There are some days that the clock shows “way past” dinner time and I feel like if I make us another omelette it may break the world record for omelette eating in a week.
But eggs are such a great instant meal and so I incorporate them into this quick mix that allows me to use up whatever’s in the fridge and still show Felix that fast can be healthy.
Hard-boiling the eggs and then grating them adds a twist to the meal and is also a fun way for kids to get involved once the eggs are cooked.
Start by preparing your eggs. Take two eggs from the fridge and put them in a bowl of warm water to bring them to room temperature (so they don’t crack when hitting the hot water.)
Bring a small pot of water to a boil.
Add the eggs, lowering them in on a spoon gently. Set your timer for 10 minutes and allow the eggs to simmer. Remove and cool in cold water. This technique will make perfect hard-boiled eggs every time (no grey yolk!).
Peel the eggs and then grate them on the largest size grater holes (one you’d usually use for cheese.) It’s pretty fun—even for an adult. If you’re letting the kids do it just watch they don’t scrape little hands on the grater’s sharp surface.
Set this aside.
Now comes the fun part. Use up whatever is in the fridge. Green onions are a great addition to the rice, but if those are too strong for your kids you can subsitute some red pepper, broccoli, frozen peas or shelled edamame.
We had some BBQ’d corn leftover so I added that into this version.
And if you’re like me you always have some fresh herbs left from another recipe that you’re wondering how to use up. I chopped up a handful of parsley.
The base of the dish is of course the rice. I did use instant in this case—we were hungry-- but chose whole grain.
Now just mix it (or get your child to mix it) all in a small bowl. Season with some salt and pepper, or add a little bit of low-sodium soy sauce. Btw, this also makes a great side for chicken or really anything off the BBQ.
Not Fried Rice Recipe
Serves 2 as a quick main course
Ingredients
2 large eggs
1 cup whole grain brown rice, instant
3 green onions
fresh parsley, handful
salt and pepper
Instructions
1. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. While you wait, put your raw eggs into a bowl of warm water to bring them to room temperature. Once the water in the pot is boiling add the eggs and cook for 10 minutes. Remove and cool.
2. Peel the eggs and then grate them into little strips on a grater—using the largest holes. Set aside.
3. Make the rice following the instructions on the package.
4. While the rice cooks chop the parsley and slice the green onion into small pieces.
5. When the rice is finished stir in the egg, onion and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
*You can use whatever is in the fridge for this meal (or side dish) so use up any vegetables you have or throw in frozen peas or corn as well.
Sue Riedl is a Toronto-based food writer with a passion for cheese who writes a column called The Spread for the Globe and Mail. She loves to push stinky cheese on her 3-year old.
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by Sue Riedl