Asian is one of my most favorite cuisines. Thai, Japanese, Chinese = Yum. It’s second only to Italian in my book. I used to love going to Asian restaurants mostly because I got to order things that I never made myself. Egg rolls, kung pao chicken, chicken with almonds, fried rice, etc. Now don’t get me wrong, I still love Asian restaurants. In fact, I found a new favorite just blocks from my apartment last week. But because of this blog even Asian recipes are in my repertoire! Egg rolls…check! Crab Rangoon…check! Carrot Ginger Dressing from my fav Japanese restaurant…check! Fried Rice… check!
We went with a recipe from Steamy Kitchen because it was the most authentic recipe I could find. Plus her directions were really detailed and good, which was helpful since we’re no pros when it comes to fried rice. I appreciated the tips and tricks that she provided.
The original recipe was shrimp fried rice, but we swapped shrimp for pineapple. I know that sounds kind of weird, but it actually worked. I think the best piece of advice was to use leftover rice. Not only did it make this a breeze to make, but it worked better than making rice fresh because that becomes too mushy. Whenever I order chinese takeout I always end up with lots of leftover white rice. This is an excellent way to use up the leftovers. I will definitely make this fried rice again…in fact every time I have leftover rice in my fridge this is what it will be used for!
Here's what you'll need. And actually the corn starch should not be there!
Start by cutting the pineapple
Cut a flat edge so that the pineapple lays steady on a flat surface
Cut the pineapple in a crosshatch pattern being careful to not go all the way through the skin
Scoop the pineapple pieces out and set aside in a separate bowl. Then discard the core
Scramble the eggs until just slightly runny. Remove from wok and place on a plate.
While the eggs are scrambling, cut the green onion
Wipe out the wok then cook the onions in a tablespoon of oil just until fragrant
Add the rice spreading out against the wok and add soy sauce all around
Add the peas, carrots and egg, toss together. Add the sesame oil now too
Add the bean sprouts and pineapple at the end and toss together. Season with salt and pepper to taste
Yum! An excellent way to use up your leftover white rice…
Servings 4-6
Ingredients
½ teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons cooking oil (divided)
3 eggs, beaten in a small bowl
2 stalks green onion, minced
5 cups previously cooked leftover rice
¾ cup frozen carrots and peas, defrosted
1 cup fresh pineapple, cut into chunks
1 handful bean sprouts
4 tablespoons soy sauce
3 teaspoons sesame oil
Directions
Heat a wok or large sauté on high heat. When the pan is hot enough for a bead of water to instantly sizzle and evaporate, add 1 tablespoon of the cooking oil and swirl to coat pan. Reduce the heat to medium and pour in the eggs, stirring in a quick motion to break up and scramble the eggs. When the eggs are almost cooked through (they should still be slightly runny in the middle), remove from the frying pan and onto a plate.
Use a paper towel to wipe the same wok or sauté pan clean (no need to wash) and return to high heat with the remaining 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, swirling to coat. When the oil is very hot, add the green onions and stir fry until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add in the rice and stir well to mix in the green onions throughout. Spread the rice all around the wok surface area and let the rice heat up, untouched until you hear the bottoms of the grains sizzle, about 1-2 minutes. Use the spatula to toss the rice, again spreading the rice out over the surface of the wok.
Drizzle soy sauce all around the rice and toss. Add the peas and carrots, the cooked eggs and sesame oil, tossing to mix the rice evenly with all of the ingredients. Let everything heat back up again. Add the diced pineapple and bean sprouts last. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Add additional soy sauce if needed.
Source: adapted from Steamy Kitchen
