced or grated

Sauce

• ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prepare the pork: Pat the pork pieces dry and season lightly with pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through. Remove the pork and set aside.
2. Cook the eggs: Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Pour in the beaten eggs and gently scramble until just cooked. Remove and set aside with the pork.
3. Cook the vegetables: Add the onion, peas and carrots, garlic, and ginger to the skillet. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until the vegetables are heated through and the onion begins to soften.
4. Add the rice: Add the cold cooked rice, breaking up any clumps with a spatula. Stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, allowing the rice to become lightly browned.
5. Combine everything: Return the pork and scrambled eggs to the skillet. Pour the soy sauce, sesame oil, oyster sauce, and rice vinegar over the rice. Toss everything together thoroughly and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Finish: Stir in the sliced scallions, reserving a few green pieces for garnish. Taste and add additional soy sauce or pepper if needed.
7. Serve: Transfer the pork fried rice to a serving bowl or a white plate, then sprinkle with the reserved scallion greens. Serve hot.

Tip: Cold, day-old rice works best because it is drier and produces fried rice with separate, nicely browned grains rather than a mushy texture.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Estimated using 1½ lbs of pork loin, 4 cups of cooked white rice, and the ingredients listed. Actual values may vary depending on the specific brands and cuts of pork used.

Per Serving (1/6 of recipe):

• Calories: 380
• Total Fat: 14 g
• Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
• Cholesterol: 125 mg
• Sodium: 850 mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 37 g
• Dietary Fiber: 3 g
• Net Carbohydrates: 34 g
• Sugars: 3 g
• Protein: 26 g

This is a fairly substantial serving, with 26 grams of protein per serving. The sodium content is relatively high, primarily due to the soy sauce and oyster sauce.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, August 22, 2016: