“And as the years go by
Our friendship will never die
You’re gonna see it’s our destiny
You’ve got a friend in me” ~ Disney’s Toy Story
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He called the other night, as he sometimes does. “I know it’s 1 am; did I wake you, Mom?”
(From one nocturnal soul to another, we both know the night is still young)
A long-standing oath between the two of us. If you’re down. If the world feels like it’s too much. If you’re ready to run screaming into the night, never to return
Call me
It doesn’t matter what time it is. It doesn’t matter what else I have going on. At that moment I’ll be for you what you need. Someone to listen (this I can do). A shoulder to cry on (I wish I could be there in person). Advice (take it with a grain of salt, I’ve made so many mistakes). A warm mom hug from afar
I won’t judge you; I won’t think differently of you. I won’t try to make things better. I’ll simply offer a safe place for your soul to be
We talk about everything, yet nothing in particular
All the while, I wonder where he is. I can hear the rush of the night’s breeze; the rumbling of a train not far off in the distance. How many times over the years have I prayed, “Wherever he is God, please keep him safe” It’s chilly tonight; is he wearing a jacket? Is he sober? Was there enough food in their refrigerator today to make a meal?
As dawn approaches, I sense the tension has lifted. Does he realize how much I understand his anxiety?
“Tell me something completely random that you thought about today.”
“Do you remember a long time ago when I was in treatment, and that guy came to do a cooking class?”
Sometimes, when you find yourself visiting a residential treatment center on a Sunday, you take a cooking class.
You saddle up to the countertop with a group of teens who’ve never cooked, parents making an effort to put dinner on the table every night, counselors who cook for therapy, grandparents who cook for fun
You all dig your spoons into an oversized metal wok, and alas, something is shared
Can you call fried rice exciting? You can. You may. This one most definitely is
Our instructor from the local co-op was both delightful and passionate. A wealth of knowledge when it came to meals that come together quickly; usually without much fuss, and with just a handful of ingredients. Helpful tips and tricks for when the kids would, one day, be on their own.
He offered a few commandments when it comes to fried rice
Thou Shalt Always Use Day Old Rice
Freshly cooked rice is hot, steamy, and sticky. Any of which will leave us with clumpy and soft fried rice. Day-old rice chilled in the fridge is a friend. Before cooking, do your best to separate the rice your fingers so individual grains will be more pronounced once they hit the wok
Thou Shalt Prep Your Ingredients + Crank Up the Heat
The goal is for everything to cook quickly. This way, all of the ingredients should be at the ready, and the wok (or skillet) needs to be hot
Thou Shalt Not Overcrowd
The wok won’t stay hot enough if there are too many ingredients
Thou Shalt Be Flexible
As far as technique goes, there are as many ways to fry rice as there are cooks
There are a couple of schools of thought: One can cook each ingredient individually (veggies, meat, egg, and rice), returning everything back to the pan at the end for the final mix and seasoning. Or cook everything together, being careful not to overcrowd. In this scenario, cooking one or two servings at a time is best
Though Shalt Not Drown Fried Rice In Saucy Seasonings
Just a few tablespoons of sauce will go an awfully long way
Patience, Grasshopper
Probably the most important commandment? Once everything has been cooked, press the rice mix down with your spatula and simply let it be. Which will be completely and totally at odds for those who are new to this fried rice rodeo. Trust me on this one; it will make all the difference.
After thirty seconds fight the urge to toss or stir. Let the packed rice sit for a couple of minutes (long enough that the rice in contact with the pan will start to crisp up). Then flip, pat, and repeat
The beauty of fried rice is that it isn’t a science. One doesn’t need exact ingredients or measurements. Just about anything goes: leftover roast chicken, fried tofu, ham, frozen veggies
The recipe’s crazy easy to double and perfect for dinner party prep because it will keep for up to an hour in the fridge
Which at our house is just enough time to find a dog bone in the toilet, take three deep breaths, and call my husband for his plumbing services before guests arrive
— — —
Sometimes I shy away from sharing recipes like this one here. Mostly because they don’t feel like anything special. Or they’re so simple it’s a stretch to assign the word ‘recipe’ to the instructions. Sometimes I simply feel awkward about showing you what I tossed in the skillet.
But on nights when I don’t feel like doing much more than chopping an onion, nights when two pans is one pan too many for me to face; I make this sort of meal.
Don’t feel limited to rice. Instead, swap whatever rice or grain you prefer, and whatever veggies are in season. I’ve used cooked quinoa or millet in the past, and we’re coming up on that time of year where we’ll be able to find fresh peas, asparagus, or even artichokes
Enjoy!
xoxo
~ Adapted from Dinner by Melissa Clark
Spicy Thai Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp coconut oil (or grapeseed oil)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 scallions, white and green parts
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 - 1 ½ cups chorizo or spicy salami, diced ( 6 - 8 oz )
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
- ½ cup raisins
- 2 cups cooked rice, white or brown
- 6 cups mixed greens
- 1 cup Napa cabbage, chopped
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp Asian fish sauce
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- Juice from ½ of a lime + lime wedges for serving
- fine grain sea salt + freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat a wok, or heavy 12" skillet over high heat until it's very hot
- Add the oil and swirl it around the pan
- Add the onion, scallions, and garlic, giving them a quick stir, and cook until they've softened ( ~ 1-2 minutes )
- Add the chorizo and jalapeño, sautéing until they start to caramelize ( ~ 2-3 minutes )
- Add the raisins and the rice, stirring to combine, and spread the mix out to cover as much of the surface area as possible.
- Press down with a spatula
- Cook without moving the mix until the rice has had a chance to dry out and has taken on a little color ( ~ 1-3 minutes )
- Stir it around a little and toss until it's golden in spots
- Add the greens and cabbage, and toss until they're beginning to wilt ( ~ 5 minutes )
- Sprinkle in the soy and fish sauces, coating the contents of the pan.
- Then push everything away from the center of the pan and pour the eggs into the middle.
- Cook until the eggs are custardy ( ~ 1 - 2 minutes )
- Then mix everything in the pan, breaking up the eggs as you go
- Add the lime juice and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Serve garnished with sliced scallions and a couple of lime wedges alongside
66 Comments
Thanks for all the tips I need to know when making fried rice. I look forward to trying your recipe and I’ll be sure to press that rice down.
What a great sounding recipe, I am really getting into fried rice dishes so I am going to have to try this one for myself.
Oh yum! We eat lots of rice dishes in our house and I think my husband would especially like this spicy fried rice 🙂
I think I always overcrowd and I get impatient and move the rice around too much.. thanks for the tips!! Sometimes the simple, regular food is worth writing about coz you end up giving out helpful tips like these. Have a great day
Ha Ha! We are also a family of nocturnal creatures especially my children and I. We are a family of creatives and only come out to play after midnight… My son is especially so and also just happens to love special fried rice dishes. He is quite inventive with this kind of dish but I think he will be especially interested in trying this fab chicken fried rice dish. Cheers!
I’ve always been cautious of pre-cooked rice. If I had any leftover (because we all cook too much rice) I normally chuck it! Thank you for letting me know it’s okay to keep in the fridge for the next day!
Delicious! I love all Thai food so I’m so pleased you didn’t shy away from sharing this lovely Thai recipe look forward to trying it!
I am a big fan of Thai cuisine. I am totally going to try this recipe – I think the whole family will enjoy it.
This looks like such a tasty meal packed with flavours. I always find rice very filling too
This looks so delish! I am a huge fan of Thai fried rice so I will have to try this recipe at home!
The spicy fried rice looks really tasty. It’s nice how you laid out the rules in coming up with a really good mix.
This looks delicious and I am now off to read the rest of your blog to understand more about you and your son x
I’ve never tried to make my own fried rice. Thanks for the tips/commandments! I think you’re recipe sounds really interesting with the raisins in there.
Using day old rice-wow, never thought of that and a day way to get rid of leftovers. Great recipe!
I am a HUGE fan of Thai food! I can’t wait to try this recipe – even my girls like spicy food so it’s a go! Fried rice is sooooo yummy too!
I love fried rice, and adore this flavours- the spicier the better!
Fried rice is my favourite quick and easy meal!
I love all types of fried rice but I haven’t ever tried Thai before. Your pictures look amazing and your story is heartfelt and pulled me in immediately. Thank you for sharing, I know what it’s like to deal with anxiety.
I love fried rice! Home made is better in my opinion, as the local restaurants don’t seem to get the rice cooked all the way, and therefore, you get crunchy rice in parts. This is an awesome recipe, for one simple reason: Chorizo sausage! Love love LOVE that kind of sausage!
Pixar has always got a friend in me!
My husband tries to do fancy fried rice dinners. It’s actually one of our standby favorite meals. I love YOURS! We love sausage, but I’m not sure we’ve ever used chorizo and I can’t understand why not?! Spicy salami would be good too.
YUM.
How nice that you were able to be a shoulder for him to cry on and that you treated other patients to a cooking class. A semblance of normality in an uncertain situation. I love the sound of this spicy Thai rice mmm x
I love fried rice. I make it at home a lot. The cold, day old rice is definitely the key to making it turn out right.
OMG you had me at chorizo! It looks so yummy, but first I still need to master the long lost art of cooking rice. I can bake a cake, but I can’t cook rice 🙂
That looks really tasty, but how does the added fish sauce change the taste? I’m not really into fish sauce!
My daughter LOVES fried rice. This looks like an amazing recipe. Wonder if she would like the spicy factor….
Yum! I have never had fried rice like this before. It sounds so good! I will have to give it a try.
Yum I love Thai food and this looks so delicious! The recipe has a lot of ingredients but easy to follow. Will need to make this for my husband!
We love fried rice and there are so many ways to cook it. We love the spicy kind, like this Thai Fried Rice. We also love Yang Chow (Chinese Fried Rice) and Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Fried Rice), or just plain garlic fried rice. I am sorry I am babbling because I just love fried rice!
I’ve never made my own fried rice before. Love the commandments of fried rice. They make me feel like maybe I could try to do my own. This recipe looks like one I could do.
Geez, every time I visit your blog you make me hungry. Thai is actually one of my favorite dishes but I can’t enjoy it anymore because of the spices. This looks soooo good!
yes, something spicy! I have been craving spicy stuff, probably because I am trying to make things a little milder for my husband who has a sensitive stomach. Well, I guess I am just going to have to make that recipe for myself then. Why not?
Blessings!
You are seriously a food blogger!! I love your style.
By the way, my favorite is fried rice! I think daily I cook fried rice. Now it’s time for Thai rice!! This is an awesome recipe!!! Thanks for sharing!!
We all love rice and fried rice is definitely one of our favorites. This one sounds super flavorful, I’ve never seen or tried one with chorizo or salami in it.
This looks filling, healthy, and delicious. Will try the recipe soon! Your photos on this blog are great too!
I love rice so I know I’m going to love this dish. And what a lovely relationship you have with your son – When my son is older I’ll remember your words about calling whenever and tell him the same.
It’s awesome that you guys are that close to be able to call each other like that. Don’t lose that bond.
We make fried rice at home and we throw in whatever is on hand. Usually we use lots of garlic, and leftover ham and garnish with scallions. Other times we mix scrambled eggs and cooked green peas. Oh the variations are endless! I am going to try your version too. This looks like something we’d also enjoy!
This thai fried rice looks so yummy. 🙂 So want to have this for dinner later today 🙂
I’m a huge fan of Thai food and I love these commandments. I will be giving this a go so thanks so much for the advice and recipe
Looks so yummy and filling. My children have no issues with spicy food, in fact they love it. I’m following your recipe and making this for dinner tomorrow!
I would love to have some fried rice right now. My tummy is grumbling to have a taste of that delicious dish. A complete meal in itself – veggies, carbs, and a protein source.
Thai food is my guilty carb pleasure and I love fried rices. I tend to go to curry or peanut flavors and noodles. I will have to try this recipe
THAT’S why my fried rice sucks!
I’ve never made fried rice before but you’ve made it sound so simple and easy to do x
I am a big fan of spice, and this dish looks like perfect bowl of goodness.
I found a few boxes of rice in the cupboards today, so might give this a go at the weekend! Looks absolutely delicious!
It’s only now that I’m beginning to appreciate quinoa better than the regular white rice. I’m curious how the Thai fried rice would end up if quinoa were to be used as an alternative.
Oh this looks so good, too good to eat. I love the addition of chorizo in this Thai fried rice.
My mom usually cooks fried rice when we have leftovers from last night. She says the texture is better than freshly cooked rice. I love being creative with choosing ingredients when making fried rice.
That looks so delicious! I love your story in the beginning. It’s amazing how food can bring people together.
I love fried rice, it’s easy and you can simply use one wok/pot. I think it’s a great recipe as well, especially for using all those fresh veggies. I love you relationship with your son, it’s beautiful.
I think it’s amazing how you and your son are each other’s confidant. This recipe is perfect for busy nights when there’s not much time to cook. I love that it’s versatile too and spicy!
This fried rice looks so tasty! I love thai foods, can’t wait to try this!
This sounds so tasty! I always use leftover rice for fried rice but have never heard to press it down and let it sit before – will definitely have to try that next time, thank you! 🙂
Looks amazing! Wish I could cook that well too!!
this looks incredible, I love fried rice but I’ve never had spicy thai fried rice before and these pictures are making my mouth water! This is on my recipe list now xx
Babushka loves your style of writing. Unfortunately she’s not a fan of spicy, pero that dish looks amazing. Gracias for the recipe. BB2U
Great recipe! I love fried rice, and to be honest I haven’t tried cooking a Thai version of it. I love spicy but not so much; yet I think this looks perfect. I’ll give it a try!
My husband is really fond of fried rice. Although I make Chinese fried rice mostly, I need to try this Thai recipe.
Thanks a lot for all the tips I need to know when making rice. I look forward to trying your recipe because I really like to cook dishes which include rice.
Yum! This looks delicious!
Yum this looks so delicious! A great way to use up leftovers. I always inevitable end up making too much brown rice. Do you think it would work ok with leftover quinoa too?
Oh wow this looks amazing and so tasty! I’ll definitely have to give this a go x
I absolutely love the sound of this. I want to try some new tasty rice dishes, I find they really fill me up x
I love Thai food and this dish looks so tasty, I love the fact it will cook quickly!
That looks sooooooooo yummy. I’m pleased to see the recipe contains coconut oil as I have loads of this so wanted to start using it more. It sounds like a really healthy meal too which I love.