Choose Your Own Adventure Fried Rice

I always loved those books. :)

A great thing about fried rice is that not only can you use all your leftovers (cold rice is best for this dish so as not to have mushy fried rice), but there are no exact measurements needed. I watched my Mom make this dish growing up and was equally intrigued and confused as she threw in spices, sauces and seasonings at what seemed at random. Somehow, the fried rice always came out just right. When I asked her in college to send me the recipe so that I could impress my friends with my Asian culinary skills, she went a little silent then told me I was a fool for asking...there is no recipe - you have to "spice by sight." OK.

After some trial & error, I think I have it down. The vegetable add-ins and meat are usually decided at the spur of the moment. Because I am going out of town I tried to use up all the vegetables in the house. For the following recipe, I'll let you choose your own veggies, and here's a picture of what I used as a guideline.

For the meats, I only had a little stir fry pork leftovers, so I threw that in as well. I usually like to add chicken and shrimp. Though again, I urge you to choose your own adventure here! Lastly, there's a special ingredient in here that many of you may not have on hand. Kecap Manis is a sweet soy sauce from Indonesia. It has a much thicker consistency and sweeter taste than the typical soy sauce and is available in most Asian grocery stores. A popular brand is ABC.

Choose Your Own Adventure Fried Rice

2 cups cold cooked rice (white or brown)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/4 cup onion, finely chopped

2 shallots, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 egg, beaten

assorted vegetables finely chopped (i.e. -cabbage, carrots, broccoli, bean sprouts)

assorted meats (again, choose your own - chicken, shrimp, pork)

2 tablespoons kecap manis (Indonesian Sweet Soy Sauce)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon ketchup

cilantro sprigs (optional)

Generously coat a large wok with cooking spray and heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add shallots, garlic, and onions and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the remainder of vegetables and cook, stirring, until crisp-tender, about 3-4 minutes. If you are incorporating meat, add it here and saute until done.

Add the kecap manis, soy sauce, ketchup and rice and stir until combined and heated through, about 4 minutes. Make a well in the center of the rice and add the beaten egg to the middle. Allow the egg to set for about 1-2 minutes and then incorporate the egg into the rice until cooked through. Continue flipping the rice with a spatula, until hot. Ensure that you scrape the bottom of the wok to loosen any rice that has crisped on the bottom. Serve with Cilantro sprigs, if desired. Enjoy!

Shrimp Pad Thai

As a child, I was more accustomed to eating Southeast Asian cuisine than McDonald's. At the time, I was a little embarrassed about this fact and always wondered why my Mom didn't have meatloaf & mashed potatoes on the dinner table like the rest of my friends. She always tried, but cooking 'western-style' dishes was a labor of love, and she never felt entirely comfortable doing it.

These days, I call my Mom regularly for these same Southeast Asian recipes and wonder why I didn't pay closer attention to her cooking. Though I sometimes find the exotic ingredients and spices intimidating, I always love a good trip to the local Asian grocery that is no fail, always packed with more customers than it can handle. I had purchased tamarind for another recipe of my Mom's, and was left wondering what to do with the remainder. I happened upon this recipe for Vegetarian Pad Thai from Gourmet magazine. I re purposed the recipe to include the veggies that I had in the refrigerator and my all time favorite, shrimp. I forgot to think ahead and soak the noodles, so I ended up just boiling until al dente, making sure not to overcook as they would be sauteed shortly afterwards.

Though the dish is probably not 100% authentic, we still enjoyed it & hope you do too!

Shrimp Pad Thai

12 ounces dried flat rice noodles (1/4 inch wide; sometimes called pad Thai or banh pho)

3 tablespoons tamarind (from a pliable block)

1 cup boiling-hot water

1/2 cup light soy sauce and 1 tbsp soy sauce, divided.

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons Sriracha (Southeast Asian Chili sauce)

1/4 cup peanut or vegetable oil

2 large eggs, beaten

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 cup carrots, sliced matchstick style

1/2 cup broccoli florets, chopped into bite sized pieces

10 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped (optional)

cilantro sprigs

Preparation
Soak noodles in a large bowl of warm water until softened, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain well in a colander and cover with a dampened paper towel.

Meanwhile, make sauce by soaking tamarind pulp in boiling-hot water in a small bowl, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Force mixture through a sieve into a bowl, discarding seeds and fibers. Add 1/2 cup soy sauce, brown sugar, and Sriracha, stirring until sugar has dissolved.

Heat oil in wok over medium heat until hot, then saute onions over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until golden-brown, about 6 minutes. Add 1 tbsp. of soy sauce to the onions. Add garlic, broccoli and carrots and saute for an additional 4 minutes. Add eggs and swirl to coat side of wok, then heat until cooked through. Break into chunks with spatula. Finally, add shrimp and continue to saute until shrimp is almost cooked through, approximately 3 minutes.

Add noodles and continue to stir-fry over medium heat (use 2 spatulas if necessary) 3 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups sauce and simmer, turning noodles over to absorb sauce evenly, until noodles are tender, about 2 minutes.
Stir in additional sauce if desired, then transfer to a large shallow serving dish. Sprinkle pad Thai with peanuts and cilantro sprigs.

Have a Tea Party

While perusing the web for a hostess gift for an upcoming party, I happened upon the most intriguing tea set, Teaposy Flower Art Tea Medley, that I am tempted to gift to myself. A blooming tea pot! "Each teaposy is made from premium Silver Needle White Tea leaves and whole dried flowers that are hand-crafted with natural cotton thread. Add hot water and watch the teaposy slowly unfurl, revealing a flower that blossoms from within the tea leaves. The delicate and complex tea is a treat for your taste buds as well. Each blossom medley includes six individually vacuum-sealed blooming teas: heart of love, falling water, butterfly, calendula, lady fairy, and noble essence." Here's a better picture of what the tea flower looks like:

Now that's a conversation starter! It's like the Chia Pet of tea, but only a little bit classier :)