Beef Fried Rice

More Chinese, but it's one of the simplest things to do to stretch lean supplies. We had leftover roast beef for this one, but fresh beef works and is sometimes better. Any cut too, as long as you marinate the tougher ones and don't over cook them.


Beef Fried Rice


makes 5 servings

1lb beef, cut into small, thin strips
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 large carrot, chopped into half moons
2 cups dry rice, cooked as you like, fresh or day old
4 green onions, chopped
1 egg
3 Tbsp oil
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cayenne
1 Tbsp sesame oil
salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet/wok heat 1 tsp of the oil.
Scramble the egg in a small bowl, season with a little salt and pepper, and fry flat in the pan with little stirring.
Remove and cut the egg into 1/2 x 1/8 inch strips.
Heat 2 tsp of oil in the pan and fry the beef pieces about a minute a side. Remove from pan.
Heat another 2 tsp of oil in the pan and fry the carrot and mushrooms for about 4 minutes, then remove.
Put the rest of the plain oil in the pan and add the rice.
Fry until nice and crispy, about 8-10 minutes depending on how damp it is.
Add 1 1/2 Tbsp of the soy sauce and stir to coat the rice evenly.
Mix the spices with the rest of the soy sauce in a small bowl.
Add everything back to the pan and pour the soy sauce mix over it, stirring well to combine with the rice.
Top with the sesame oil and green onions.
Serve hot.

Yummy!

Shrimp Fried Rice

So, first post of the new year. Hope everyone enjoyed their holidays!

Keeping it simple after all the holiday cooking, I went with a simple fried rice. Well, it was supposed to be simple, but the shrimp were old-school in not being zipper-backed and deveined, so that took longer than I thought. I ran a paring knife along the back, and it worked, but then mom comes home and tells me that you can just open the shell from the leg side of the shrimp, lol. Oh wells, shrimp got prepped and into the rice!

Shrimp Fried Rice


serves 4

1 1/2 cups dry converted rice, cooked following directions
1 lb shrimp, cut into pieces
2 medium carrots, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, sliced into medium pieces
2 Tbsp oil
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground fenugreek
1 tsp honey
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 eggs, lightly beaten
sesame oil to garnish

In a large wok, heat a tsp of the oil and add the eggs.
Keep the eggs flat and flip after 30-45 seconds. Cook until done and removed from the pan.
Cut the egg into thin strips about an inch long by 1/4 inch wide.
Add 2 tsp of oil to the wok and stir fry the onion and carrots about 2 minutes then add the garlic and shrimp pieces and cook about a minute.
Add a tablespoon of soy sauce, the spices and honey and cook until the shrimp is just ready.
Put into a large bowl and wipe out the pan.
Add the rest of the oil to the pan and add the rice
Cook the prepared rice until it's dry and toasty.
Stir in the remaining soy sauce and coat the rice evenly.
Add the shrimp and veggie mix back to the pan and combine well.
Heat everything back up and then kill the heat and add the egg.
Garnish with the sesame oil, give it a quick stir and serve.

No picture today since everyone was so hungry it was on plates and in bellies before I remembered I needed one. It's a yummy mix with a sweet and spicy taste that's definitely not your take-out or frozen meal dish.

Enjoy!