Monday 2 September 2013

Stir Fried Longs Beans with Dried Prawns and Aaauuwwch!!!!


Last Wednesday, I had an episode. An episode of what, you ask? Some drama on the home front - I threw out my back. I was peacefully watering the garden while waiting for my partner to pick me up. Then I bent down to pull out a weed from a flowerpot. "Pop!" That's what I felt in my lower back and the "pop!" was accompanied by a sharp pain that made me want to lie down on the driveway. But I couldn't do that of course because (i) the driveway was wet, (ii) my neighbors would freak out and (iii) my partner would freak out.

So I squatted down to ease the pain. I should have stayed down longer for my back to settle, but I got up, very slowly. I was in pain but I managed to shuffle to the garden tap to turn off the water. I knew I was in trouble. When my partner turned up, I told him I had to take a day off.

I went upstairs and painfully lowered myself on my bed. Lying down eased the pain but of course I could not lie down the whole day. I got up, with much pain and went to my study room and sat down. I basically alternated between my bed and the chair. Every time I lowered myself on the bed or the chair, I would let out a cry. Same thing when getting up. Auuuwch!!!! AAAAAuuuuuwwch!!!! Even sneezing or coughing would leave me in agony.

Certain maneuvers in the bathroom would elicit loud yelps of pain. Waarghhhh!!!! And at times I would grunt like a pig. Ermghh!!!! Ermghh!!!! I wonder if my immediate neighbor heard me. They must be wondering what's up with next door?

The next day, I was still in pain but it was manageable. I went to work as I had many things to take care of. Sitting at my desk (with intervals of walking to the copier and the toilet) did take it's toll as I experienced discomfort and pain at the end of the day. The next day, Friday, I bravely went to work in spite of the pain. At about 3:00pm, I had to give up. I was almost in tears and my partner had to send me home.

When I reached home, getting out of the car was sheer torture. Waaarghhh!!!! My partner joked to cheer me up "You sound like you are having a baby! Twins!". But laughing caused stabbing pains. "Don't make me laugh!", I pleaded. But my guy is a funny guy and when he lets out the funnies he can't stop and I can't stop laughing. So I burst out in tears because of the pain. When I closed the door behind me, I sobbed my heart out. I guess it is one of the ways to relief the pain.

And to make matters worse, there was a major water disruption and I discovered that the tap had run dry at 6pm. The bathroom of course was still working as it was running on the storage in the water tank. Since I was unable to cook or go out to eat, my partner packed our dinner home. That evening, I was supposed to attend my Tua Pek's (my dad's eldest brother) 80th birthday party. I was looking forwards to the event to meet and catch up with my cousins and other relatives. Sadly, I had to cancel.

Anyway, to cut the long story short, the water supply came back on Saturday evening much to my and everyone's relief. As of today, my back still hurts but it is getting better, slowly but surely. From experience, I know that it would take at least 2 weeks or more for me to get back to normal.

So, I leave you with this very easy but delicious vegetable dish. Back home, I remember my Grandma would stir fry long beans with garlic and salt. My Mum does the same and we love our long beans. And I prefer the long beans to still have some crunch to it. Most of the time at the "chap fan" (mixed rice) stalls, the long beans are overcooked. Yuks!

Simple ingredients.

I love long beans a lot and besides stir frying, it is also very good in assam fish, fried rice and vegetable curries. The addition of dried prawns to the usual salt and garlic makes this simple vegetable dish a lot tastier. I also added some red chillies to the dish. I can just eat this on it's own with rice.



I have not given any measurements as this recipe is so simple and you can just "agak-agak" (estimate) yourself. If you don't hear from me after this post, it would mean that I am still nursing my injured back. I hope to spring back to action soon. I miss cooking and baking :(

Stir Fried Long Beans with Dried Prawns
Recipe Source : Phong Hong

Ingredients :
- Long beans cut into 1" length
- Garlic, crushed and peeled (leave whole)
- Dried prawns, soaked and drained
- 1 chillie, sliced (optional)
- Fish sauce (to taste)

Method :
1. Heat oil in wok and fry garlic briefly till it is slightly brown.
2. Add dried prawns and fry till fragrant.
3. Add long beans and stir until tender but still crispy.
4. Add a dash of fish sauce to taste and serve.

73 comments:

  1. Oh poor thing you. I hope you are feeling very much better now. Have you tried chiropractic treatment? I had an ' episode ' once when I coughed too hard, I felt something popped too and followed by excruciating pain even when I took a deep breath, let alone coughing and more sneezing. Then after a several visits to the chiro, I was fixed. Now I am a great believer of chiro and go for my monthly 'maintenance'. Take care PH.

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    1. Thank you, Veronica! I was contemplating seeing a chiro as a last resort. I'll see how it goes :)

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  2. Sorry to hear abt your back, hope u r feeling much better now! This simple long bean dish is one which I love too. :)

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    1. Thank you, Yen! I am recovering and I can feel the improvement.

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  3. Hi Phong Hong, sorry to hear about your lumbar injury. It's very painful and will cause a lots of inconvenience, take care and no lifting of heavy stuff for the time being. Wishing you speedy recover.

    Your long bean dish look very appetizing, I can eat the whole plate. :)

    Have a nice day.

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    1. Thank you, Amelia! I am being very careful and will be careful in future so that I don't get this again. Touch wood! You have a nice day too.

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  4. Hope you will have a speedy recovery! Take care not to lift heavy things!

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    1. Thank you, busygran! No weight lifting for me for now :)

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  5. Oh! Phong Hong please take good care and hope you recover soon.
    Long beans cooked with hae bee sedapnya! :)

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    1. Thank you, Esther! I wish I could cook the beans and eat now hee..hee...

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  6. Hi Phong Hong
    Im sorry to hear of your back pain. Do take things slowly and avoid doing strenous chores. Hope you will have a speedy recover soon.

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    1. Thank you, Mel! I am taking care not to strain my back. I hope to get well soon.

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  7. PH, I wish you get well soon! Please take care!

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    1. Thank you, Jozelyn! I can't wait for this "suffering" to end :(

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  8. I hope you are feeling better now! This long beans dish looks really delicious, a home cooked comfort food.

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    1. Thank you, Mich! I am getting better everyday :)

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  9. Hi Phong Hong, so sorry to hear about your 'sufferings'. I can understand your discomfort especially to someone like you but my salute to you. You can stand all this pain for days without visiting the doctors or getting some treatment and still take the trouble to share this post with us. I like any type of beans fried this way. Crunchy and tasty. Get well soon, my friend.

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    1. Hi Kimmy, I am getting better! Today at the office I was OK after changing my chair hah! hah! And thanks for your get well wishes.

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  10. Sorry to hear about your accident, I hope you feel much better now. Oh, sometime I also cooking long bean this way, simple and sedap!

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    1. Thanks, Sonia! I am feeling much better compared to the last few days.

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  11. Ouxh...that's very painful. I kena ladt month....wanna get out if bed also ouch....

    Poor you..you certainly missed out a lot that night..it was a 6hrs affairs. Only adjourned at midnight.

    All the grand kids composed a song and sang to pek kong

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    1. I am still ouching but less. I really menyesal to miss the dinner :(

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  12. Hi Phong Hong,
    So sorry to hear about your back pain. I can relate to the pain you must feel, I have experienced it before. There's really nothing much one can do. Rest and do not ever carry any heavy stuffs now or whenever! Even now, I would have the usual back pain now and then, especially after gardening.
    Hopefully the pain will go away soon enough.
    The long bean stir-fry looks delicious!
    Take care!

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    1. Thanks, Joyce! That was very comforting. I often get backache after gardening if I am not careful. But this backache is the worst ever. But I am getting better.

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  13. PH dear...kesiannya you...so now camner? ada kurang ker?
    last year cousin akak pun kena camtu pada malam raya! just imagine!
    5 hari dia terbaring kesakitan and yes PH, mmg ambil masa agak lama utk betul2 sembuh...

    you buat kerja pelan2 ya...akak doakan you cepat sehat...tapi salute la, sakit2 pun ttp boleh masak utk family...caiyuk sis!
    nasib baik air dah okay kan...

    you take care ya dear...

    ooops, tergelak ngan lawak your hubby tu, next time suruh dia masuk raja lawak jer..hah hah hah...

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    1. Thank you, Kak Q! Sakit tu dah kurang tapi, ya lah, sakit masih sakit adoi! My partner tu memang suka lawak :D Tapi time sakit pinggang, ketawa pun sakit.

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  14. Hi PH, hope you are feeling better now. Take care yeah

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    1. Thanks you! I am feeling better and still recovering :)

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  15. Oh Phong Hong, please take enough rest, esp not to sit for too long. Hope your back will recover very soon! This is a dish that we usually order if we eat in the restaurant, a nice & simple dish!

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    1. Thank you, Jessie! I take breaks by standing up and walking so that my back does not jam up :)

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  16. Hi Phong Hong, I'm sorry to know about your back. I hope you are better now. Take care! I like your dish of long beans. Have not eaten this for some time.

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    1. Thank you, Doris! I am getting better everyday :)

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  17. ivy sew http://simplybeautifulhealthyliving.blogspot.com2 September 2013 at 21:36

    Phong Hong, so sorry to hear of your injury. For the time being, just relax and take things easy. No more masak masak. Do take care and wishing you speedy recovery :)

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    1. Thank you, Ivy! But I miss masak-masak. Sobs!

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  18. Phong Hong,please take care and get well soon...we can feel the degree of that terrible back pain (have had some experience earlier)...we hope with all heart that you recover soon,you have been so brave to go for work with such unbearable pain,take care...

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    1. Thank you, kumars kitchen! I am taking care not to strain my back. Am getting better!

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  19. Hi Phong Hong, please do take care and speedy recovery. Don't do anything strenous, rest and more rest for you. Please see the doctor if the pain is still there. I like this simple dish too.

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    1. Thank you, Cecilia! I appreciate your concern. I am getting better :)

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  20. Phong Hong,do take care, this is really pain, hope you get well asap.

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    1. Thank you, xing hui! I am getting better and hope to do some cooking this weekend.

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  21. PH, no cooking or baking for you for two weeks ok? We want you to be fully recovered so that the energetic and funny PH we know is fully back on her feet and posting yummy posts :). Take care ya.

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    1. Thank you, Esther! I miss my cooking and baking sessions :(

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  22. Oh, I am so,so sorry to hear about your back. I hope you're feeling better each day...and glad you're not trying to overdo it. Your beans sound terrific!

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    1. Thank you, Lizzy! I am feeling lots better, improving every day :)

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  23. We usually pound the dried prawns. Btw, what's wrong with your back? Slipped disc? Hope it's better now but go see a good Chinese sinseh even if it is...

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    1. Thanks, Arthur! I'm better now. I am not sure if it was just a muscle pull or a slipped disc. The pain is still there but much less now.

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  24. Aiyooooooooo PH!!!!!!!! you poor thing!!! please be careful next time....i still want to read your blog, you have to be here for the longest time so we still can catch up to each other.....We are at this age, really have to be careful...even every step kita jalan also have to be careful...aiyo..poor thing you PH. Kena rest banyak banyak, and please, don't bent down to pick up or pull anything...we have to terus duduk or like squat down to do anything...i experience that before while very eksyen ( lol ) picking up a 50 pound rice from the garage....and tell me, i know how that pop sound and the pain...my goodness....please rest PH...i still want your easy lazy recipe and yummy delicious food. And for this vege....ahhh I LOVE IT and did it all the time. kadang i pakai kacang buncis, and the dried shrimp i pound it..to add to it kadang i put also a bit sugar and soy sauce. I love it. PH!! please take care and drink lots of water okay?

    (P/S : I wrote this comment immediately after reading your pop situation and did even look at your recipe yet :) ) m going to after posting this ..

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    1. Hi Yuss! Thanks for your advise. I menyesal lah...I already know that I should not bend because I experienced it before but that time it was not that serious. This is the worst backache ever. I am still in pain but I can feel that there is improvement. It will take some time to heal. Don't worry lah, Yuss! I will be back. This blog makes me happy and keeps me sane. I do remember to drink lots of water tapi going to toilet pun satu hal. Getting up and down the seat hurts! Adoi!

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    2. Aiyo PH!!!! I know dah few days tak masuk and check blog, suddenly i teringat..alamak, PH aritu sakit and crack her back...ishhh..dah baik ker belum ni..omg..nasib baik you are back. I nampak the dessert...bukan main sedap lagi....tapi..please PH, hati hati...kita selalu lupa, main nak hentam aje bila bend down and grab stuff. Yeah, i know what u mean, memang so letih bila minum and go to the restroom after that, tapi...saba ajelah, drink water hydrate body kita dan make us more healthier....yes, you make me happy with your writing....omg, i feel so teruk, i haven't publish anything in a long time in my blog...please remind me all the time PH....take care...

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    3. Hi again, Yuss! I dah lama tunggu Yuss update blog heh..heh...Takper, I know you are a busy mum. I am feeling a lot better. Baru balik from physiotherapy and replying to comments. Thanks for your concern and support, Yuss!

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  25. did you go to see doctor cos you didnt mention that? i hope you are getting much better now, take care friend!

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    1. Hi Lena, thanks for your get well wishes! No, did not see doctor as I believe I will heal given time. But of course, if the situation don't improve or gets worse, I will see the doctor. So far, so good, getting better :)

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  26. Phong Hong, I shuddered while reading your story about how you pulled your back, and you bravely made light of it...knowing what excruciating pain you endured. You poor, poor dear; I feel for you, I had been a similar situation with my back a while ago but I did go see my chiropractor. They suggest hot and ice packs; actually both. I started with the ice pack, and at night when I went to bed, I used my electric heating pad. It worked but it took a good month before I felt better.

    Do take it easy and try not to bend or lift...take care of yourself and do feel better, just don't rush the healing process.

    Your beautiful vibrant green beans stir-fried with the chili peppers are really so good and healthy...its just the right vegetable I need, and love! Hugs, and get well wishes for you, dear friend!

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    1. Hi Elisabeth! Thank you for your kind and encouraging words! I am somewhat comforted knowing that I am not the only one who has experienced chronic back pain. I know that it will take time to heal and I have to be patient and careful how I move. And I am getting better, still hurts but much less than it did last week :)

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  27. Gosh, that must be so painful! Hope you're healing well. Today's dish is one of my favourites & I like it with lots of hebe. Love those colours, dear!

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    1. Hi Shirley! It is very painful, sobs! I am healing slowly but surely, thanks :)

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    2. Speedy recovering & happy weekend!

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  28. Ouch ! The way you've described it , it must have been really really painful :( Take it easy and hope you're doing well !

    That simple dish looks flavorful ! I usually cook long beans with minced pork :D

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    1. Hi Anne! It really hurts and I am taking it slow and recovering, thanks!

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  29. HI PH! Very comfort dish! I usually mince my dried shrimps when cooking something similar! Like Like!

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    1. Hi Alvin, this is my favorite style of fried long beans!

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  30. Hi Phong Hong,

    Geez!!! I hope that you are feeling ok now!!!

    Eating healthy like your stir fried long beans is good!!! No party, please!!! Please rest well and take care!

    Zoe

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    1. Hi Zoe! I am still in pain and hope to recover soon, thanks!

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  31. Hi Kak Phong Hong,
    Hope that you are feeling better by now..
    Must have a speedy recovery ya!
    Take good care of yourself.

    Love this simple and delicious dish.
    Have a lovely week ahead:)
    mui

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    1. Thanks, mui mui! My back still hurts and I am taking things slow for now.

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  32. steam rice is ready.... i am going to have that with my rice

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    1. cquek, hope you cooked extra hee..hee..

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  33. I'm already waiting at your dining PH!!! Rice ready...pass me the veg now...hehehe!

    Looks super delish ;)

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    1. Sri, I must cook extra when you are around hee..hee...

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  34. Oh man, I hope you feel better now. I also like my long bean crunchy if stir-fried, that combination of your long bean, I know it's delicious.

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    1. Thanks, I feel better but still not out of the woods yet :(

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  35. Phong Hong, This is a simple and yet a very tasty and yummy dish! I love it! Speedy recovery! As for you young girl no problem, not like me, bones are brittle can't afford to have that kind of 'POP', mati I lo...

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    1. Christine, I not young wor! Another 4 years I already Hawaii 5-0 hee..hee...

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