This one requires a little planning ahead. The very best fried rice always starts from leftovers. When I find myself making long grain rice for dinner, I always make double, so I can make fried rice the next day. I particularly love to use a quality basmati rice, which might sound a bit weird, but honestly the robust grains really work well I think. To make the above plate then…
Egg fried rice
Whisk two eggs together in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add to a pan and fry in a little oil till a small omelette forms. With the spatula chop it into large rough pieces. Next add one small diced white onion and fry for thirty seconds.
Next add 1-2 cups of cooked and cooled long grain rice. Stir well then liberally season with good quality soy sauce and some black pepper. Cook on high heat, unless rice starts to crisp. Finish with thinly sliced green onion and more soy sauce to taste.
Mushu vegetables
This one couldn’t be simpler. In a pan cook thinly sliced cabbage, carrot, mushroom and diced water chestnuts over a medium heat. Cook with a small dash of sesame oil, soy, garlic and a small dash of hoisin sauce. Cook until you get the preferred vegetable texture. I serve with a side of hoisin and sprinkle of sesame seeds.
Garlic bok choy
Another crazy simple dish. Wash and roughly chop the bok choy before cooking over medium high heat with plenty of garlic – the more you can handle the better :).
Meanwhile, mix a tablespoon of corn starch with cold water in a separate cup, and mix well. Once the bitterness of the garlic has gone add the flour/water slurry to the box choy. Add a good splash of soy too. Bring the heat up to a gently bubble, then lower. The sauce will thicken.
Hi, I’m Stuart, nice to meet you! I’m the founder, writer and wrangler at Gastronomic SLC – Utah’s biggest and oldest online food magazine; I’m also a former restaurant critic of more than five years, working for the Salt Lake Tribune. I’ve worked extensively with multiple local publications from Visit Salt Lake to Salt Lake Magazine, not least helped to consult on national TV shows.
I’m a multiple-award winning journalist and have covered the Utah dining scene for the better part of fifteen years. I’m largely fueled by a critical obsession with rice, alliteration and the use of big words I don’t understand. I started Shop Smart to catalogue my adventures in the grocery store and kitchen. Follow along on Instagram too!