Sneakified Fried Rice

I love Chinese takeout.  I just can't afford it very often.  Usually, I am the only one who could eat it four or five nights a week, so....needless to say - we don't get it very often.  I love stir fry, fried rice, potstickers...all of it! It's easy, quick, inexpensive and probably way better for you than most dishes you can come up with on the fly. Well, in our house, anyway....

And, yes...I did just make 'sneaky' into an adjective in the post title. Believe me when I tell you that it will fill a huge void in your vocabulary that you never even knew was there. Trust me.

I can sneak a stir fry or something into the menu every once in awhile and nobody complains too much. Drama Queen and I could eat Chinese, stir fry or sushi every day...but alas, we are the only ones who would. When I can sneak it in, believe me, I will.

This is a quick-and-dirty Fried Rice that I have done a million and five times. It's idiot proof, not to mention the versatility it has! You can add just about anything and I promise it will be fantastic!

Here's what I had on hand:  Shrimp, leftover veggies (like broccoli, carrots, snow peas) leftover basmati rice, soy sauce and sesame oil, green onion, minced garlic, and parsley.  I also pulled two eggs out of the fridge.

 Heat some oil in a frying pan.  When it's hot, dump the rice in and cook until it just starts to brown and get nice and golden.  Make a well in the center of the pan.

Pour the eggs in the center and scramble.

Mix the eggs into the rice.

Stir in the green onions, garlic and parsley.

Add the soy sauce and sesame oil.

Add in any veggies you have on hand, or use a bag of frozen stir fry veggies...whatever you like!

Add in any meat or seafood you like - leftover pork, chicken, steak, mussels, crab, shrimp...I had some shrimp that I diced and threw in. Stir it all together and let it get all toasty and hot.

I pan fried some egg rolls from the deli, which will do in a pinch if you don't have the time or ingredients to make them yourself.  I have never cared for 'baked' egg rolls at all.  You can bake them in the oven, but they don't have the texture or flavor of a real egg roll. I find them slightly gummy and chewy when they are cooked in the oven. You don't have to deep fry them, either; just pan fry them in an inch or two of oil and you get the same taste and texture.

And there you have it. A quick pseudo-takeout that can (and usually will) use up those leftovers in the fridge that you would have probably thrown away this weekend...

The versatility of a dish like this just astounds me.  You could do just about anything here; steak and peppers (Philly Fried Rice!), taco meat, tomatoes and chilis (Mexi-fried anyone?), crumbled bacon slices and more egg (Breakfast Fried Rice), chorizo and queso fresco - I mean, really! I could go on and on and on here...

Let me know what you'd do with it!! I would love to try your ideas...