Empty Pantry: Fried Rice

No, you cannot make a meal with no ingredients. However, if that pantry of yours is starting to look a little low, there are some meals that can be made with very few ingredients. This is one that uses some of the most basic things you might find lying around the kitchen: fried rice.

Fried rice is fairly simple. There are just a few tricks to making it come out right. I love fried rice because it is easy to make, doesn't take many ingredients, and can be eaten as a side dish or entree.

Things you'll need:

1 large frying pan or wok
1 small frying pan
1 small bowl
1 fork
1 knife
1 cutting board
1 measuring cup
1 large pot with a tight-fitting lid
1 large zip-top bag or plastic container with a lid

Ingredients:


2 eggs
2 tbs water
2 tbs butter
2 tbs vegetable oil
2 onions - chopped
4 cups white rice
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 cups chicken - cooked (optional)

Step 1:
This is a step that needs to be done well in advance for this to turn out properly. Using the pot, add the white rice with 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then immediately lower to a simmer and cook covered on low for 20 minutes.

Step 2:
Once the rice is done, it needs to be put into a container and refrigerated until it is completely cold. This takes several hours, so you need to do it well in advance. There is an optional method, but I will warn you that the rice will not turn out as well. Rather than refrigerating the rice, you can use a strainer and rinse the rice with cold water. I have tried this alternate method, but the texture of the finished dish just isn't quite right.

Step 3:
Using a fork, beat the eggs in a small bowl and add the 2 tbs. of water to thin it out a bit.

Step 4:
In the large frying pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat and add the onions. Cook for about 3-5 minutes.

Step 5:
Now add the rice, chicken and soy sauce. Stir fry for about 8 minutes.

Step 6:
While the rice is frying, cook the eggs in the small pan with the butter.

Step 7:
Once the egg is fully cooked, cut it into small pieces and add it to the fried rice in the pan.

Step 8:
Fry the rice for about another 3-5 minutes and serve.

This is a fairly simple dish and it may take a little practice to perfect. The rice can end up coming out a little sticky and tends to clump if you have not allowed it to dry out enough in the fridge. I love fried rice because it is a great way to piece together a dish with what you have on hand. You can make it completely vegetarian if you have no chicken, in which case you can add peas, carrots, broccoli, or just about anything else, for that matter. Enjoy!