SIMPLE LUNCHES: Quick & Easy Egg Fried Rice
This was a yummy and very simple lunch and so easy to make all in one big, non-stick pan (almost).
Firstly, let’s start with the pan. I’m not an advocate of coated non-stick, mainly because I still believe they’re toxic. However the pan I use is different. It’s a titanium pan from Our Place. It’s different because the titanium surface is treated to become ultra hardened which then creates a natural nonstick effect. It’s brilliant (who’s ever had scrambled egg not stick onto a pan!!…well, with this guy, you’re on the money. Here is the link to the pan - Our Place Titanium Always Pan Pro they’re expensive but Our Place often have sales. There’s also another company called HexClad who I don’t have any experience with but they do do similar non-stick pans.
Now, on to the egg fried rice itself. It’s simple. Delicious. And nicely nutritious and a really good thing to make when you’re not really sure what’s in the fridge or cupboards.
I’m new to this recipe sharing, so please do feedback to me what you think. I LOVE feedback. Good, bad AND ugly. I also must caveat, I haven’t done a food photography course, I’m not a food stylist, and yes I could well be letting the side down compared to those who make their dishes look sexy as hell and with all the right lighting, but to me, I care about flavour and taste and enjoyment, The food itself, rather than putting all the emphasis on the photography. So… let’s not waste a minute, and get straight on to the good stuff.
EGG FRIED RICE (Serves 2)
INGREDIENTS:
2 servings of rice - (I use the Tilda boil-in-bag mainly because it’s portioned out well - anything for an easy trick. But I just take it out of the bag.)
1/4 of a sweetheart cabbage, thinly sliced
4 big chestnut mushrooms (If you don’t like mushrooms you could use peppers, tomatoes, aubergine, courgette.. substitute what you wish!)
Butter or oil for cooking
1 heaped tsp of lazy garlic
2 big handfuls of spinach
2 eggs
Soy sauce
Sesame oil (I use Clearspring)
Rice wine vinegar (I use Clearspring)
Toasted black sesame seeds
Salt and Pepper
Kimchi or sauerkraut to serve (I am obsessed with Vadasz)
METHOD:
Take your non-stick pan (make sure it’s big enough and deep enough, my pan is 27.6cm). Put the rice portions in then add your water (follow the rice cooking instructions).
While the rice is cooking take your mushrooms, chop them in half, then slice the halves in to thin slices. Pop these in a pan with some butter (or oil if you don’t want to use dairy.) Fry these until they begin to soften, and then add the heaped teaspoon of lazy pre-chopped garlic and a good pinch of salt (I always try to use salt that isn’t the classic ‘table salt’ as it often has anti-caking agents in, so either use ground rock salt, sea salt flakes (which are a waste adding IN to the dishes) or I use Kosher salt.) Continue to cook until soft and the garlic is starting to slightly caramelise. Just watch you don’t over cook it as you don’t want the garlic to burn which it will do if you heat it too hot as the sugars will caramelise.) Once cooked, pop them to one side.
When the rice is nearly cooked (about 7 mins), you can try the rice, you still want a bit of bite, add in the sliced cabbage. The cabbage will cook with the rice.
Once the rice is cooked it should have absorbed all of the water and the cabbage should be soft.
Now it’s time to fry the eggs. Push the rice to one side of the pan. Crack the two eggs directly in to the pan, and with a wooden spoon scramble them as they cook. If you don’t trust yourself to mix them quick enough to mix the white and the yolk together, you can always mix them in a bowl first before pouring in to the pan.
Once cooked, add a generous pouring of soy sauce and then mix the eggs through the rice and cabbage mixture, keep cooking for a minute or so, then add the garlic mushrooms, and continue to cook / mix the mushrooms through.
Now get your spinach and add that - be generous.
Let it wilt and then finish with the sesame oil, more soy sauce, and the rice wine vinegar all to suit your taste.
Divide in to two bowls (or one and save the rest for later - it’s delicious cold too).. top with a sprinkling of your sesame seeds and pile a good heap of kimchi or sauerkraut in to your bowl, season to taste, and tuck in.
There you have it, a bowl of comfort food, to keep your tummy happy.
I can’t wait for you to try it. Let me know how you get on and remember to tag me in your finished results on my social media :)
Big love and happy cooking,
T xx