Fried Rice

Fried Rice



One of the cheapest meals I can make that my family LOVES is fried rice. This recipe can be altered and varied to suit your family's tastes and whatever you happen to have in your refrigerator. I use a leftovers often when I make fried rice, so it usually makes a second meal of last nights dinner.

I've shared this recipe (which I got from my Thai mother-in-law) with friends and usually they are surprised how easy it is to make!

Fried Rice

1 cup meat cooked and cut into small pieces -or
1 cup meat uncooked cut into small pieces
(I have used chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, crab, lobster, sausage, spam, and even hot dogs. My kids LOVE hot dog fried rice!!)
1/2 to 1 cup chopped veggies (I have used carrots, broccoli, sprouts, zucchini, tomatoes, green beans, celery, or cabbage)
2-3 cups cooked rice - leftover rice is best, but just cooked will do just fine
2 tbsp oil - I use olive oil, but you can use whatever oil you usually cook with
1/2 onion chopped small
2 garlic cloves chopped small
2-3 tbsp soy sauce
3-4 tbsp oyster sauce

In a large wok, heat oil over medium high to high heat. Add meat. If raw, cook thoroughly, if cooked heat through well. Stir well while cooking meat. Add onions, garlic and other vegetables (you don't have to add other vegetables if you don't have them- and don't add soft vegetables such as sprouts or tomato at this point).

Saute contents of wok until onions have become clear. When veggies are soft and onions are clear, add rice all at one time. Quickly add soy and oyster sauce and stir until sauces are incorporated into rice. (The rice will be a uniform brown color) Sometimes I add more soy or oyster sauce at this point.

Turn off heat when rice is brown and add soft veggies - tomatoes or sprouts. The heat of the fried rice will heat them through without disintegrating them. Sometimes, at this point, I might add some chopped basil if I have any... it adds a really nice flavor.

In the above picture, I made beef fried rice with broccoli and carrots. The beef was a leftover steak from last night and the veggies were leftover from a party we attended last night. The hostess sent most of us home with some sort of leftover bag. Gotta love hostesses like that!!

So, clean out your veggie drawer, use your leftovers, make some fried rice!!