Fried Rice

A salad of snow peas, bean sprouts, chopped peanuts and rice vinegar dressing is a good side dish. Fresh pineapple topped with coconut shavings ends the meal nicely.

Nasi goreng, which is Indonesian for fried rice, is a staple in Indonesia. It's delicious on its own for lunch or as a side dish for an Asian-style dinner.

The secret of making fried rice lies in the use of cold, cooked rice. Freshly cooked rice will only produce a sticky mess.

Vegetables from the supermarket salad bar get an Asian spin. Start with purchased wonton soup, and serve a mixed green salad with ginger vinaigrette alongside the rice. Sliced pineapple with coconut sorbet is the perfect finish. Look for hoisin at Asian markets and in the Asian foods section of most supermarkets.

This dish is equally delicious prepared with turkey, seafood, beef, or pork.

For this recipe you may use whatever mushrooms you happen to have on hand. Serve the dish as an accompaniment to grilled or roasted meats, seafood, or chicken or with soup as a light lunch or dinner.

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 9‚ hr

Remember, you absolutely cannot make delicious fried rice using freshly cooked rice! If you cook the rice yourself (a day to a week ahead), buy long-grain (Carolina) rice and follow the package directions for making drier rice. Otherwise, use leftover Chinese take-out rice.

<p>This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.</p> <p>This recipe is a super way to use up leftover white rice from Chinese takeout�or substitute <epi:recipeLink id"100911">Long-grain Rice</epi:recipeLink>.

This makes a delicious luncheon entrée with a salad.

For this recipe you may use whatever mushrooms you happen to have on hand. Serve the dish as an accompaniment to grilled or roasted meats, seafood, or chicken or with soup as a light lunch or dinner.

This recipe is a great use for cold leftover rice. Order extra rice with Chinese takeout or make a double batch of your own one night — you can keep it, chilled, up to 1 week. Active time: 35 min Start to finish: 35 min

One of my favorite meals was made by finding some leftover meat or fish and some cooked rice, and tossing them in a skillet with whatever caught our fancy. When you're good and hungry, a mixed-up quick meal tastes every bit as good as any long pot [long-cooked dish]. And you don't have to wait.

This is an adaptation of the Cantonese classic. In China fried rice is seasoned with salt rather than soy sauce (which darkens the grains). However, a bit of soy sauce for extra flavor is nice.

Cold cooked rice (made at least 1 day ahead) is the secret to delicious fried rice, so don't cook a fresh pot for this recipe.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 15 min