how to make fried rice

yay!  Chinese New Year is around the corner.

2013 is the year of the snake.  the Chinese calendar runs on 12 year cycles.  the last time we were in the year of the snake, i was running a dot com and didn’t need lululemon.

i recently signed up to be room mom for a few months at my kid’s preschool.

i’ve been scouring for cute craft projects the kids can make and lesson plans i can teach.  when i asked my mom, she sent me to Wiki.  has she really been in the US that long that she doesn’t remember?! 🙂

i went to the 99 Ranch Market to buy some supplies. have you ever been to an Asian market?  live seafood.  smells that take you directly into China.  and fruits that make you wonder “who in their right mind looked at that and decided to eat it?”

turns out i unknowingly bought some funeral stuff.  i’m only half Chinese…so give me a break.  ha!

my friends all know that i was a latch key kid and started cooking at the ripe old age of 7.  i learned this fried rice recipe from my Aunt’s cooks.

heat 1 Tb sesame oil and 1 Tb veggie oil in a wok or deep pan.  the hotter the better.  in this recipe, i used 1 cup frozen peas, 1/2 cup fresh carrots, and 3 fresh scallions from the garden.

i’ve also used corn and whatever other random veggies i’ve got in the fridge (eggplant, bok choy, snap peas, baby corn, water chestnuts, etc).

that’s the beauty of fried rice…it’s intended to use all the leftover stuff in the fridge!

once the peas and carrots are soft, make a well in the center of the sauteed veggies, and crack 2-3 eggs into it.  let the eggs sit for about 30 – 45 seconds, then start scrambling, trying to keep it in the center of the well.  you really don’t want the eggs to mix too much with the veggies until the very end.

the secret to really good fried rice is using non-fresh rice.  day-old, cold rice makes really delicious fried rice.  after the egg is scrambled, scoop in 3 cups of rice.  then add 2-3 Tb soy sauce.  if things start looking dry, add a bit more veggie oil and perhaps some chicken stock or water.

mix is all together and serve hot.

kids particularly love this dish and it’s a great way for them to get their veggie fix!