Easy Vegtable Fried Rice

Not too long ago, I found an electric wok, hardly ever used and great quality at my local 2nd hand store. The price was a steal for the brand and condition. I did not want to become like my wok’s previous owner and neglect to appreciate it’s culinary genius. As I already had some beautiful red, green and yellow sweet peppers cut up in the refrigerator and carrot sticks from lasts nights vegetable tray, I was focused on making sure they would be the star in tonight’s dinner as produce like this should not be forgotten and let to turn into a science project. I had planned to use leftover chicken I had also grilled for last nights dinner (made extra, or so I thought), but my boys had already used it to make more Balsamic Chicken Wraps. So vegetarian we go! No disappointment to me, or my boys.

I had to do some research online, as using a wok of any sort is very new to me. I learned quickly that one must have all of their ingredients ready to add as the cooking process happens quickly. I also learned that fried rice is best with leftover rice about 2-3 days old. Shucks…I hadn’t planned for that! Luckily, I found a site that gave a tip if you didn’t have leftover rice and were making it fresh. After rice is cooked, spread on a large cookie sheet and put into freezer for about 30 minutes. It not only cools the rice, but helps it dry out. I have found out that the dryer you rice is the better for this dish. I did, however, find that after 15 minutes, I mixed and re-spread the rice as the corners were freezing and the middle still hadn’t lost its moisture.

So, rice is working, giving me plenty of time to re-consult the internet and to prep my veggies. On 1 plate I have sliced red, yellow and green sweet peppers. This was easy as they were already sliced and cleaned, I just made the slices a bit thinner and shorter for the recipe. I julienned the already made carrot sticks. Then, I happened to have a fresh pint of mushrooms, I removed 2 big ones, wiped clean with a damp paper towel and sliced about 1/4 inch or so. Onion was next, I have fresh red onions from Ma’s Garden that had to be involved (many recipes call for scallions, but I used what I had with no regrets). Peeled, cleaned and halved. The red onion was sliced thinly and also put on the plate of veggies.

Next, I got out a small bowl and added 2 eggs. A dash of pepper and salt was added before I mixed with a fork. This too, was set on the table next to my wok.

I pull out the bottle of soy sauce and get my wooden utensils ( one with a flat edge and one is a spoon, no recipe secret, just what I have that will not scratch the wok)

Oil….Well, I did wonder why in my research Olive Oil was not mentioned…but peanut, sesame, and vegetable oil were always mentioned. OK, I’d rather use my vegetable oil instead of my expensive alternatives. You only use a couple of TBS anyways….

Now, I check my table to be sure all the ingredients are in place. So, now, I begin to cook!

Recipe yields about 4-6 servings or 6 cups total prepared Fried Rice

Ingredients:

1/2cup each of Yellow, Green, and Red sweet pepper sliced about 2″/ 1/4″ (substitute with what is available)
1/3 cup frozen peas (set in a small bowl and let defrost a bit)
1 whole large carrot juilenned into 1 1/2 inch pieces (about 3/4 cup)
2 large white mushrooms sliced (about 1/3 cup)
4 Cups cooked and cooled rice
2 eggs lightly mixed and seasoned with salt and pepper
Soy Sauce (about 2 TBS to taste)
2-3 TBS high temperature oil (vegetable oil works fine)

Heat electric wok to highest setting, add about 1 1/2 TBS oil. When just beginning to smoke slightly, add carrots, stir and cook about 30 seconds. Add peppers, cook about a minute more stirring constantly. Add Mushrooms, cook another minute and remove vegetables to a bowl.

Add more oil if needed, pour in eggs, softly folding. Remove when done but still moist…make sure they are chopped up into small pieces.

Add remaining oil if needed, then the rice and onions. Let sit for 2 minutes or so, breaking up any clumps. Toss and keep frying to get rice a bit crispy. This may take 6-8 minutes with occasional tossing. Add bowl of vegetables and eggs. Add Soy sauce around the pan, about 2 TBS. Toss until all is hot, remove to serving dish and serve immediately. Leftovers are wonderful for lunch the next day.

Quiche

Left: Ham, Spinach and Cheddar Cheese. Right: Ham, Swiss, Spinach, Roasted Red Pepper and Rosemary

It’s my day off and the kids return to school next week. They were kind enough to let me sleep in, but when I awoke, they were already asking me what I was going to make for lunch. It was only 10am but I suppose their breakfast cereal was quickly dissipating in their stomachs. Luckily, I have a plan.

My grocery store, Plumbs, had double pie crust on sale for only $.99 this week. I of course eagerly added this to my cart as I was on a budget this week. Who am I kidding, I’m always on a budget. My menu is usually centered around what is on sale.

Today, I pulled the pie crusts out of the freezer and began the very quick process of making Quiche. Once you have a basic recipe, the options are endless! I made 2, since my oldest had a friend over and teens can  sure eat a lot. The first one was pretty basic, I used ingredients that I knew the kids liked, although, I successfully managed to add spinach. My second one, was more for my taste and included spinach, swiss cheese, roasted red pepper and Rosemary.

So, what exactly is Quiche? I decided to educate myself as it was happily baking in my oven. The following information was found on Wikipedia:

In French cuisine, a quiche (English pronunciation: /ˈkiːʃ/) is a baked dish that is based on a custard made from eggs and milk or cream in a pastry crust. Usually, the pastry shell is blind baked before the other ingredients are added for a secondary baking period. Other ingredients such as cooked chopped meat, vegetables, or cheese are often added to the egg mixture before the quiche is baked. Quiche is generally an open pie (i.e. does not contain a pastry covering), but may include an arrangement of tomato slices or pastry off-cuts for a decorative finish. Quiche may be eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, depending on local customs and personal tastes.

Yup, just what I thought. So, here is a basic recipe for Quiche. Let your imagination and taste buds create your own version, or use mine

Ingredients for 1 Quiche

1 Frozen pie crust (or make your own if desired)
1 cup grated cheese (cheddar, swiss, mozzarella, gryue, etc..)
1/2 cup cooked meat (ham, bacon, sausage are common)
1/3 cup spinach (thawed and squeezed of juices, or canned and squeezed of juice. Fresh is wonderful too)
Up to 1/3 cup Additional chopped veggies, such as sautéed onions, roasted red pepper, mushrooms sliced. Careful not to add too many vegetables, as it can make the Quiche runny.
1 Tsp Fresh herbs (optional) I used Rosemary, but Parsley, Cilantro or Thyme would be nice too.
4 eggs beaten with 1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, place pie crust in oven to pre-bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. Place meat, veggies and cheese in crust and pour egg/milk mixture over combination. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, lower heat to 350 degrees and finish baking for about 35 minutes or until eggs are set. Cover the edges of crust with aluminum foil if it begins to brown too much. Let cool for at least 5 minutes, slice and serve.

1 pie yields 6 servings

Mock Baby Quiche

So cute and full of delicious flavors, these Mock Baby Quiche are as fun to make as they are to pop into your mouth! I love these for brunch, an easy appetizer or make a batch ahead of time to warm up for a quick healthy breakfast on the run! The kids ask for these and are a perfect healthy snack after school too! The ingredients are as versitle as your imagination. A wonderful way to use up leftovers and the last of your veggies. This recipe fits in wonderfully with a low-carb diet too!

This recipe makes 12, double and make an extra batch, as these babies don’t last long!

Ingredients

3/4 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese (or cheese of choice) shredded
1/2 cup ham diced (deli ham works great too)
1 large scallion white and green parts, thinly sliced
1/4 cup green sweet pepper (or colored works well too) diced
4 eggs
splash milk
salt and pepper to taste

Spray mini muffin tin with cooking spray. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. In each hole, place ham, scallions, green pepper and cheese. In another bowl, mix 4 eggs and milk with wire whisk. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour egg mixture over ham/cheese/vegetables in each tin just to the top. Cook 10-12 minutes until middle is set.

Other Variations:
Bacon
Sausage
Turkey
Pepper-jack cheese, swiss cheese or any favorite shredded cheese
Green peppers (or any colored pepper)
Jalapenos
Broccoli
Mushrooms
Tomatoes, seeded and drained diced
Fresh Herbs such as basil, thyme, sage, chives

For a Thanksgiving brunch try: Sage sausage, sweetened dried cranberries chopped and chives with swiss.

Our family favorite: Pepper-jack cheese, ham, scallions and green pepper!