The BF and I live a few blocks from Chinatown, so it's really easy to indulge in Chinese food "classics" like this one - fried rice. Even the name warns you that it's not going to be healthy, but that never stopped us before. This is my take on fried rice without the whole super-fried part - I use less than a tablespoon of oil for this whole dish, which provided us with two large entree-sized servings plus leftovers. Of course, you can make this as a side dish but be warned, it's addictive!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup uncooked rice
- 4 medium carrots
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 3 green onions
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- Optional: Chopped cooked chicken/beef/pork/shrimp
Directions:
- Pour 2 cups of water into a medium pot with the cup of uncooked rice and bring to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and pepper then reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Cook for 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. Fluff the rice with a fork and set aside.
- While the rice is simmering you can begin to prep your veggies. Peel and dice the carrots (I like to slice them lengthwise in quarters then dice them up... kind of like chopping pickles!). Slice the green onions into thin rings and set aside. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl and set aside.
- Preheat a large frying pan to medium-high heat, then drizzle it with oil. Add the carrots + 1/4 cup of water. Let the water cook off, then turn the heat to medium and add the peas and corn. Once the carrots are fork-tender and the corn and peas have thawed, add the cooked rice to the pan. Slowly add a few splashes of soy sauce to keep the rice from drying out.
- Hollow out a space in the middle of the pan (think volcano) and pour in the eggs. You're basically making scrambled eggs in the middle of your stir-fry without mixing them together yet. Continually stir the eggs, and as they harden start incorporating them into the stir-fry.
- Optional: Now is the part where you'd stir in your cooked meat! Add the remaining soy sauce, give it all a good stir, then serve it up!
Enjoy!
PS If the whole egg thing seems overwhelming, just make loose scrambled eggs in a separate pan and plop them in towards the end - I just like to do them in the middle of the pan to save myself from a massive pile of dishes later on.
I made my first rack of lamb last night, and it was delicious (don't worry, I have second opinions to back up my horn-tootin' self!).
This recipe is simple yet flavorful, which in case you haven't noticed is something I love.
Ingredients:
- 1 rack of lamb, frenched (your butcher can do this if it's not already packaged that way)
- 3 cups red wine (Shiraz/Malbec)
- 2+6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
- Salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, dried thyme
Directions:
- Marinate the rack of lamb in a gallon-sized ziploc bag with 1/2 cup of red wine and 2 chopped garlic cloves for at least 1 hour (overnight would be great!!!).
- Preheat the oven to 400 F. Prepare a roasting pan by coating it with foil and drizzling canola oil on the base. Place the rack of lamb fat-side-up in the pan. Season generously with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, and thyme, and 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary. You want to form a crust, so don't be shy about seasoning! Bake in the middle of the oven for 20-30 minutes, depending on how well done you like your meat (30 minutes is a deep pink but not red). Tent the rack and let it stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
- Meanwhile, pour the remaining wine and the garlic in a small saucepan and simmer until reduced to a thick sauce, about 1/4 of the amount of liquid that you began with.
- Slice the rack of lamb apart by using the bones as a guide, top with a hearty spoonful of the red wine garlic sauce, and enjoy!
