Election Rice

Last Monday I had a work event before class, just a little reception after a lecture. I always try to have some healthier options available and at this one I ordered a vegetable tray... that no one ate. I'm not sure what that says for the general state of health of our attendees, but it did mean that I could bring the leftovers home.

It was also the night before the primary and since I volunteer as an election officer in Arlington County, I needed to make and pack enough food to last me all day. I was thinking about what to make on the ride home after class when one of my friends suggested a fried rice with the leftover veggies. When I got I discovered that Zach had some leftover white rice from Chinese takeout. I don't usually use white rice but at ten o'clock on a night before I had to get up at 4:45, I wasn't in the position to be picky.

I've never made a fried rice before so I consulted quickly with Rachel Ray's 30 Minute Meals: Volume 2 for an idea of how to make it and get the general proportions. I ended up lightly scrambling 2 eggs in a non-stick skillet, then sauteeing onion, peppers, and squash. I tossed about 1 T. of curry powder into the veggie mix, then thought it looked too dry and chipped some frozen lowfat coconut milk out of a plastic bag in the freezer and added that too. There was a bit of broccoli left, which I quickly boiled in salted water. I added the rice and eggs and the final product was really bright- canary yellow rice, bright green broccoli and red peppers and made for a great lunch the next day.

Election Rice
1 small takeout container of white rice (or the equivalent)
2 eggs
1/2 small onion, diced
1 bell pepper, cut into largish chunks
1/2 c. squash or zucchini, diced
1 small head of broccoli, chopped into florets
a few button mushrooms, cut into quarters
1-2 T. curry powder*
1/4 c. lowfat coconut milk
2 t. olive oil

- Boil a few inches of water in a small saucepan. Add a fat pinch of salt and the broccoli. Cook for 2 minutes or so, until the color has set in the broccoli but it's still crisp.

- Beat the eggs and scramble them in a large skillet over a medium flame. They should still be quite runny. Take them off the heat and put them back in the bowl you scrambled them in.

- Wipe out the pan, return to medium high heat and add 1 t. olive oil and the onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes and add the bell peppers and mushrooms. When the mushrooms start to brown add the additional teaspoon of olive oil and add the curry powder and sauté for one minute.

-  Add the coconut milk and broccoli and stir to coat all the vegetable.  Add the rice and mix till well coated and heated then gently stir in the eggs.  Serve hot (also keeps pretty well for lunches)

* I had curry powder on hand but I think that curry paste would work well too, you might just have to adjust the amounts to get the strength of curry flavor you are looking for.