Scallion-Cilantro-Habanero Fried Rice

Scallion-Cilantro-Habanero Fried Rice
I’ve been avoiding the kitchen like the plague. Recipe testing and emotional eating have taken a toll on my “physique”…it also doesn’t help that I usually prepare six 5 star meals on the weekend for my beloved family…that “insanity” has been reduced to 2–maximum….until further notice…more specifically until I lose 8.2634 pounds. Recipes are going to get even more healthy until I achieve that goal. (ok maybe not so so much, I have a treat coming soon…). My portions are on lock down and the kitchen is off limits.  Just thought I’d let you know.

Let’s talk rice. Yes, I eat rice when on a “diet”. I ate rice three times a day during the period I lost all my excess weight(unfortunately I found some of those pounds back). I also didn’t eat processed or packaged foods then, so keep that in mind.

I love inventing fried rice recipes like this one, with old  -this is really stale-I think I am gonna throw this rice in the garbage- rice from my refrigerator. It’s an exciting challenge that allows me to be creative and pretend that I’m a competitor on the TV Series Chopped.

By the way, a few days ago, my hubbie, aware of my passion for the Series, suggested they create a basket for me every evening. That’s when I reminded him that preparing dinner every night is already quite challenging…[Thank you so much for your suggestion. Have a nice day…..Don’t let me hurt you..]. If I had to deal with a basket every night, I would surely end up a basket case(if marriage and parenting don’t do me in first). In reality, little do they know that meal time in a mom’s kitchen is akin to being on one of those episodes. We create what we can with what we have using skill, speed and ingenuity. The pressure is just the same but our only reward is an empty plate and the request for more! [Even though I would have liked $10,000 instead…]
Fried rice can easily get complicated, but some days using less than five ingredients is the only way to go…..plus these ingredients are always in my refrigerator. This is the easiest and tastiest fried rice to concoct and nowadays it’s my go to recipe whenever we need a break from the leftover plain Jasmin rice we are so fond of.
The ingredients may seem simple and uninteresting but I promise you this dish is exceptional. The hot pepper adds flavor as well as an interesting and exciting kick. The scallion, cilantro and garlic I use not only for their abundant flavor but for their medicinal and curative powers….and the healthy extra virgin olive oil, the unsung hero, helps it all marry together.
I use one small cherry pepper when I need to keep it kid friendly, but feel free to use a whole habanero (seeded or unseeded) if you are a pyromaniac like myself. For those of you who think that cilantro tastes like soap, just increase the quantity of scallion you use.
[I planned to use corn in this rice, but somehow I forgot it in all the “food photo shoot” chaos in the kitchen..plus “Scallion-Cilantro-Corn-Habanero Fried Rice” sounds even more weird than the current name…. ]
Ria’s Scallion-Cilantro-Habanero Fried Rice
Serves 4
4 cups day old cooked jasmine rice
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped scallion
½ cup chopped cilantro
1 hot habanero (cherry pepper or jalapeno) (or to taste)
3 cloves peeled garlic, grated or crushed
Fresh corn (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Wash, dry and chop scallions, cilantro, hot pepper. Grate or crush garlic.
Heat oil over medium high heat in a wide heavy bottomed pot. Add scallion, cilantro, garlic and hot pepper (corn and onions if using). Cook for 3 minutes.
Add rice, stirring constantly and breaking up chunks. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Cook until rice is heated through, another 3-5 minutes.
Serve with anything baked, roasted, grilled, bbq’d…poached too maybe?..or even all things curried or stewed……hope those suggestions helped…
 

Days-old rice never looked or tasted so good!

I hope you add this “clean recipe” to your weekly rotation….

“‘When you spice up your rice, you spice up your life…..”
— Another original crazy quote courtesy cookingwithria.com….

Thanks for stopping by,
Ria

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6 thoughts on “Scallion-Cilantro-Habanero Fried Rice”

  • Looks really good!!! I know what you mean that Fried rice can get a little redundant or boring after a while. LOL I love those cooking shows…topchef, chopped and now masterchef is on lol

  • I make something quite similar to this. I use either habaneros or birds-eye chiles. I really like spicy food! Unfortunately, not everyone can eat the heat level I like. Basmati rice works great too. Love the really long grains and texture. Sometimes I'll saute up some squid with garlic, hot peppers and scallions in a different pan then toss them with the rice. I like to make a simple chopped habanero/birds-eye chile sauce with vinegar and lime juice. No cooking. Add some of that to the rice at the table for more heat!!! Also, try with butter rather oil. Changes the flavor but in a really good way! Thanks for sharing!

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