Friday, September 25, 2015

Tasty Fried Rice

I really like rice! I mean, I grew up on it. Every dinner was accompanied with rice. White rice with a some meat in a tasty sauce and veggies. The rice would soak up some of the sauce from the meat and the veggies added the right crisp, bitter to round out the flavors.


Of course there was the occasional Friday night pasta nice. Or if it was soccer season, spaghetti every Tuesday and Thursday. (I'm still burnt out on spaghetti to this day.) But every other dinner with rice, meat and veggies was always a welcomed meal! Holy cow!


My mom always fried up the rice with some canola oil and chopped onions. Oh man! The flavor! But for some reason, when I moved out on my own I stopped eating so much rice. I may eat rice once a month. Maybe. Maybe...


So this fried rice recipe was a real treat. Oh man, the combination of bitter (ginger, garlic, scallion whites), sweet (hoisin sauce, shiitake mushrooms) and a pinch of spice just really hit the spot. It all comes together nice and neat in one 12-inch skillet. Pair it off with a nice Riesling white wine and a bowl of your favorite melon. Booyah! Dinner is served!


Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20-30 minutes
Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cooked white rice
  • 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and quartered
  • 5 teaspoons ginger, grated
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 8 scallions, whites minced and greens thinly sliced - separated
  • 2 small shallots sliced thin
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 3 cups shredded pork, chicken or beef
  • 3 tablespoons Hoisin sauce 
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • Vegetable oil


Instructions

Combine Hoisin sauce, soy sauce and Sriracha sauce in a small bowl. Set aside. 

Heat 1-teaspoons of oil in a 12-inch skillet until shimmer on medium heat. Add beaten egg to skillet and let it sit until beginning to set, roughly 15 seconds. Scrabble the eggs until cooked through, about 1 minute. Remove eggs from skillet and set aside. Wipe down the skillet and return to heat.

Heat 2-teaspoons of oil in now clean skillet. Add shiitake mushrooms to skillet, Cook mushrooms until lightly brown, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add ginger, garlic, scallion whites, and sugar to skillet. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to a minute. Add cooked rice and cook until heated through, stirring to mix all ingredients and heat until rice is warmed. Add shredded meat and Hoisin sauce mixture. Stir ingredients until all ingredients are coated in sauce. Continue cooking until meat is heated through. 

Remove skillet off the heat. Stir in scrabbled eggs and and scallion greens. Serve immediately and enjoy! 


Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Update On Indoor Garden

There has been a great addition to my little indoor garden. I now introduce to you, Peace Lily. She's so pretty! My mom was contemplating giving up on her, since her leaves were all limp. I was able to convince my mom she was doing just fine, that her leaves were green and healthy -- she just needed her own space, along with a nice drink of water. I got her home and gave her a big drink of water. The next day, she was all perky without missing a step.


She's adapting well to her new environment and family. I have spotted small buds, so I'm hoping to see some flowers soon!

I also wanted to give a quick update on Jade. Jade was also a rescue plant that was suffering from over watering. Once I saved the plants that hadn't wilted away she started growing very fast and creating tons and tons of new buds! This one I do have a before picture, just to refresh your memory.


I'm sad to say that the little red pot I planted Jade in did not last very long. As I was bragging before, I found some great biodegradable bamboo pots on sale at my local supermarket. They said they would last well up to 3 years, 5 years depending on the plant, but this one didn't last six months before it developed deep cracks and water was spilling out every time I watered Jade. So, I replaced the bamboo with a clay pot, something a bit more sturdy and will hold in the moisture so I don't have to water Jade so much. Here she is all bushy and in her new pot. 


I'm planning on bringing home some more plants once I find space for them all. I'm thinking to buy either a large metal case with adjustable shelves, like this one here, or one from IKEA designed for plants. Either way, I want something that will accommodate lights. Living in Utah does leave you with longer stretches of night during the winter that I need to start prepping for.