I usually hate recipes which call for the use of leftovers, since I very rarely have any. I like to think this is down to my excellent menu planning skills, rather than my propensity to eat everything in sight. One thing I do have in abundance, however, is rice. No matter how few grains of basmati I opt to cook, they always explode from the pan 10 minutes later by the fluffy white truck load.
Having a fridge full of rice is particularly useful in January. The desire for takeaway food usually strikes at the most inopportune of moments. The combination of being back at work, the miserable weather, and dwindling cash reserves is the perfect storm. Luckily, this special fried rice can be whipped up in the time it takes to dig the Chinese restaurant menu out from the depths of the recycling bin, where you shoved it in a futile attempt at a healthy start to the new year. Just me?
Substitute chicken for cooked prawns, pork, mushrooms or a combination of the lot, as per your normal order. Consume after an invigorating 90 minute gym workout, or after a similar length struggle from your work clothes into your pyjamas, depending on how well you’re dealing with 2013 so far. Either way, it’ll taste good.
Ingredients
Makes two generous portions
2 eggs - beaten
150g cooked basmati rice
1 large chicken breast - cooked and diced
1 medium onion – diced
1 clove garlic - diced
3cm fresh ginger – peeled and sliced
Frozen peas
Olive oil
Soy sauce
Fish sauce
Salt & pepper
Directions
1. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan. On a high heat, pour the egg into the pan to create a flat omelette. Cook for a couple of minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and leave to cool.
2. Fry the onion, garlic and ginger in olive oil until softened, around five minutes. Meanwhile, in a separate pan, cook your required amount of frozen peas. I like loads.
3. Add the rice and a large splash of soy sauce to the onions, and continue to cook for several minutes.
4. While the rice is heating through, chop the omelette into small chunks.
5. To the rice, add a splash of fish sauce, salt & pepper, the chicken, the chopped omelette and the peas. Mix well and continue to heat through for a couple more minutes. Add more soy sauce if required. Serve immediately.
Image by Kate Diamond for BitchBuzz.com