Veggie Fried Rice

 

Garden veggies never had it so good.

BY SUSIE MIDDLETON, Martha's Vineyard Magazine

Use this fried rice recipe as a template and make it with your choice of seasonal veggies. It’s especially good for using up small bits of leftover veggies in your fridge or as a destination for summer garden veggies.  I developed this recipe (based on my Gingery Fried Rice with Broccoli or Asparagus recipe) to help you reduce food waste in your kitchen, so don’t be shy about using thinly sliced broccoli, cauliflower, or Swiss Chard stems in this (in addition to florets and leaves). Radish tops or beet greens, thinly sliced, can go in, too. I always include a bit of either onion, bell pepper, or mushroom if I can, as those aromatic veggies give off moisture as they cook and help soften the other veggies. Green beans, asparagus, bok choy, okra – they’re all good! The photo at top shows a summer version with green beans, peppers, Fairy Tale eggplants and okra. The photo below shows a spring version with asparagus and chard stems.

Recently my stir-fry pan died and I've been temporarily using my large nonstick skillet instead. Since the skillet has more surface area, I'm finding I need a little bit more oil than I do with the stir-fry pan. Use your judgment and add what you think is best, but be judicious. 

I like to keep this rice vegetarian, but when I’m cooking for my carnivore, I add some diced ham into the pan with my vegetables when I begin the stir-fry.

If you’re in a rush or don’t have the ingredients for the little sauce, you can skip it and just add soy sauce (and maybe a squeeze of lemon or lime) to taste at the end.

Ingredients

For the sauce

• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sherry or mirin
• 2 teaspoons Chinese oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon Asian chili-garlic sauce

For the rice

• 1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (grapeseed is perfect for high-heat cooking)
• 2 generous cups thinly sliced or small diced vegetables (your choice, include a bit of onion or bell pepper)
• Kosher salt
• 2 to 3 teaspoons minced fresh garlic 
• 2 to 3 teaspoons minced fresh ginger (optional)
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions or chives
• 2  to 2 ½ cups cold cooked short grain brown rice 
• 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, mint, cilantro, or a combination
• 1 to 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, toasted sliced almonds, chopped peanuts or any nuts  
• 1 egg, cooked into a flat omelet and cut into strips (optional)
• Lime or lemon wedges 

Instructions

For the sauce

1. In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, sherry or mirin, oyster sauce, 2 teaspoons water, brown sugar, and chili-garlic sauce.

For the rice

1. In a large (12-inch) nonstick stir-fry pan (or large nonstick skillet), heat the 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat.

2. When the oil is hot, add the vegetables and 1/2 teaspoon salt, turn the heat to high, and cook, stirring, until the veggies are crisp-tender and all the pieces are lightly browned, about 4 to 6 minutes. Add a teaspoon or two more of oil if necessary.

3. Add the garlic, the ginger (if using), and half the scallions or chives. Stir-fry for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

4. Add the rice and cook, stirring and breaking the rice up with a spoon, until the rice is heated through, broken apart, and slightly “toasted” (you will hear it crackle), 1 to 2 minutes.

5. Carefully pour in half of the sauce, and stir until well incorporated. Immediately remove the pan from the heat. Taste and add a bit more sauce; you may not need it all.

6. Stir in the herbs and transfer the rice to a serving bowl or plates. Garnish with the remaining scallions, nuts, and egg strips (if using). Serve with lemon or lime wedges.

Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Smoky Tomato Rub

A recipe from Susie Middleton at Cook the Vineyard

This preparation was partly inspired by a chile-roasted cauliflower dish in Ottolenghi’s latest cookbook, Flavor. It looked so good when I first flipped through the book that I hadn’t gotten it out of my mind. And yet I knew at first glance I needed a few more pantry items to make it, so I never looked at it again, being busy. Then recently I got it in my head to roast cauliflower steaks. I had a big head of cauliflower and I wanted to know once and for all if the stems would cook through in the oven before the florets turned to mush. So I cut one-inch slabs and rubbed them with oil and smoked paprika, roasted at high heat for a bit, and then smeared them with a mixture of tomato paste, olive oil, more smoked paprika and a bit of chile paste and garlic. Then I kept roasting until everything was quite toasty.

Aside from a very yummy result, the stems did cook through, and while the rest of the cauliflower is quite tender at that point, the texture is still pleasing because the edges and tips are crisped (aka oven-fried). So on balance, after now making this again (the first time with Fly By Jing chili crisp, the second time with Asian chili-garlic paste), we give it four thumbs up. Which means we loved it. That said, I welcome you to play around with this and see how it works for you — whether you want more chile, or less roasting time. I’m afraid some of you might want less olive oil, but we would have to fight about that.

For this I used a dark nonstick baking sheet (one I don’t normally use), thinking it might induce some further crisping, but I think any heavy-duty baking sheet would do. You can serve these straight off the sheet pan or arranged with a bit of yogurt and lime on top. These would make a wonderful side for lamb.

Serves 2 to 3 as a side dish

• 1 very large head cauliflower (about 3 pounds)
• ½ cup to 2/3 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon plus ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
• Kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• ½ teaspoon Asian chili-garlic paste (or 1 to 2 teaspoons chile crisp)

 DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. (If your oven tends to run cool, turn it up to 450 degrees F. Higher heat is good in this recipe.) Trim the outer leaves from the cauliflower and trim just the bottom of the stem. Set the cauliflower stem-side-down on a cutting board and slice it crosswise into slabs (or steaks) about 1-inch thick. The cauliflower on the ends will not hold together; gather and reserve that to use another night. You should have 5 or 6 good slabs of cauliflower to roast.
2. Arrange the cauliflower on a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet (nonstick if you have it). (Don’t worry if some of the steaks fall apart, just piece them back together on the sheet tray.) Using a pastry brush, dab and brush about 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil (or enough to cover) over the top of the slabs. Combine the 1 teaspoon smoked paprika with 1 teaspoon salt and sprinkle half of that over the tops of the cauliflower slabs. Carefully turn the slabs over, brush the new topsides with 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil, and season with the remaining smoked paprika-salt mix.
3. Roast for 25 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the tomato paste, 3 tablespoons olive oil, the chopped garlic, the balsamic vinegar, the chile paste or chile crisp, ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. Stir to make a loose paste. Remove the pan from the oven and spoon or brush the tomato mixture all over the tops of the cauliflower slabs.
4. Return the pan (rotating it so what was in the back will now be in front) to the oven and cook for about another 20 minutes, until the edges and tips of the cauliflower are dark brown (some smaller pieces will be very darkened). Serve warm right away. (Thec cauliflower is still good at room temperature, too!)

Parmesan Crusted Cauliflower

https://iwashyoudry.com/parmesan-roasted-cauliflower/

Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

These Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower Bites are the perfect quick and easy side dish, or double as a vegetarian baked chicken nugget!

Ingredients

• 7 cups cauliflower florets, cut to bite sized pieces
• 3 to 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray liberally with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
• Combine the cauliflower and olive oil in a large zip close bag and shake to coat.
• Add the remaining ingredients to the bag and shake until coated, pressing slightly to help the breading stick. 
• Pour onto the baking sheet and spray the tops of the cauliflower with cooking spray and bake for 20 minutes. 
• Stir the cauliflower and continue to bake an a additional 10 minutes.  Serve hot.