05/16/2024
The Cooking Journey
For those wanting to learn how to cook here’s a tip, it just takes practice like anything else.
Will every dish be a winner, no. I’ve made meals, now and then, that I wasn’t a fan of. I learned what I did wrong and the next time it was great.
And don’t feel like you have to eventually be able to cook any dish without a recipe if you’re not a professional cook. Even pros use them.
And don’t feel like you have to be able to whip up meals in a short span of time when you’re learning. You will learn knife skills, organization, ingredients, cooking times, etc. as you go.
The first time I made fried rice years ago it took me almost an hour between the ingredient prep and the cooking. After years of cooking it now takes me 10 minutes to make it. It’s all about time management with cooking. For instance, “How long will the oil take to heat up and what can I do while that’s happening?”
When making an involved dish I usually get my mise en place (French for ‘getting together or gathering) ready prior to turning on the stove. In this case I diced the onion while the oil was heating.
There’s always more to learn but the key is to just enjoy the process and know that you’ll get better!
EASY FRIED RICE
Makes 1 serving. I increase ingredients as needed for more people
Ingredients (* are the amounts I used. You can increase or decrease any of them to taste)
1.5 cups Leftover white rice (I used minute rice for a quick meal the night before)
*1/4 cup Yellow onion, small dice
*1/2 tbsp Garlic, minced
2 eggs
*1 tsp Fine kosher salt
*1 tsp Freshly cracked black pepper
2 tbsp Avocado oil
*2 tbsp Soy sauce
*1 tbsp Sesame oil
Sriracha to taste
Steps
1. In a non-stick sauté pan, over medium heat, add two tablespoons of avocado oil
2. Once the oil shimmers add the onion and cook until translucent
3. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant
4. Add the rice, salt, and pepper and mix well with the onion and garlic. Cook until heated through
5. Add the soy sauce and sesame oil around the edge of the pan and mix until incorporated
6. Make a well in the middle of the pan and add the two eggs. You can whisk them prior or in the pan.
7. Once the eggs are cooked to your liking, mix with the rice mixture
TASTE THE RICE! If you watch cooking competition shows you’ll sometimes see chef’s say no when asked if they tasted the dish while cooking, it’s a necessity.
Add more salt, pepper, soy and/or sesame oil to your taste.
8. Place a 4 inch ring mold on a plate and press the fried rice into it, evening the top
9. Top with the sriracha to taste.
Now, I know not everyone has ring molds so feel free to just add it to a bowl. I also will take a small glass bowl, press the rice into it, and then turn over to make it look nice.
Enjoy!!
