Fried rice is a staple on Chinese menus. It is the "safe" food people go to when they are unsure of seasonings and other ingredients in dishes they may not have seen before. You can easily make fried rice at home and tailor it to your own tastes. Follow the basic recipe and then read the Cooking Tips for other ideas on how to liven up your dinner.
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups Minute Rice
- 4-5 slices of bacon, chopped
- 2-3 eggs
- 1/8 tsp of pepper
- 8 oz of cooked meat, cut in bite-sized pieces
- 4 green onions, finely chopped
- 1-2 tbp soy sauce
Procedure
In a small pot with a lid, cook the rice with the water as directed on the back of the package. Set it aside and keep it warm as you prepare the next ingredients. In a wok, add the bacon and cook until it is crisp, remove to a plate and leave about 1 teaspoon of the drippings in the bottom. In a bowl, beat the eggs with the pepper. Pour about 1/3 of the eggs into the wok to thinly cover the bottom. Cook eggs through without stirring. Remove the cooked eggs and place them on a plate. Roll them up and cut them into thin strips and set aside with the bacon. Repeat with egg mixture in 1/3 batches until all the eggs are prepared. Pour cooked rice into the wok and add soy sauce and green onions. Stir rice until well mixed and warm. Then add remaining ingredients (eggs, bacon, meat) and stir until thoroughly mixed and heated through. Serve immediately.
Cooking Tips
Add any combination of these foods to your fried rice:
- Pork
- Chicken
- Beef
- Shrimp
- Ginger
- Water chestnuts
- Bean sprouts
- Shiitake mushrooms
- Pea pods cut in thirds
- Baby corn
Add the cooked meat as directed above. If adding ginger, mince it and cook it in a little oil in the wok before you add the rice to the wok. The other vegetables can be added and heated at the end.
Feel free to substitute the quick-cooking rice with your favorite type of rice cooked in a rice cooker. Sticky rice is an especially nice texture for Asian dishes.
Menu Planning
Fried rice can be served in a week that you are having pork tenderloin. After cooking the pork tenderloin, reserve some for the next night's fried rice. An Asian Noodle Bowl is another nice dish to use the pork tenderloin with. Try the trendy Asian Lettuce Wraps as a side dish. Because you will be purchasing eggs and bacon, a night of "Breakfast for Dinner" featuring eggs, bacon, pancakes and the like would work well on that week's menu.
If you like this recipe, you may also like Chicken and Ham Stir Fry.
