Easy Like Sunday Morning

So after yesterday's cooking marathon, I decided to keep today easy. Breakfast was french toast with some left over pane bello bread, topped with caramelized bacon (chopped up bacon pieces braised with brown sugar), the strawberries with balsamic vinegar and the plum-strawberry compote from yesterday.

After a little frisbee (throwing around a little bit so I could practice my flick and my back hand), we went over to Dolcezza for some gelato. Mike got strawberry and cream and I got mango habanero lime and avocado honey lime, and it was soooo good. If you happen to be anywhere in the Wisconsin Ave. vicinity, I urge you to go.

Anyways, when we got back to my apartment I heated up some leftover pizza for Mike and decided to make fried rice for myself, saving any leftovers for lunch during the week. The great thing about fried rice, or any kind of stir fry dish, is that it is great for clearing the fridge as it allows you to throw in any vegetables or meats that you want to get rid of. So here is my fried rice baseline recipe. It's more of a thai flavor, but leave out the fish sauce and add some chinese five spice and it'll be just like the fried rice you could get in Harbin or Chengdu.

Fried Rice
Ingredients:
3 C white rice, cooked
1 T vegetable oil
a dash of sesame oil
1 t ginger, diced
1 clove garlic, diced
1/2 onion, diced
2 poblano peppers, diced
4 Asparagus stalks, chopped into small pieces
1 handful leaf spinach, sliced
1 egg, whisked
8 cooked shrimp, diced
4 oz beef, sliced (4 oz is about the size of the palm of your hand)
1 T fish sauce
2 T soy sauce
1 t chili paste
pinch of cayenne pepper
pinch of lime zest
dash of sesame seeds (to top when serving)
lime wedges

Method:
Place the oils in a large pan or wok over med-high heat. Add the the ginger and garlic. When fragrant, add the onion, peppers, asparagus and spinach and cook for 3 minutes, then add the egg and allow to set.

When the egg is set, break up the mixture and top with the shrimp, beef and rice. Then add the fish sauce, soy sauce, chili paste, cayenne pepper and lime zest, mixing together until all the ingredients are well incorporated. Allow to sit over the heat for 1 more minute, then take of the heat, serve and top with the sesame seeds and lime wedges.


For dinner, we'll be doing beef burritos with the left over beef tenderloin, and the guacamole and black beans from yesterday, along with a cilantro-garlic-rice mixture. Move over, chipotle.