Mexican Fried Rice
I apologize in advance for any typos and/or unintelligent drivel; I was up at 4:45 this morning – my alarm set for 5 to go do an early piece on BT – and didn’t get to bed until midnight on account of all the prep required for 4 minutes of on-air cooking, which I didn’t get to until late, having spent the bulk of the evening making a crown for W’s May Day party next week at preschool. (See? I’m not completely neglecting my family. I spent two hours making flowers out of tissue paper and pipe cleaners, dammit. And I didn’t even finish. I have homework. I have to finish the May Day tissue paper flower crown by next Tuesday. And although I’m sure all the girls will adore theirs, W could care less because Iron Man doesn’t wear tissue-paper-flower crowns. Think anyone would notice if I just wadded up a bunch of toilet paper to fill in the gaps?)
I took W out this morning, determined to spend a bit of time together, and within ten minutes he took flight from a swing and landed on his face, leaving part of it in the dirt. (His face, that is.) The left side is so scraped and puffy and red from forehead to chin that everyone who has seen him as enquired, with a look of horror, what happened. Yes, it was on my watch. He lamented later that he didn’t have a black eye – he wished he did, because that would look cool.
I got called in to cover traffic this afternoon, so Mike made spaghetti. When I got home I ate slabs of bread dipped in their leftover sauce, standing at the counter. And M&Ms.
But this chili powder and cumin-spiked fried rice I made this morning on the show, and a few nights ago, and it was a hit. Ben couldn’t get enough of the stuff. It’s like Mexican Hamburger Helper, only without the hamburger and helper. It was a great way to stretch a sausage or two with (much healthier) black beans and brown rice – cook the rice in advance so that the grains are cold and separate – that way they won’t clump together. It’s not the sort of thing that would normally turn my crank, but it did the trick. Must have been the feta. Or the fatigue.
It’s crunch time to get this book done by June 1, and a flurry (blizzard?) of other stuff too. I have two articles due first thing in the morning, and I have to be at Global at 7:45. So right now I’m making quinoa and pizza dough and wishing I was in bed. My point (I think) is that my brain feels like a rusted-out tin cup with maybe a penny and a piece of lint rattling around in it, and you’re getting the dregs. Because I’m scraping up every last iota of brain power to pull together enough intelligible words to keep my editors from firing me.
Which I have to go do next.
And as I type this I can hear Mike down on the couch, eating chips, watching TV. And he doesn’t have to get up and cook and be presentable/coherent for an audience in 8 hours. I don’t recall the last time I was as jealous. I wonder if they’re Cheezies.
But seriously, you should try this rice. It’s pretty good.
Mexican Fried Rice
canola or olive oil, for cooking
1/2 lb. chorizo sausage, ground bison or turkey
1 onion, chopped
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced (optional – or 1 can diced green chiles)
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
pinch salt
3 cups cooked brown rice
1 14 oz. (398 mL) can black or pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup crumbled feta or grated old cheddar (optional)
chopped cilantro, for garnish (optional)In a large, heavy skillet, heat a drizzle of oil and cook the sausage (or other meat) and onion, breaking up the sausage until it’s no longer pink, and the onion is soft. Add the jalapeno, chili powder, cumin and salt and cook for another minute or two.
Remove from the pan and set aside. Add another drizzle of oil and add the rice to the skillet; cook for a few minutes, stirring, until it starts to brown. Add the beans and cook for a few minutes, then add the meat mixture back into the pan along with the tomato and feta and stir until heated through and the feta begins to melt a bit around the edges.
Divide among wide, shallow bowls and top with chopped fresh cilantro. Serves 6.
May 20 2010 | leftovers | 18 Comments »
