Eric's Kitchen in Jersey City: Fried Rice

I made this with leftovers from the Mongolian Hot Pot we had at my Mom's which is ironic since usually fried rice is a way to use leftover rice. This is actually my 2nd attempt at fried rice and the first time I managed to burn the rice and it was pretty much ruined.

So this time around I decided to check our family cookbook from my Chinese side of the family. Sure enough we had a recipe for fried rice and it called for 'day old, cold cooked rice'. I thought maybe this was some sort of rice cooking process I didn't know about and maybe that was why it didn't come out right the first time so I looked up a few recipes online and it's exactly what it sounds like. Cooked rice that has been cooled for a day.

The meats and veggies we had from the hot pot weren't exactly what I would think to normally put into fried rice but I also thought it might make it interesting. We had sliced lamb, fish, chicken, shrimp, napa cabbage, mushrooms and snowpeas... Overall I found the napa cabbage and the fish to be my favorite parts followed closely by the shrimp which I found interesting as I never would have normally put the napa cabbage or fish into this dish.

My Ingredients:
3 cps cold, cooked rice (day old)
hot pot fish
shrimp (~12)
1/3 cup sliced lamb
1/3 cup sliced chix
handful fresh chopped cilantro
juice from two slices lemon
pinch of sliced ginger
1 tbsp minced garlic
1.5 bunches scallions
black roasted sesame seeds (~tbsp)
chili oil
sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
dash rice wine vinegar

I cooked the chicken and lamb first with some scallions and the cabbage. I used sesame oil, garlic and some chili oil in a pan and added some roasted sesame seeds as well to give them some flavor but in hindsight I think I should have marinated them as they really didn't get too much flavor from that plus I overcooked them a little.

I then cooked the rest of the veggies, shrimp and fish, again with scallions, sesame seeds and garlic in sesame and chili oil but this time I also added fresh lemon juice and a bunch of cilantro (which my Grandma calls Chinese parsley). I think I must have just timed this batch perfectly because all these ingredients tasted amazing. I set these aside with the other meats and veggies and started my rice.

I got more oil hot in the pan (Maybe 1 tbsp?) and then added my rice and stirred it until it was coated evenly with the oil. Then I added the rest of my scallions (probably a full bunch, chopped) and soy sauce (1 tbsp) and stirred until it was evenly mixed. We also had some leftover dipping sauce from the hot pot meal which was essentially sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and scallions (maybe 2 tbsp total) which I dumped in. The rice wine vinegar and ginger definitely stood out when we ate it and I would have to use them both again next time.

Once the rice was done I just mixed everything together in a big mixing bowl. Overall I was very happy with the results!

Here's a link to Sasha's Tropical Chicken Pineapple Fried Rice

Eric's Kitchen in Jersey City: Fried Rice

Sasha's Kitchen: Tropical Chicken Pineapple Fried Rice

Tonight's post is going to be a bit on the short side because I am also simultaneously attempting to watch President Obama's State of the Union.  Tonight I prepared a large (two day) recipe of my secret (until now) fried rice.  Most everyone makes fried rice with shrimp - I don't like shrimp very much, and instead stuck with chicken.  In addition, my fried rice was a combination of the tropical and exotic (using sesame oil and pineapple), combined with the traditional use of the egg, onion and of course, long grain rice.

Here's what you will need to prepare my asian, but tropical inspired fried rice:

1 package empire chicken breasts, sliced into small pieces
2 cups long grain rice
1 20 oz can diced pineapple, drained
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ginger
4 eggs
1 tsp diced garlic
1 onion, diced
1 T rice vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
2 T fish sauce
2 T soy sauce
1 tsp sugar

First prepare the rice according to package instructions and set aside.   Scramble the egg, and saute the onion and garlic and combine.  Set this aside as well.  Saute the chicken (after cutting into small pieces) with the paprika, ginger and a bit of pepper.  Combine the rice, chicken, onion, egg and garlic in a large pot, such as a saute pan or dutch oven.

Cook with the rice vinegar, sesame oil, fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar until it has the desired fried rice consistency.  This was so good that it reminded me of the fried rice at a good Japanese restaurant such as Inatome in Long Island, a Japanese steakhouse with truly delicious fried rice.  My husband has loved their fried rice since he was a kid (even though all the women in his family won't eat there because the dining experience makes your hair and clothes reek like smoky meat).  Thus, I was attempting to make my own delicious fried rice, with a tropical taste (hence the pineapple).  Plus, no need to do the laundry immediately after dinner.  I was indeed quite successful - the dish was a success and will be served again tomorrow night.

This recipe makes plenty for a larger family, or for leftovers for a second night's dinner.  I garnished with cherry tomatoes to serve.  Now, back to the State of the Union.

Sasha's Kitchen: Tropical Chicken Pineapple Fried Rice