Friday, May 21, 2010
FOR so long I have observed and experienced that we always have left over rice either from lunch or dinner. And more often, what we do to recycle the extra rice we have is to fry them with a little oil and garlic plus a little salt and pepper to taste. As simple as that.
After all these years, I have learned that it would be best to let the rice dry a bit (although I love somewhat "wet" rice than the very cooked, dry rice) prior to frying them. The reason is because the rice won't separate easily and would leave chunks that are not seasoned. Plus the fact that "wet" fried rice would spoil easily.
While I was on a traveling nurse assignment in Phoenix, Arizona way back in 1995, I stayed with my aunt Linda (my dad's cousin) and there I learned quite a lot on eating "fresh" foods. My uncle doesn't like leftovers. So I was kind of surprised when I was asked how much rice I can consume. Then I found out that my uncle likes to eat only newly-cooked foods. Plus the fact that it would not occupy unnecessary space in the refrigerator, that might even affect other produce. In short, it sounded like "rationing", but I was glad I was exposed to this kind of habit because there I can control my food intake (great, huh?). You see, it was my aunt who does all the cooking for all of us.
However, being here in the Philippines is a different story. On the average, we have helper and cook who does the cleaning and cooking for the family. But I always believe that being the head of the family, we should know what is being bought, cooked, eaten and even thrown away, which is really a BIG shame, knowing that many don't even have a decent meal for the day. I thought this would be a good article to make people more aware of our "wastage" at home.
Not only do we throw away rice and some left over dishes (or feed them to the dogs, cats and pigs), we are also wasting a lot of hard-earned money. I just couldn't understand why some people don't care about this wasteful practice. Or maybe they just refuse to do so?
Being in the food industry, we try to innovate and create new dishes. But I always encourage people to be aware of their leftovers or surpus so they can make use of it for some other creations, instead of just throwing them away. Just like the food that is served on our table, we are indeed lucky to have more than what we can eat. Truly a blessing! So why waste them?
To perk up that simple streamed rice, many things can be done. It can be upgraded to a more sophisticated dish or bring it a step higher by just using what is found in the refrigerator or cupboards instead of buying more new items. Here I would like to share with you a few ways to improve and eventually make that rice into a wholesome and complete dish by itself!
By adding commercially prepared mixes, it perks up the flavor and taste of the fried rice. Aside from the garlic, onion, carrots and eggs (either mixed into the rice or scrambled first then sliced), it can be topped with some green onions, too.
Look around, do you have any leftover dishes? Pork, beef, fish or even vegetables can be recycled when added to fried rice. For instance, left-over meats can be chopped or sliced, fish can be shredded and sauteed before adding the rice. That's protein in a dish! Vegetables can be added or topped for fiber and color.
Using catsup, soy sauce, salt and pepper, patis, and other seasoning adds flavor and aroma to the fried rice. Aside from the color it will create. One can even use "imported" seasoning mixes for that "imported", unusual and exotic taste. One just have to be experimental & voila! A new dish is created! Adding "exotic" spices is truly an amazing way of changing one's way and perspective in cooking! For that "oriental" flair, just add a few drops of sesame oil.
Aside also from just plainly frying the rice, one can even incorporate the extra rice into soups. Say, by just using commercially prepared broth cube or powder, add in it the left-over rice, plus a few chunks of vegetables, this becomes a hearty soup! One can even use the left over veggies & meat and add them into the soup. Adding some cornstarch mixture, one can turn the "rice" soup into a complete meal by itself! Talk about recycling!
For those who want to use hotdogs, bacon, chorizo, tocino, corned beef, tapa and the like in their fried rice, go ahead. There is no particular rule that says one can't! Instead of having to cook 2-3 different dishes, just incorporate all of them into one delectable and exciting food trip! A stimulating breakfast menu for brunch, lunch, snacks or dinner! Thereby saving also a lot of energy and time!
Adding fruits like mangoes or apples, or corn, button mushrooms and even nuts can make the fried rice dish outstandingly different!
Using a nonstick pan would be ideal since very little oil is used. Though having some crunch due to rice sticking on the bottom of the pan can makes the rice more thrilling!
See? It is not really hard to save and modify. It just takes a little know-how, experimentation, and enjoyment to come up with something extra ordinary and original! Guess the only thing is to instill this in our mind that we not only save, we also teach other people to be practical and have proper food intake and nutrition.
Happy Fried Rice to everyone!
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