My family loves fried rice, especially the way they make it at the Japanese restaurants. For a special treat, I will make it at home along with some fillet of beef and shrimp, add a small salad with ginger dressing, store bought, and we have a special meal for a fraction of the cost.

The great thing about fried rice is there are really no rules. You can even make a non-Asian style fried rice dish using just leftovers mixed up. For a simple, easy dish, heat up left over vegetables, meat or chicken and mix with left over rice. Add seasonings that go with the original flavor of the dish or the type of vegetables.

For our traditional fried rice dish, the one I try to copy from the Japanese Teppanyaki, try out this easy recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

White rice- you make your own, use left over rice or even pick up a few containers at your Chinese carry out or use brown rice for added vitamins, fiber and minerals.

Green onions- sliced in small round pieces or regular onion.

Frozen peas

Some butter

Vegetable oil

Garlic

Egg

Salt and pepper to taste

Soy sauce

The amounts vary according to how much rice you are using and your tastes. This is an easy dish that can be suited to your family's tastes. You can add other vegetables like zucchini, yellow squash, thin sliced carrots or regular onions.

STEPS:

1: In a heated frying pan or wok, melt butter and a little vegetable oil.

2: Cook vegetables, depending on what you are cooking, start with the ones that need the most cooking time. Based on the above ingredients, cook the onion and garlic until soft.

3: Add in the egg whole and mix it in the pan, instead of mixing it before it's add it. This gives it the same appearance and consistency as the restaurant we like, instead of it being like a scrambled egg mixed in.

4: Depending on your tastes, you could add a bit more butter at this time.

5: Add the rice.

6: Cook until heated through and combined.

7: Add the frozen peas. The heat from the dish will defrost them.

8: Season with soy sauce and salt and pepper to taste.

SIDE STIR FRIED VEGETABLES:

To round out the meal, you can also stir fry some other vegetables to serve on the side. We like onion, broccoli, bean sprouts and zucchini. This is very easy to do. In a heated pan or wok, add some vegetable oil. Start cooking the vegetables, add garlic and a little soy sauce. Serve along side of the rice.

SIDE SALAD:

This is simple. Take some iceberg lettuce and sliced carrots and just serve with the store bought ginger dressing.

FILLET OF BEEF:

This is an easy way to serve the beef, it taste great and since you are cutting it up, you use less per person, saving you money.

In a large plastic baggy, I place equal parts soy and duck sauce and a little garlic powder. I place the meat inside the bag and flip it around a few times so the meat is covered. I place it in the refrigerator for about 24 hours, periodically turning it around and squashing with my hands.

When you are ready to cook, take the meat out and slice it or cut it in bite size pieces. I cook it in a little vegetable oil and it's done in no time. Since the meat has been marinating it really doesn't need any other seasoning or additional soy sauce.

Serve along side of fried rice, salad and stir fried vegetables for a delicious restaurant quality meal for less then half of what you would pay outside.

Learn more about this author, beth king.
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