Category Archives: Main Courses

FRIED RICE

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I bought these Chinese foo dogs at an estate sale:

Also known as guardian lions, I hoped they would help protect my palace from harmful spirits and people.  So far, so good.

Foo dogs, which originated in China, are thought to resemble chow chows and shih tzus. They were often found in front of palaces and temples.  They’re meant to be displayed in pairs, one female (representing yin) and one male (representing yang).

After nearly a month of kids and their significant others in and out of the house over the holidays, the last one headed back to college today.  To which I say, “oh foo.”  Inspired by the foo dogs, and the upcoming Chinese New Year, I made fried rice, one of the first dishes I showed my son how to make, and a favorite of his.

This fried rice is easy to make and is best made with leftover rice.  We add whatever protein we have on hand — cooked chicken, Canadian bacon, or, on this occasion, roast pork from a shop in Chinatown.

Other than soy sauce and sesame oil, the only other seasoning is black bean garlic sauce:

Have everything handy, and this comes together in about 15 minutes.

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FRIED RICE
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Ingredients
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided use
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • ½ c. diced chicken, Canadian bacon, roast pork, or any combination
  • 1 small onion, diced (optional)
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ½ cup frozen peas and carrots
  • 2 cups cooked rice
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon black bean garlic sauce
  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
  1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add egg and cook for 1 minute, then flip and cook for 1 minute more. Remove egg from skillet, coarsely chop, and set aside.
  2. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet. Add the chicken, Canadian bacon, or roast pork, and stir fry for 2-3 minutes, until beginning to brown slightly. Add the onion and stir fry for approximately 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add the peas and carrots, rice, soy sauce, black bean garlic sauce, and sesame oil, and stir fry for 3-4 minutes, until thoroughly combined and heated through. Stir in the reserved egg and serve hot.

Better than take out
Oh foo, no one to share it with

WICK FOWLER’S CHILI

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Chili is an easy and hearty meal.  There’s a million recipes out there, but if you want to make life simple, I highly recommend Wick Fowler’s 2 Alarm Chili Kit. (In 1967,Wick Fowler won the Terlingua Chili Cook off).

Inside, there’s individual packets of chili powder, paprika, cumin/oregano, onion/garlic, red pepper, salt, and masa.

You decide how much red pepper you want to add, depending on how many alarms you’d like your chili to be.  I tend to cut back a little on the salt, and usually omit the masa (the chili thickens nicely without the masa).

We make our chili by browning 1 pound of lean ground beef in a dutch oven.  Next, we add a chopped onion and saute until translucent.  We follow the package directions and add an 8-ounce can of tomato sauce and 16 ounces of water, followed by the spices.  We also add 2 cans of rinsed and drained beans (pinto, kidney, or black beans, or a combination, depending on what we have on hand), and a can of petite diced tomatoes.  (I realize that chili diehards insist that chili should not have beans, but I think by now everyone knows the benefits of legumes.)  Let the chili simmer for about 30 minutes until the beef is tender, and dinner is ready.  We like to top our chili with cheese, pickled jalapeños, and avocado.  For an extra-special treat, make chili dogs or Frito pie.