Leftovers...

Invariably we all have to deal with leftovers...*queue the groan* whether it's from a doggy bag or from what you made for dinner earlier in the week. What do you do with them? Sometimes it's enough to just reheat the leftovers and eat it...but that gets kind of boring. Or you can create some type of new concoction! I rely on a few tried and true recipes that I tweak to make a quick and easy dinner.

One recipe I rely on is classic fried rice. It is a simple dish, was designed for leftovers and there are endless variations of what you can make. All you need for a really simple fried rice are some onions, some leftover rice and some eggs. You could even make do without the eggs...but then it becomes really bland.

Optimally, for a really good plain fried rice, you will need:

• 2 cups leftover plain white rice (heated up)
• 1 small onion, diced finely
• 2 green scallions, white stems sliced finely and green parts chopped coarsely
• 2 eggs, beaten (like it owes you money!)
• salt and white pepper to taste
• soy sauce (optional, for the restaurant style)

1. In a wok or a frying pan (that will hold all your ingredients), heat up 2 tbsp of oil
2. Pour the eggs in to the hot oil slowly, stirring as you do so.
3. Scramble the eggs and push off to the side of the wok or dish back out into the bowl and set aside
4. Add more oil if needed and heat the oil until it is simmering
   
5. Add the onion and the white part of the scallions if you have any
6. Cook until semi translucent and add the rice, smashing with a spoon or spatula to separate the grains of rice
7. Re-add the eggs and smash into the rice
   
8. Add salt and pepper to taste and soy sauce if so desired
9. Remove from heat and add the green parts of the scallions. Mix quickly and let the heat soften the scallions

I added some leftover vegetables in mine and garnished it with umeboshi, Japanese pickled plum. Mmmm.

And of course there is always room for dessert! I heartly recommend Mochi Ice Cream. I had the Green Tea flavored type. Enjoy!