Vegetarian Fried-Rice

For as long as I can remember, I've loved to cook.  There's something so amazingly rewarding about creating a masterpiece in the kitchen that keeps me hooked.  However, as much as I love to cook, there is always a point where I become completely bored/burned out with everything.

One afternoon while at the library, I was stressing about what to make for dinner.  I was mentally running through what I had at home in my pantry and what veggies I had from my CSA... when all of the sudden inspiration hit me-- Fried Rice!!!  I had never made fried rice before, but I knew that I could totally make a meal out of it AND it could be 100% plastic-free!!!!  With renewed confidence and purpose, I headed back to the "Cooking" section of my library and grabbed "Simple Chinese Cooking" by Kylie Kwong then headed to Tidal Creek Co-Op :)

Yeah, I was excited to cook dinner.  And once I was finished I was even more excited to eat dinner!! Homemade fried rice is AH-MAZING because a.) I know what's in it, b.) it was fast and easy and c.) plastic-free!!! Ahh... the quintessential Chinese take-out food made with love :)

Vegetarian Fried Rice

4 main dish servings

4 cups steamed rice (1 1/3 cups uncooked jasmine rice* bring to boil with 2 2/3 c water.  Let simmer for 10 minutes then turn off heat and let steam for an additional 10 minutes.)

1/3 c vegetable oil*
4 free-roaming eggs (mine come from my backyard hens), lightly beaten
1 small carrot*, diced
1 small onion*, diced
1 TBSP freshly minced ginger
3 1/2 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms*, sliced
1 tsp sea salt
2 TBSP finely chopped cilantro or parsley (optional, but nice)
1 TBSP tamari* (or soy sauce)
2/3 c spring onions

* = Bought in bulk using my own jars or bags.

Other veggies to add: Finely shredded Chinese cabbage, fresh bean sprouts, red pepper or whatever you have on hand that sounds good :)

On med-high, heat half of the oil in a large skillet or wok until shimmering.  Pour beaten eggs into pan and leave to cook for about 10 seconds then fold the mixture over onto itself with a spatula and lightly scramble until almost cooked through.  Remove eggs from pan and set aside.

Heat remaining oil and stir-fry veggies and 1tsp salt.  Add rice, tamari (or soy sauce), cilantro, and eggs and stir-fry for a few minutes.  Use a spatula to break up the egg into smaller pieces while cooking.  When finished, toss in spring onions until well combined.  Season to taste with salt.

Serve with extra tamari and some steamed green veggies (broccoli, green beans, snap peas, kale... whatever you have on hand.)

Homemade (Plastic-Free) Tortillas

Two weeks prior to going camping in the NC Outer Banks, I had my friend and her two kids over for dinner.  As we were eating, my friend said, "Can we do Mexican night when we go camping??"  Ummm... YES!!  I thought it was an absolutely brilliant idea!  I immediately became super excited about having Mexican night while camping because:

1. I could live on Mexican food. 
2. I knew that the meal could be plastic-free!  
3. My kids dig quesadillas.
4. I had no doubts it would be quick and easy...
5. ...and GUACAMOLE!!! mmmmm :D

So... over the weekend, my family and I went camping with our friends in Ocracoke and had our Mexican camping dinner!  Check it out!!  So YUMMY!!

Quesadillas made with homemade tortillas and plastic-free cheese**

Black bean corn salad (yup, some of us put it IN the quesadillas!)

Homemade guacamole (made before the trip and stored in a glass jar... and it stayed bright green!)

Local watermelon and cantaloupe

We will definitely be doing Mexican night every time we go camping... No joke... this was the best meal that I've had camping.  In fact, I loved it so much that I would make it when we weren't camping and even serve it to company!!

Ok...so I've been waiting procrastinating sharing my homemade tortilla recipe.  ...and I think that today is the day that it needs to be shared!  As I'm striving to reduce the amount of plastics we use...homemade tortillas have become essential.  When I don't have any bread, don't have time to make bread... etc etc etc... tortillas are quick and SUPER easy to make (why didn't I do this years ago?!?) and are so versatile that they can be used for so many different things.  Sure we make quesadillas with them... BUT...we also make pizzas, wraps-- egg salad, hummus, pb&j--, tacos... you name it.  Did I mention that they're SO much better tasting than store bought??  oh, right... everything is.  

Homemade Flour Tortillas

From: The Bread Bible

4 c unbleached flour* 

1 1/2 tsp baking powder*

1 1/2 tsp salt*

1/2 c organic butter, cut into 1" chunks

1 to 1 1/2 c warm water

To make vegan or low-fat tortillas:  In lieu of using butter, take 1/2 c of the flour and blend it with 1/2 cup of vegetable or olive oil and freeze for 2 hours.  Then use in place of the butter. 

1. Mix the flour, baking soda and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  (If you don't have a stand mixer, use a large bowl with a fork or pastry blender.)  On low speed, add the butter. When the butter is incorporated and the flour mixture looks crumbly, add the water in a slow stream with the mixer running, just until the dough sticks together and clears the side of the bowl.  NOTE: Don't add too much water... not only will the dough be sticky and difficult to work with... too much water makes for tough tortillas!  Knead briefly-- no more than 10 times-- until a smooth ball forms.  Shape into a cylinder and cover with a dish towel.  Let the dough rest for about 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.

2. After the dough has rested-- for 8"-9" tortillas-- divide the dough into 15 equal portions.  Shape each portion into a ball, cover with the dish towel and let rest for 20-30 minutes.

3. To roll out the tortillas, place the ball on your thumb and make an indention creating a "mushroom" shape.  The air pocket inside helps the dough roll out into a (near) perfect circle :)  Flatten the ball then roll it out into a thin circle just like you would for a pie crust.  Start from the center, making quarter turns often and never pressing the edges.

Tip: I roll my tortillas out right next to my stove, so that I can flip them off the pan and on the pan quickly when I'm cooking them :)

4. To cook the tortillas, heat an ungreased cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat.  Place as many tortillas in the pan that will fit without overlapping.  Cook until bubbles start to form then flip to the other side.  Also, as bubbles form just take a spatula and press them down.  When the tortillas are done, the dough will look dry and have brown spots.

Remove the finished tortillas to a cooling rack (ummm... I always throw mine on top of my toaster!) and let cool.  Don't worry about the tortillas overlapping each other... not a big deal.  You can use the tortillas right away or let them cool.  Once the tortillas are cool you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for at least a week.

Storage Tip: A 9x13 pyrex dish with a lid or round glass baking dish both work really well for storage :)

Mmmm... all this talk of food and I'm all out of tortillas... see ya later! ;)

**Last month, I bought an entire wheel of cheese from Tidal Creek.  It came in a wooden box with no plastic.  I shred and chop it into cubes then freeze it until we're ready to use it  :)


*Using my own containers, I buy these items in bulk at Tidal Creek.

How to Feed the World Video

How to feed the world ? from Denis van Waerebeke on Vimeo.

a film directed by Denis van Waerebeke for the « Bon appétit » exhibition,

aimed mainly at the kids aged 9 to 14.

Food Inc.

So I finally watched Food Inc. AND....I'm proud to say that this movie completely reaffirms ALL of my beliefs about food. I did learn a few new things, like the fact that corn is in EVERYTHING... I never would have guessed that ascorbic acid is made from corn... I totally had this notion that it was made from lemons.

Anyway, it's a good feeling to know that I've been on the right track for the past several years.

Besides signing the petition... watch the movie... go to the website... learn something new... and decide to make at least one change.