Spicy Fried Rice w/ Chorizo

Happy Friday guys!  I am so elated that it's rearing up to be the weekend, that it's not even funny.  We've got a pretty jam-packed weekend planned, actually.

Tomorrow morning is the Derby Marathon & Mini.  And no.  My butt is not running in it.  I'm not that in shape yet.  I'll actually be volunteering at one of the Powerade and water stations (mile marker 10/19 for those of you that are actually running!).  The only bad thing about this is... I have to be there at 6:15am.  SIX. FIFTEEN. In the morning.  On a Saturday.  Yeah.  I'm dedicated to giving the runners their fluids.

But it won't be so bad.  I've been on a volunteering kick lately, so it'll be good to get out there and do some good.  (And I get a free t-shirt, so that's always a plus!)

And there's also a free concert (that was supposed to be by the river, but considering Waterfront Park looks pretty much like Atlantis right now, I'm positive that they'll be relocating that) on Saturday night that we plan on going to with a couple friends.  The band?  Soul Asylum.  Yeah, anybody remember that early 90's band?  Most famous for that song "Runaway Train".  Yeah, I was 7 when that came out, so no, I don't really remember that band... but since Andy is a tad bit older than I am, he remembers them clearly.  Which is also funny because he can't ever remember to take out the trash on Mondays, but yet, remembers a band from ages ago.  But I digress. 

Anyway, let's talk fried rice.  Fried rice is one of those things that I believe my mom can make the best.  She always just added in whatever we had laying around the house, and it was always amazing.  Definitely great for dinner all on it's own.  But I'm not bragging.

What I will be bragging about, is this new recipe for fried rice that may give my mom's many versions a run for her money.  It's spicy, it's filling, it's absolutely delicious.  So go ahead, try it out - you won't be disappointed!

Ingredients:
Adapted from PigPigCorner's recipe

2-3 cups leftover cooked rice (cold and day old is usually best)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
4 pieces of bacon, chopped
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 scallions (green parts only), chopped
1 large cooked chorizo sausage (or whatever meat/protein you want to add - I just had some leftover), chopped
2 tablespoons Sriracha, or other hot sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon hot water
1 tablespoon sesame oil
Soy sauce, to taste
3 eggs

In a medium bowl, mix leftover rice with the melted butter and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix together Sriracha, sugar, and hot water.  Set aside.

In a large skillet under medium high heat, fry up the bacon pieces until browned and crisp, about 6-8 minutes.  Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.  Set aside.

Drain pan of the bacon fat, leaving about 1-2 tablespoons still in the pan.  Add the diced onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in garlic and half of the scallions.  Saute for about a minute more.

Add rice to the pan and pour Sriracha mixture over top.  Mix well.  Stir fry for about 3-5 minutes, or until rice is started to "crisp" or brown.

Crack the eggs over the rice and stir to scramble throughout mixture.  Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, stirring often.

Stir in bacon pieces and chorizo.

Season mixture with soy sauce, I think I used maybe 2-3 tablespoons and it was perfect. 

Stir in sesame oil and remaining scallions.  Serve hot and with extra Sriracha if you'd like!

This was seriously delicious.  We had this with some Red Curry Chicken Wings (recipe soon to come!) and it couldn't have been a better meal.  The best part?  We had a good amount of leftovers, and after making this on Tuesday, they're practically almost gone.  It's almost bittersweet... but then again, I could always just make some more!

How do you guys fix your fried rice?  Leftovers are always useful!

Hope you all have a great weekend and look forward to a new recipe on Monday!

Asian Meatballs w/ Fried Rice

I'm starting to be at a crossroads in my life. I'll be turning 25 this year, and I've been in college since I was 18, still with nothing to show for it. It's starting to really bother me. I'm antsy to make something of myself, but at the same time realize it's still going to take time to accomplish that. So here in lies the crossroads. Go to pharmacy school or finish up my biology degree and go to graduate school for food science? I love both fields, I mean, I've worked for a pharmacy for about 5 years and there's nothing better than the satisfaction you get out of really making a difference in someone's life. But then again, food science! Wow, I could work in research & development in food labs. I'd be hands on with products and potentially incur the same revenue as I would as a pharmacist. Either choice would allow me to finish up about the same time, so time really isn't an issue. I think this all just came about really because I still haven't heard back from my pharmacy school application. Am I just paranoid? I need a back up plan in case all else fails, but this is just downright nerve racking! Anyway, this all has nothing to do with today's dish, really, just had to vent for a minute.


Ingredients:
Adapted from Vanilla Sugar's blog

1 lb. ground pork
1 small onion, grated
1 egg
5 garlic cloves, minced and divided
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 tablespoons, plus 2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons black bean sauce with garlic
pinch of cornstarch
pinch of powdered ginger
2 cups jasmine rice, cooked
1 teaspoon canola oil
1/4 cup shredded carrots
4 green onions, chopped
1 small can water chestnuts, drained
1 small can bamboo shoots, drained
1/4 cup roasted peanuts
3 tablespoons pad thai sauce

Whoa that's a big list of ingredients! Don't let it deter you! Most of it, if you cook enough Asian foods like me, will already be in your pantry! If not, still give it a go because it's definitely worth it!

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Combine pork, egg, grated onion, 3 garlic cloves, fresh ginger, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, and panko bread crumbs in a medium bowl. Mix well and form about 1-2 inch meatballs.

Heat canola oil in a large skillet and brown meatballs on all sides. Do not cook all the way, just get them nice and browned. Then place on a greased baking sheet and bake in oven for about 15 minutes.

Drain most of oil off of skillet, but leave just a bit. Combine honey, black bean garlic sauce, corn starch, powdered ginger, and 4 tablespoons of soy sauce in a small bowl. Add to skillet under medium heat and cook until it bubbles and slightly thickens. Pour mixture over meatballs and coat well.

Heat up a little more canola oil in another large skillet under medium high heat and add garlic. Stir until fragrant, about a minute or so, and add in cooked rice. Then add carrots, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, and peanuts. Mix well. Add pad thai sauce and a few dashes of soy sauce to the rice mixture. Incorporate the sauces well throughout the rice. Top with chopped green onion.

Serve meatballs on top of rice and dig in!


These were some of the most flavorful and delicious meatballs I've ever had. Definitely has one leg up on the Italian variety! Enjoy!

Steamed Lime-Ginger Basil Tilapia W/ Cranberry Bacon Fried Rice

I think for the first time ever, I actually went to Whole Foods and couldn't find what I really wanted. I wanted a whole trout. No trout whatsoever. I wanted a whole fish, but they only had Red Snapper or Mackerel and neither tickled my fancy (especially because we we're on a really tight budget) while I was at the counter. So hmm... I go in with a game plan and have to improvise I guess. I know a lot of people give Tilapia a lot of slack, because it's not worthy or whatnot. But I believe in giving every fish a chance, so I chose Tilapia.



Ingredients for Trout:

2 Tilapia fillets (or any white fish)
1 Lime
1 tablespoon minced or grated ginger
3 fresh basil leaves
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Lay out 2 pieces of aluminum foil, big enough to wrap the tilapia in. Place tilapia on foil and drizzle olive oil on both sides. This helps to keep the fish moist and not let it stick to the foil. Grate some ginger over top side of tilapia, squeeze lime juice over fillets, and stick 3 basil leaves under tilapia.


Season with salt and pepper to taste.

I cut the lime into slices and placed it over the tilapia before wrapping, but I would suggest not doing this. Although it looks very beautiful, when cooking in the oven, the rind from the lime overpowers the taste of the tilapia. So definitely save slices for an ending garnish, rather than a cooked in flavor.

Wrap tilapia in foil, but not tight, kind of allow for a tent-like wrapping.

Cook in oven for about 10-15 minutes. Tilapia is a very light fish so it shouldn't take very long at all. Unwrap and serve over cranberry fried rice.



But how do you make the cranberry fried rice you ask? I was getting to that...

Ingredients for Cranberry Bacon Fried Rice:

1 cup long grain brown rice
2 & 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup cranberries, soaked in white wine
1 small shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 slices chopped bacon
2 tablespoons fresh herbs (I used parsley and basil, with a dash of dried oregano)
salt and pepper to taste

I really like this fried rice recipe mostly because it's a Filipino-style fried rice. What the difference from Chinese fried rice and Filipino fried rice you ask? Well, if you notice, when you go to a Chinese buffet, the rice usually has bits of eggs in it, along with a brown color, from soy sauce, and it's not very "fried". It has somewhat of a soft texture to it.

Well, Filipino fried rice, is actually crispy, but still soft enough to know it's rice. No eggs, no soy sauce. Not in the ones my mom used to make anyway. And this definitely is an upgraded version of my mom's version.

Start by bringing a pot of chicken stock to a boil. Add rice. Cover and let cook for about 30 minutes, when all of rice has soaked up the majority of the stock. Then set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, heat up wok or skillet over medium to high heat and add bacon. Fry bacon for about 2 to 3 minutes, until almost done. Then add shallots and garlic. Saute for about a minute or two.


Add rice. Drain cranberries and reserve some of the wine. Add cranberries to rice and stir thoroughly. If rice seems a bit dry or not to your liking, add some of the wine in, otherwise you can drink it (it's quite tasty!).

Stir in fresh herbs and serve with tilapia!



This was a great meal. The fried rice exceeded all of my expectations and I might have to challenge my mother to a fried rice-off in the near future. The tilapia, like I said, could have been better if I had just left the lime slices off of it until after I plated, but still a good meal!