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Meat & Poultry

Quick And Tasty Ham Fried Rice Using Leftovers.

Fried rice and leftovers goes hand in hand. I can’t tell you the joy I feel in my soul when I see leftover rice in the fridge. This time around along with the rice, I remembered that there was ham in the freezer from last Thanksgiving. So I give you, my quick, easy and delicious Ham Fried Rice.

You’ll Need…

2-3 cups cooked rice (chilled)
2 scallions (chopped)
1 clove garlic (diced fine or crushed)
1/4 habanero pepper (optional – fine dice)
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
3/4 tablespoon oyster sauce
3/4 cup peas (I used frozen)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pimento pepper (seasoning pepper – diced fine)
1/2 carrot (1/2 cup diced)
1 cup diced ham

Time to prep the ingredients as this is a very quick recipe and we need everything handy.

Heat the oil on a medium/high heat in a wide pan (I used my wok, but you can use a frying pan or skillet if you like) then add the cubed ham (I had it thawed) and cook for 2-3 minutes. Since the pieces of ham was a bit fatty, I wanted to render down some of that fat to add additional flavor to the completed fried rice.

It’s now time to add the frozen peas followed by the pimento (use bell peppers if you can’t source Pimento peppers) and habanero pepper .. 30 seconds later add the garlic followed by the oyster sauce and stir well. Remember to wear gloves when handling such hot peppers as Habaneros and do wash your hands after with soap and water. Also remember that the seeds and white membrane around the seeds will be packed with raw heat.

May I recommend that you use chilled rice or at least day old rice as you will get a much more grainy texture to your finished dish. Add the rice, followed by the soy sauce and mix well.

Basically all you need to do is make sure the rice heats through (about 3-4 minutes). I did cook my rice with salt, so the sodium from the soy sauce is enough to season this perfectly for me. Adjust with added salt if you need to.

Turn off the stove and top with the scallions.. You’re done! This is why I LOVE fried rice. Quick, simple ingredients and an outstanding one-pot meal.

If you can, please support. And should you have questions about this recipe or anything food related, be sure to Ask Chris.

Gluten Free Rice & One-Pot Dishes Seafood

Quick And Simple Salmon Fried Rice.

salmon fried rice (7)

Here’s a quick and tasty recipe putting leftover rice (which you may already have in the fridge) and a can of salmon to work, for what I assure you is an incredible one-pot dish. While the use of the can (or ‘tin’ as we would normally say in the Caribbean) may seem a little strange if you’ve never tried it… I quickly learned that it truly is a great addition to what could potentially be a boring fried rice. This is one of the many go-to recipes I employ when lunch-time hits and I have some rice in the fridge.

You’ll Need…

2 tablespoon veg oil
1 clove garlic (diced fine)
1 cup bell peppers (colors optional)
5-8 string beans (any beans will work)
2 scallions (chopped)
1 bird’s eye pepper (cut into pieces)
2-3 cups leftover rice (chilled)
1-2 cups cabbage (cut chunky)
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 can salmon (wild Pacific)
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine

IMPORTANT! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to ensure they meet with  your specific gluten free dietary needs. Especially the Soy Sauce.. you will need a gluten free version.

Note! This recipe is enough for 2-3 people… use more rice for a bigger party. If you’re using freshly cooked rice, I’d recommend chilling it a bit before using. It will give you a more grainy fried rice.

Prep the ingredients in advance (cut, chop and dice) as this dish will cook in about 5 minutes.

Heat the oil is a wide pan or wok on medium flame and add the garlic.. cook for 10 seconds then add the bell peppers, and string beans. Stir and cook for another 50 seconds to soften a bit. Then add the sesame oil and stir well.

salmon fried rice (1)

salmon fried rice (2)

Now add the cabbage, bird’s eye pepper (chopped into pieces) and the Chinese cooking wine. Stir and cook for a minute. Then it’s time to add the salmon (drain out all the liquid it came in the came with) .. please be mindful when stirring now as you don’t want to over-break the salmon pieces.

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salmon fried rice (4)

Here is where you now add the chilled rice along with the soy sauce and stir. The heat should still be on medium high. Please note that my rice was cooked in salted water.

salmon fried rice (5)

Please try to maintain a high heat and don’t cover the pot/pan and any time. As soon as the rice heats though, the salmon fried rice is done and ready to enjoy.

salmon fried rice (6)

A quick and tasty way to put leftover rice to use and the added bonus is.. it’s super fast to prepare.

Do you own a copy of my cookbook ?- The Vibrant Caribbean Pot 100 Traditional And Fusion recipes Vol 2