Fried Rice

Maybe it's because it was the first thing I ever learned to cook, but fried rice is my ultimate comfort food. It's what my mom made for me instead of chicken noodle soup when I was sick, and it was my go-to dinner in college when the dining hall's food wasn't cutting it. Some people crave hot and melty Kraft mac n' cheese on a rainy day, I go for a big, steaming bowl of fried rice.

Fried rice so easy to make, and it's just chock full of all my favorite things to eat: eggs, rice, vegetables, and meat. It's good by itself as a meal, or as an accompaniment to other yummy side dishes. And, just 2 cups of rice can make enough food for an entire week's worth of lunch/dinner!

Because I like the taste of slightly burnt food, I always let my fried rice cook just a little longer than necessary so that the stuff on the bottom of the pan gets nice and crispy. This way, every bite is a delightful mix of different textures and flavors. Mmm.

Most recipes say that you're supposed to use slightly dry, day-old, cooked rice. I think that's a terrible idea. Comfort food is all about texture, and hard, dry food is not comforting. You wouldn't eat dry mac n' cheese or hard mashed potatoes, right? So I always use fresh rice -- this way, the resulting fried rice is super soft and moist, and it doesn't dry out as much after refridgeration. Win-win.

Fried Rice

Ingredients:

- 1-1/2 cups rice

- 2 cups water

- 1 bag frozen mixed vegetables, thawed.

- 3 large eggs

- Meat of choice (I like pork or chicken, usually)

- Salt

Steps:

(1) Combine rice and water in rice cooker. Cook until done. Set aside and let cool.

(2) Scramble eggs, letting them stay slightly runny. Take off heat.

(3) Drain vegetables. Saute in pan with eggs.

(4) If you're using raw meat, chop into small pieces and cook in a separate pan. Cook until outside is just slightly brown.

(5) Combine meat with eggs and vegetables. Mix until well combined.

(6) Add cooked rice. Combine well.

(7) Salt to taste.