Fabulous Fried Rice

I am so excited to share this recipe with everyone! I absolutely love Chinese food and decided a few months ago that I was going to try and start making it at home.  I started out with this recipe for fried rice and it is SO GOOD.  I make it a couple of times a month and it makes a huge amount and there are always leftovers.  I've shared this with my parents and some friends and everyone has raved about it.  Let me know what you think!

Ingredients:
1 lb beef for stir fry, sliced chicken breast or shrimp or combination
2 cups rice
1 1/2 c. peas and carrots, chopped
1/2 c. chopped sweet onion
2 eggs
2 tbsp vegetable oil, separated
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 c. green onion, chopped for garnish

Easy Asian Marinade:
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1/3 c. soy sauce
1/3/ c. white wine for cooking
2 tsp grated garlic and fresh ginger

Like I said above, this makes a huge amount.  If you're cooking for few people and/or don't want leftovers, I recommend halving the recipe.  The leftovers are delicious, though, so it's up to you!

At least a few hours before cooking, I marinade the meat in the marinade recipe listed above.  Sometimes, depending on what I have in the house, I omit the garlic and ginger and the marinade is still delicious. 

Cook rice first. I have a rice cooker that I use.  If you don't have one, cook according to the instruction listed on the bag.  While rice is cooking, heat one tablespoon of vegetable oil in a medium skillet.  Add meat and cook thoroughly. For the shrimp and beef, cook until there is no pink on the outside and remove from heat as they will cook through in the rice.  For chicken, cook thoroughly before adding to rice mixture.  In a large skillet or electric skillet (my preference), heat the other tablespoon of vegetable oil on medium to medium high heat.  Add peas and carrots.  Cook for a few minutes until carrots start to get tender then add the chopped sweet onion.  I once again use the Vidalia Onion Chopper for this because it chops the onion really small and even so everything cooks through in the same amount of time. 

This is what it looks like:

As veggies are cooking, whisk the egg in a separate bowl.  Once the veggies are tender, move them all over to one side and add the egg.  Scramble the egg and mix it with the veggies once it's cooked. 

It's starting to come together!!

YUMMY!!!
Next, add the soy sauce and sesame oil.  Immediately add the rice and stir it all together.  Add meat and green onion, reduce heat and cover for about 5 minutes.  Serve!

Suggestions: I use frozen peas and corn that can be found in the frozen food aisle.  I also don't add as much as is listed above but I like less veggies so it would be your own preference.  At the step where you add the soy sauce and sesame oil, after adding the rice to the skillet I add approximately another tablespoon of soy sauce until the rice is browned.  I serve this with egg rolls, wontons or egg drop soup with great success.

Here it is folks!

This is beef and chicken fried rice that I served with mini egg rolls with Angela Pappas while enjoying the Mob Wives finale followed by Keeping Up With the Kardashians.  Yes, we like trashy TV.  What can I say?

Good eatin',

Deedles