I’ve mentioned before that my motto in life is…Fattie: It’s not a size, it’s a lifestyle. (Subtext: It’s my lifestyle.) I see fattie-dom as embracing life (and food) with vigor, and I try to lead my life with as much vigor sans physical exertion as possible. (The one exception is that I’m a fast walker.) I love to eat. I’m not a gourmand and I don’t pretend to be a good cook (I’m a much better baker), but I do try to incorporate nice things into my diet and utilize the techniques I observed when I eschewed normal-people TV for three years and only watched Food Network. Nice? Read: fresh produce and potent spices.
Another mobile phone picture I wanted to share involved some not-so-fresh ingredients, though. (Don’t judge!) My former roommate, Christina, had some turkey dogs that were about to expire. Despite my assurances that they put so many nitrates in there it would be difficult for them to actually expire, she was worried (and much more conscious than I), so I agreed to help her use them up while she was busy writing a paper. Luckily, her housemate had some rice leftover from the day before. Let me tell you–slightly old (cooked) rice is spectacular for fried rice! I learned how to fry rice from my mother, although she is usually not in charge of this dish at home. My dad is, because they do share cooking duties, and fried rice is something he can handle. (Especially because Jon wouldn’t let them put anything besides eggs in there–not even green onion–so it was extra simple!)
Ingredients (for this particular iteration; this really is a kitchen sink dish)
- Refrigerated cooked rice-break it up with a fork or a pair of chopsticks so that there are no clumps; good fresh rice is a little moist, whereas rice that’s prime for frying is a little bit drier
- Cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
- Black bean in garlic chili paste
- Turkey dogs, chopped up
- Eggs
Protocol
- Drizzle some oil in the pan, then scoop about a tablespoon of the black bean paste; push it around a bit so that it’s runnier and less gooey.
- Saute the turkey dogs in the black bean paste; remove from pan and set aside.
- Scramble eggs in the now-seasoned pan, but leave them slightly wet; remove from pan and set aside.
- Add a bit more oil to the pan, then dump in the rice. Use a saute-ing motion with the spatula to make sure every rice kernel get heated up and coated in oil. Add the turkey dogs back in, fry a bit, and put in the eggs and tomatoes. Toss everything together a bit and serve.
I know you want a picture!
This is yet another photo taken with my camera phone.
Now, some explanation. Usually, fried rice is made with soy sauce, but when there isn’t any available, you need another sodium source, which is why I used the black bean in garlic chili paste. (There was some soy sauce in there.) Here is my “usual” recipe, using ingredients I typically have at home.
Ingredients
- 2-day old rice
- eggs beaten with a dash of salt
- chopped onion (and/or other aromatics, such as scallions, garlic, shallots, &c.)
- protein (cubed ham, turkey dogs, I don’t put tofu in fried rice, but you can!)
- frozen corn (and/or other veggies)
- cooking oil (usually vegetable or olive oil)
- sesame oil
- soy sauce
Protocol
- Heat some oil in a wide-ish pan that’s at least 2 inches high (a wok is ideal)
- Throw in the onions; saute until just starting to caramelize (the done-ness is a matter of taste). If you have meat (chopped deli meat is fine!), you can also cook it now.
- Remove the onions; then scramble the eggs in the same oil. When still slightly moist, remove from pan.
- Add more oil to the pan and toss in the rice. As it starts to fry, drizzle a bit of soy sauce around the edges, then push the rice around. A splash of sesame oil goes a long way to add delicious aroma, too! Then, throw in the eggs, onions, and veggies, make sure the veggies are cooked/warmed through, and serve.
I’m baking a cocoa chai cake right now, though, so I’ll just end here. So. Delicious. HAPPY HALLOWEEN! (Pictures to come.)
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