Quick and Easy Fried Rice

I promise the fourth installment of our wedding recap as soon as Dan sends me pictures. In the meantime, I'd love to tell you about a ridiculous easy meal! In fact, it was so easy, I made it this morning, in the time it took Dan to get dressed.

This fried rice recipe calls for very few ingredients, very little chopping and only one pan. Awesome. We chose savoy cabbage as the primary veggie because about 6 slices will chop an entire head of cabbage. We also threw in some carrots because we had them, but you could skip them, or add any other easy-to-prep veggies. (Ideas: bean sprouts, celery, red cabbage)

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15-minute fried rice

oil
sesame seeds (optional, but delicious)
leftover rice (we had about 2 cups)
1 head savoy cabbage
other veggies as desired
your favorite asian condiments (we used soy sauce, sriracha sauce, sweet chili garlic sauce and oyster sauce--use whatever you have, even if it's just soy sauce)
2-3 eggs

1. Heat the oil in your pan until it's super hot and shimmery. (We used a wok.) 1 minute
2. Add the sesame seeds and cook for 2 minutes, or until just turning golden. Meanwhile, stick the rice in the microwave for 1.5 minutes. 2 minutes
3. Add the rice to the pan, stirring once at the beginning and every 2-3 minutes as it browns. Meanwhile, rinse/chop your cabbage and any other veggies you want to use. 5 minutes
4. After the rice is starting to look a bit brown, add the hardest veggies first (e.g. carrots, celery, broccoli), and the remaining veggies after 2 minutes or so. 2 minutes
5. Once all the veggies are added, add condiments and leave on high heat until everything is cooked, stirring as necessary. 3 minutes
6. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Clear a space in the center of your pan and crack the eggs in. Scramble lightly, let firm slightly, then fold into the fried rice/veggie mixture. To finish cooking the egg faster, turn the heat back to high until the egg sets. 2 minutes

Best served hot and fresh from the pan. I undercooked the egg slightly so it could be reheated for lunch. Easy, veggieful, and delicious.
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Let me know what you think by leaving a comment or emailing me at piquantprose [at] gmail [dot] com.

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C-C-C-Cookies!

I was gifted the remaining 10 eggs from a dozen, and have been trying to clean out my pantry. What better way to use up dried fruit, chocolate chips and coconut than oatmeal cookies? 

They're definitely not the most incredible cookies I've ever had (I think peanut butter surprises might take that title) but they're really quick and easy, not too terrible for you, and use up all sorts of pantry items.

I'd also like to try these with peanut butter in addition to/instead of butter and filled with banana chunks, peanuts, and almonds. Yum!

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"Disposal" Cookies

makes 4 dozen small cookies

adapted from Quaker Oats

Equipment

fork

bowl

butter melting device

Ingredients

0.5c butter (1 stick, 110g)

0.75c brown sugar (165g)

0.5c white sugar (100g)

2 eggs

1t vanilla

1.5c AP flour (185g)

1t baking soda (6g)

0.5t salt

2c quick oats (196g)

1c Bob's Red Mill 5-grain hot cereal [or rolled oats] (120g)

0.75c mini chocolate chips (110g)

0.5c unsweetened shredded coconut (40g)

0.75c dried cranberries, chopped (120g)

Directions

1. Melt the butter. Mix thoroughly with the sugars.

2. Add the egg and vanilla. Mix together with the fork until it's a light golden brown.

3. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and salt, fluffing it with a whisk or a clean fork.

4. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until it just comes together.

5. Add the oats, hot cereal, chips, coconut and cranberries mixing until combined. The dough will just barely hold all the add-ins.

6. Divide into tablespoonfuls on parchment lined or greased baking trays. Bake for 12 minutes at 350°F, or until golden brown.

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What's your favorite kind of oatmeal cookie? Do you prefer oatmeal raisin cookies or oatmeal chocolate chip? Let me know what you think and leave a comment or email me at piquantprose [at] gmail [dot] com. 


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Remix: Peanut Butter Cookies

When I say peanut butter cookies, I know what you're thinking:

(peanut butter + sugar + eggs) * oven = cookie

Well, it's time to rethink the peanut butter cookie. The original recipe came from Alice Medrich's book, Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-your-Mouth Cookies. I made two batches--one was exactly as she specified in her book, the other with my own addition. Mine won, hands down.

These are the originals, with chopped peanuts on top

The cookie itself is crispy but gets stuck in your teeth like cotton candy. The Reese's Peanut Butter Cup I snuck in the middle? The chocolate and peanut butter melt and stick to your tongue. It's an incredible play of textures.

The best part? The cookie is only 50 calories.

You'll burn off at least 2 cookies if you whisk by hand.

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Peanut Butter Surprises

makes 30-35 cookies

adapted from Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-your-Mouth Cookies by Alice Medrich

Equipment

whisk + really strong arm OR electric mixer OR stand mixer

bowl

measuring cups OR scale+1 measuring spoon

rubber spatula (OR something similar)

parchment paper

2 baking trays

plastic bag OR pastry bag OR spoon

oven

Ingredients

3 egg whites

0.125t cream of tartar

4.60 oz sugar (2/3c)

3oz chunky all-natural peanut butter (1/3c)

2 bags Reese's Minis (they come in bags and are pre-unwrapped)

chopped peanuts (optional)