Fried Rice

It's delicious, fast, and very easy, and a whole meal by itself (or a great side-dish). In other words, this is one of the most versatile recipes out there. I love this fried rice as a lunch, and so do my kids! I make at least a double batch every time I cook it, and we still gobble up the whole pan full. For vegetarian, substitute shrimp for the ham--or just leave it out entirely. This is meant to be a use-up for leftovers, so you can use cooked chicken or any vegetable medley you have on hand.
Ham Fried Rice

1 cup calrose rice, uncooked*
2 cups water*
2 tsp chicken bouillon (optional)*
*OR: 2 cups cooked rice
2 TBSP olive oil
1 cup cubed ham
1 cup frozen peas, frozen peas & carrots, OR frozen vegetable medley
2 eggs
2 TBSP soy sauce
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder

1) Cook rice in a pot or rice cooker with water and chicken bouillon until done, according to package directions. *If using leftover cooked plain rice, omit this step, since--hey! it's already cooked.
2) Heat a large frying pan or wok over medium high heat with olive oil. Add ham and let cook for about 1 minute.
3) Add cooked rice and toss to combine, then let it sit and toast for about 3-5 minutes, turning only occasionally. You want some little brown bits to form, but don't burn it.
4) Add frozen vegetables and toss to combine. Let cook for another couple of minutes until vegetables are hot.
5) Beat eggs with soy sauce, pepper, and garlic in a small bowl.
6) Pour eggs over the cooking rice mixture and stir well for 2 minutes, or until eggs are fully cooked and incorporated (like scrambled eggs).
7) Enjoy! Makes about 4 servings, or if you've got my kids in the household, only 2. :)

Note: if you are making this for someone who needs gluten-free, make sure you check your ham, soy sauce, and bouillon for wheat in the ingredients. All of these things can easily be found GF, but you just need to double check. Also remember that you can always change out the ham for some other type of protein, like edamame or chicken or shrimp to fit your needs.

Chi Chi Dango Mochi

I've worked hard to make sure all my recipes on this blog are originals, so I can proudly put my name at the bottom of each of them. This recipe isn't exclusively mine, but I am afraid I might lose it in the abyss of the internet if I don't publish it. I am publishing it with my own little twists, so there's still some Lisa in there.

"Mochi" is a sweet rice flour treat that is popular in Hawaii and Japan. My husband, Cody, was introduced to it when he served his mission in Japan, and once tried to replicate it by grinding cooked rice in our food processor. Not too successful. But today when discussing Japanese desserts I randomly looked it up and found a recipe. And even better, all the ingredients can be purchased right here in my local grocery store! The one semi-specialty ingredient is Mochiko Rice Flour, which I found in the Asian section right along with the soy sauce, coconut milk, and chopsticks. It comes in a white box. You need this brand, though, because of it's glutenous properties.

If you've never had mochi before, it is supposed to be stretchy and a little gooey, and quite sticky. After it has been cut into little bites and rolled in the starch, it can be frozen or stored in the fridge or even at room temperature. At room temp they could potentially spoil faster. I'm a big fan of trying new and adventurous things. This is a pretty good place to start if you are stuck in your same 5 dinners over and over. It's sweet and very tasty, but the texture is a little different. Also, it is super easy to make if you follow the directions exactly. It might just be the thing to jump-start your international food tour!

Chi Chi Dango Mochi

• 1 pound mochiko (glutinous rice flour) (that's a whole box)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
• 1/4 teaspoon red food color (optional)
  
• 1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds
  
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar + 1/2 cup corn starch or potato starch
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch pan. Whisk together the rice flour, sugar and baking powder; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the water, vanilla, coconut milk and red food coloring. Blend in the rice flour mixture. Pour into the prepared pan.
3. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 1 hour. Allow to cool completely.*Tent the foil so it is an inch or two higher in the middle than on the edges. This will allow the steam to run to the edges and prevent a soggy center. When done, the mochi will be kind of springy and stretchy all the way through.
   
4. After it has cooled for about 3 hours, sprinkle the top with the sesame seeds. Pat them in gently. cool even more if necessary.
   
5. Turn the pan of mochi out onto a clean surface that has been dusted with the powdered sugar/corn starch mixture. Cut into bite size pieces using a plastic knife. The mochi does not stick as much to plastic knives. This recipe makes about 40 or 50 little candy-sized bites.

Most of this recipe, with the exception of the sesame seeds, and a few tips on my part, was taken from this site.

Crispy Asian Chicken Fingers; Quick stir-fry veggies

This meal is another one-sauce meal. Make one big batch of the sticky honey-soy sauce, then use it to marinade the meat, flavor the vegetables, and as a dip. This meal is quick to prepare and very kid-friendly. We loved every bite! Oh yes, and I aologize for the picture. But I figure it's better to have a bad picture than none at all.

Honey-Soy Sauce

1 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp ginger (fresh grated, or ground)
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp Thai Fish sauce (optional)

Mix together all ingredients. Makes about 2 cups.

Crispy Asian Chicken Fingers
1 lb chicken tenders, (OR boneless-skinless-chicken breasts, sliced into 1" slices)
1/2 cup Honey-Soy sauce
2 eggs
1 cup breadcrumbs

1) place the chicken tenders or chicken strips in a flat, shallow pan or a zip-lock bag. Pour on 1/2 cup honey-soy sauce. Please pour, and don't let the rest of your sauce touch the raw chicken. Store the chicken in the fridge for 1/2 hour, up to 3 hours.
2) Take out 2 loaf pans, or other long and shallow containers. In one, crack the 2 eggs and beat. In the other spread the breadcrumbs. Preheat oven to 375. Take out a baking sheet and line with foil, then spray with cooking spray.
3) Dip marinated chicken fingers first in beaten egg, then in breadcrumbs. Lay on baking sheet; don't let touch.
4) Bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Serves 4. (You can very easily make more chicken, though, so serves as many as you like.) Serve with extra honey-soy sauce to dip in.
*Variation: cut your chicken into 1" cubes. Marinate, dredge the same way, but bake for 15-20 minutes. Serve with toothpicks, or pretzel sticks instead of toothpicks. Makes a great little appetizer.

Quick Stir-Fry Veggies
1 red bell pepper
1 head of broccoli
1 can water chestnuts
2 tbsp oil
3 tbsp honey-soy sauce

1) Wash and slice vegetables into bite-size strips, however you like them. (Please note that you can use a variety of vegetables, not just the ones listed above. I also like onions, fresh mushrooms, sugar snap peas, cauliflower, carrots, etc)
2) In a large frying pan, heat the oil for 2 minutes or until it begins to smoke slightly. Add the pepper and broccoli. Let cook, tossing often, for 5 minutes, or until it begins to soften. Add the drained water chestnuts and the honey-soy sauce.
3) Cover vegetables, turn heat to low, and let simmer for about 5 more minutes or until desired done-ness. Serve over cooked white rice, if desired.

and in case you need it...
Plain Good Ol' Cooked Rice

2 cups water
1 cup rice
1/2 tsp salt
(increase as needed with the same ratio)

Mix together water, rice, and salt in a pan with at least 2 inches head room. Bring to a boil. Turn OFF heat and LEAVE ON THE LID. Do not touch the lid. I repeat, do not touch that lid! Let sit, right on the burner, for 30 minutes. If you leave the lid on the whole time, it should be perfect. If you picked up the lid, you're done for. :)

Rice-A-Roni (But better)

I used this recipe as a demonstration recipe at my cooking class. I like it because it is quick to make (about half an hour start to finish), it is a one-pot meal, and it uses things most of us have on hand all the time.

Rice-a-Roni (but better)

1 cup rice

1 cup spaghetti noodles, broken into 1” long pieces

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

4 cups chicken stock or broth

1 cup frozen peas

2 cups cooked chicken

Salt and Pepper to taste

1. In a large skillet, add the oil and butter. Place over medium-high heat and let the butter melt. Add the chopped onion, rice, and spaghetti noodles (dry). Cook for about 5-8 minutes, or until the noodles are beginning to toast and the onion is soft.

2. Add the chicken stock and stand back—there might be some steam and hissing. Bring to a boil. Cover immediately, reduce heat to medium-low, and let simmer for 15-20 minutes. Check half way to make sure there is still enough liquid in the pan. If it is looking very dry, add 1 cup of water and reduce heat even lower.

3. When the rice and noodles are no longer crunchy, remove the cover and add the peas and chicken. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper accordingly.

4. Serve immediately. Makes 4-6 large servings, and this is a complete meal by itself.

*For flavor variations, try adding 1 bell pepper, color of your choice, chopped and cooked along with the onion at the beginning. Also try beef stock instead of chicken, or add any of your favorite frozen vegetables at the end instead of the peas.d

Stuffed tomatoes

I went on vacation and came home to find my tomato plants so loaded with red tomatoes that they had knocked over their tomato cages and were lying on the ground. I'll be making salsa later this week, consequently, but today I enjoyed making these tasty stuffed tomatoes. Because store bought tomatoes can be expensive, this might not be something you want to make unless tomatoes are in-season.

Stuffed Tomatoes
4-6 beefsteak tomatoes
2 cups of cooked rice
1/2 lb of ground beef or bulk (no casings) sausage
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350. In a skillet, cook the ground beef of sausage with the onion until the meat is browned completely. Turn off the heat and drain off any excess liquid. Add everything but the tomatoes and stir to combine. Set meat mixture aside.

Take your tomatoes and cut off the tops. If they roll around a lot, you can also cut a shallow slice from the bottom to stabilize. Take a spoon or a knife and gently cut out the seeds from the inside, leaving the sides about 1/2 inch thick. Stuff the now hollow tomatoes with the meat mixture. Place stuffed tomatoes in a baking dish and bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until the outside of the tomato is wilted and they are hot completely through. Serve as a complete meal, garnished with shredded basil leaves, if desired.

Variations: You can stuff nearly any vegetable with the same meat mixture listed above. Hollowed out peppers, acorn squash, zucchini, or eggplant would be fantastic here. You will need to modify the cooking time. Peppers are about the same, but squash and eggplant need to be cooked until they are soft. Cover the dish in foil first, and then bake for about an hour or even longer, until a knife inserted in the flesh of the vegetable is soft. If you want to get even more adventurous, try stuffing apples. Make the same mixture, but make sure you use sausage. Then hollow out your apples just like the tomatoes and bake them for about an hour, again until they are soft.
You can also try topping the stuffed tomatoes with cheese before they bake.

Note: This makes a lot of the meat mixture, so you can save leftovers the freezer or the fridge for a different dinner. I've found that filling vegetables with yummy stuff is a fun way to get your family to eat more healthy foods.