Fried Rice for Dinner
What to have on hand when you're out of inspiration
Here’s my case for why a bag (or 4) of frozen fried rice should be in your freezer at all times. It’s the end of the week and the ambitious dinners happened Monday & Tuesday and you’ve eaten the leftovers Wednesday. You could get takeout, but maybe you’re like me, you live in the burbs’ and you don’t want to spend the $60 on subpar food. If you had a bag of frozen fried rice, and some odds and ends in the fridge, you’re 80% of the way to a delicious, homemade-ish dinner for a fraction of the price.
Fried Rice Blueprint:
The fried rice is the canvas. I VERY much like the varieties found at Trader Joes. Specifically the Japanese Fried Rice and the Korean Bulgogi Fried Rice. Now, you could just eat them as is, but there’s a few problems with that: 1 bag is often not enough but 2 bags would be overkill. There are not enough vegetables in there to satisfy my idea of a balanced dinner. There’s not really enough protein in there either. So enter all the things hanging around in your fridge. Got eggs? Got a random assortment of veggies?
A big pan on high + a little oil > in goes the fried rice. Then you add in your “extras”. Here are some things I often add to my fried rice:
Any vegetable, chopped up small and quickly steamed
Frozen peas
Frozen vegetables (they tend to be already steamed at least a bit)
Baby spinach
Herbs like cilantro or basil
A few eggs. make holes in the fired rice and crack eggs in there. a dash of soy on the eggs and then scramble them up. Instant protein hit.
Any leftover cooked protein chopped up into small pieces (seriously you could even chop up a leftover cooked hamburger)
chopped scallions
chopped peanuts to garnish
chili oil
You’ve got dinner on the table in under 20 minutes PLUS you cleaned out all the scraps hanging around in your refrigerator. Win win.
What I’m Loving This Week:
Kérastase Blond Absolu Serum Cicanuit: this is a very expensive hair product… that is worth every penny. But you didn’t spend the money on takeout , right?? The name suggests it’s just for blondes, but I can’t imagine why. I think they just know blondes usually have the most dried out damaged hair and need the most help. This serum can go on either damp hair or dry hair. I like to run a generous amount through damp hair, plus my other pre-blow dry products and then blow dry. The result is straight up Kardashian level shine and texture. It’s incredible. I haven’t bought it in over year since my last bottle ran out but last week I treated myself.
OXO Silicone Measuring Cup: If someone were to ask me my favorite kitchen tool, this would be a contender. Sure, it measures liquid just fine. But to pour something from it is an absolute delight. The feeling of it in your hands and the control over the pour you get is incredibly satisfying. I use this on photoshoots when I need to pour something in a very precise location without spilling. But even at home, it just WORKS. I find the 2 cup one the most useful, if you only get one size.
