Tag Archives: fried rice

Dining, Recipes

Shimeji Mushroom Rice

My local asian grocer had a sale on shimeji mushrooms, so I picked up 2 packages of the brown variety. A little web surfing revealed that shimeji mushrooms paired well with rice. So, along with my Beef Ribs dinner this weekend, I cooked up a side of shimeji mushroom fried rice.

1 8oz package shimeji mushrooms, separated
2 tbsp chopped ginger
8-10 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup sliced green onions, sliced 3/4in long
1.5 cups cooked jasmine rice
sweet soy sauce for color and flavor
3+ tbsp vegetable oil
salt, pepper, garlic powder

Saute ginger then garlic over medium-high heat until golden brown. Toss shimeji mushrooms into mix, saute lightly, until tender and coated. Add cooked rice, drizzle in soy sauce and toss until rice is separated and colored evenly. Turn off heat and toss in green onions. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder and serve.

Dining

Challenge: dining on a dollar…or two!

Hard times call for drastic measures. Budgets are tight, and I realize I have cabinets full of condiments and ingredients waiting to be used. I’ve decided that it’s time to get creative. Utilizing an intial budget of $10 a week, I am resolved to craft tasty meals for one person each day, based around the notion that if I have to spend anything on ingredients that day…it will not exceed $2. Because of sites like AllRecipes.com, I’m inspired to come up with some creative plates based on as few ingredients as possible, yet be healthy and filling. Who would have thought something like Pad Thai Noodles, Garlic Parmesan Macaroni and Fried Rice could be found from my own cupboards yet still be deliciously homey?

This week I spent a total of $11 at the local grocery store. Milk, eggs, 2 boxes of pasta, an onion, a bag of peas and carrots, a jar of Ragu tomato sauce, 2 heads of garlic, and 8oz of shredded parmesan. I already whipped up my standard fried rice based on one theme ingredient: a can of whole water chestnuts. It turned out like my typical fried rice (garlic, onions, eggs, peas and carrots, pepper, garlic salt, dash of fish sauce and sweet soy), except I’m thinking I should have sliced the chestnuts for a more homogenous crunch throughout. And being the type of person who ends up making more than usual, I have enough leftover for another day! Yay me!