Fried Rice

We eat Asian food a lot in our house, if you were to ask my kids what "family" recipes they will pass down to their children one day you will hear things like this:  Sweet and Sour Chicken, Massaman Curry, Fried Rice, Red Curry, Green Curry, Pad Thai, Crab Rangoon, Chicken Tikka Masala ect.. These recipes are far from my heritage of Scandinavian and French Canadian, I did not grow up eating such things, I do recall my mom cracking open the can of La Choy Chow Mein and throwing it over some fried noodle things (also in a can), I also recall how much I HATED it.  There were stories around the dinner table of long ago holidays where Lutefisk and other scarey Norsk foods were eaten, you know the kind, pale, sour creamy and utterly disgusting to all who did not grow up eating it...ewww  I believe (well if I did believe in reincarnation and I don't) that I was Asian in another life, it just 
 feels so natural to me!

I tend to cook on the fly and rarely use recipes, hence the reason for not keeping up on this blog, I just don't know how to properly write/show how I create the food I cook, so, here goes!!

Fried Rice

Ingredients:

Jasmine or Basmati rice, yes I know Basmati is Indian but, in my years of failed attempts at Fried Rice I have fond the longer and more separate each grain is the better the rice will turn out PLUS, you need less oil.  4-6 cups of cooked rice is enough for a family of 4 with yummy leftovers!!

Dark Soy Sauce 1 Tablespoon, it turns the rice a nice dark color without adding too much salt, that comes later.

Soy Sauce 2 T. or to taste

Garlic I buy my garlic either skinned by the bag or a HUGE jar from Costco, we love Garlic in my house, I probably used 3t. of the jarred variety in this recipe

Cooking Oil 2T

1 Egg

Green Onions 4, sliced not chopped, I use the whole onion, stem and all

Pea Pods  Trimmed and cut into small chunks  

Oyster Sauce  2 t.

Fish Sauce  I don't measure, a couple squirts is all it needs

 

  Directions:

Heat large skillet or wok with cooking oil, add garlic, stir until bubbling but DO NOT LET GARLIC BURN!!  

Add rice and stir fry until all rice is coated with oil (you can add more at this time if its sticking to the pan)

Add ALL seasonings, continue to cook at high temperature for a couple minutes

Veggies are next, stir fry but not for too long, you still want them crunchy

Egg is last, make a well in the middle of the rice, add a small amount of oil and cook the egg as you would a omelet, after its cooked chop it up and mix it in with the rice!  I learned this technique on my own, I used to just use a separate pan for the egg and add at end, either way is fine!

The nice thing about Fried Rice is you can adapt it to whatever veggies you have in the house, add some tofu or meat and you have a main course.  I cannot tell you enough how much you need to taste taste taste while you are cooking this dish, be creative with whatever flavorings you have on hand, my fried rice is always different and always delicious.