Fried Rice Farm Style

Using up odds-and-ends at the end of the week

Ingredients

• Your favorite rice enough to make 4 cups cooked
• 4 eggs
• 3 green onions for egg pancakes and final garnish
• 1/4 C high temperature oil (avocado, peanut or your favorite) for the fry
• 1 onion-diced
• 2 bunches of greens-chiffonade (kale, collards or other mixed green)
• 2 T fresh ginger-grated
• 3-4 cloves garlic-minced
• 2-3 C carrots-cut in triangles- slice carrot lengthwise in quarters then crosscut each long quarter to form small triangles .
• 1 large sliced cabbage
• 2 cups peas, minced broccoli or cauliflower
• 1/4 C soy sauce or tamari
• 2 Tb Sesame Seed Oil
• 1/2 C Mirin or cooking Sherry

Optional Ingredients:

• 1-2 cups of leftover meat-in small cubes (optional)
• 2 C Mushrooms-diced (Optional)( I use shitakes that are grown right here in our valley)
• Medium hot to sweet peppers, diced (optional)
• Julienned summer squash (optional)
• 2 cups of bean sprouts (optional)

Prepare prior to the fry:

1. Cook your favorite rice –so you have 4 cups of cooled, cooked rice.  You can do this the day before if you’re going to be in a hurry.
2. Use 4 eggs to cook some "egg pancakes" like this:
   • add a few drops of sesame seed oil to a medium heat skillet and pour in the equivalent of 1 well whisked egg at a time (some chopped green onion added to the eggs could be yummy too).  and just let it flow out and cook, resulting in a thin, crepe like egg "pancake". 
   • Once cooked, turn it out on a plate and let it cool.  Repeat for the remaining egg mixture.
   • Roll up the pancakes and cut them into 1/4" slices.  This is a bit more effort than simply scrambling the eggs in the stir fry process, but it is well worth it.

Everything is in place and within arm's reach?  You're ready to fry.

In a large frying pan or wok on medium heat

1. Add ¼ cup of high temperature oil
2. Once it’s med-hot add:
   1. onion and cook slowly until it smells sweet-this could take 10-12 min.
   2. Then add  the mushrooms- Continue cooking on med heat for another 5 min.
   3. Add the greens on top of the onions and mushrooms but don’t stir them together-yet!  Cover with a lid and braise for about 5 min.
   4. Stir the mixture all together.  Cook for another 5 min. with the lid on.  You want the kale or collards really well cooked and as sweet as possible after the braise.
   5. Then add:
      1. ginger
      2. garlic
      3. carrots
      4. cabbage
   6. Cook for about 5 min.
   7. Now turn up the heat to med-high or high …depending on your cooktop and add an assortment of odds and ends from the refrigerator:
      1. meat  (optional)
      2. peas, Minced broccoli or cauliflower
      3. soy sauce
      4. sesame seed oil
      5. Mirin or cooking sherry
   8. Continue tossing everything together over med-high heat and add the cooked rice
   9. Taste to see if it needs more soy sauce or mirin or sesame oil.
   10. Mix together well so the rice is heated through.
   11. Option: Add 2 cups of bean sprouts for a nice crunch and mix in with the rice.
   12. Option: Stir in our Asian Stir Fry Sauce to the entire rice/veg mixture and stirfry together to meld flavors.

Serving Suggestions:

Pour out on a large platter and top with the egg ribbons (see directions above) and green onions–cut lengthwise in slivers and crosscut into 2 inch pieces. 

OR  Steam whole cabbage leaves for 5 minutes.  Spread out on a platter to cool and use as a wrap.  Dress with Tahini Dressing for an extra boost of flavor.

OR serve with a ladle of the Ginger Sauce as shown in the side column.

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