Vegetable Fried Rice

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Fried rice is one of the best “quick & easy” dishes out there. It’s filling, economical, and versatile. The perfect way to clean out the refrigerator at the end of the week! This time around I used carrots, peas, scallions, bean sprouts, and fried egg. I’ll usually make this as a side dish whenever I make my mother-in-law’s infamous egg rolls. I always had leftover bean sprouts, and I hated to let them go to waste. This was a great way to use them up, as well as being a way to fill tummies up that isn’t fried, or as labor-intensive.

You do have to think a bit ahead of time when it comes to the rice. Using rice that has been chilled is key to a good fried rice. If you use fresh, hot rice – you’ll end up with a sticky ball of mess. By using cooled rice, the grains of rice stay separated – creating the perfect fried rice. I also love the addition of egg to the mix. You don’t see egg in fried rice that often anymore, and it’s something I always loved, so I knew I wanted to add that as well.

It makes a pretty large batch, enough to eat for dinner one night and a couple of extra servings for lunch. You could certainly add a protein as well, if you wanted to make it a complete one-dish meal. Shrimp or chicken are my favorites. Just saute in the pan, and remove before cooking the veggies. A favorite that is guaranteed to be made again and again. Enjoy!


Vegetable Fried Rice

2 carrots, cleaned and diced
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup bean sprouts
2 green onions, chopped
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cups cold cooked rice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tsp salt
black pepper, to taste

Heat 1 tablespoons of oil in a wok or frying pan over medium-high heat . When the oil is hot, add the eggs. Cook, stirring, until they are lightly scrambled but not too dry. Remove the eggs and set aside. Wipe pan clean with a paper towel.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add the carrots and the frozen peas. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender – about 5 minutes. Add the rice, scallions, and bean sprouts. Stir-fry for a few minutes, using chopsticks or a wooden spoon to break it apart. Add the soy sauce, and toss to combine.

When the rice is heated through, add the scrambled egg back into the pan. Mix thoroughly before serving.

Maryland Crab Cakes

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Frankly, I’m embarrassed that crab cakes haven’t made it onto the site yet. Any Maryland blogger worth their grain in salt NEEDS to have a good crab cake recipe to share. The world doesn’t turn to us for much in the way of famous foods. We’re notorious for our fried chicken, pit beef, our Smith Island cakes, and of course…crab cakes. Let me start off my saying, I’m not a big fan of crab cakes. My mom always made great ones, but they were just never “my thing”. When I see recipes online, or in cookbooks, often I am disparaged by the amount of filler that people put in their cakes. Bell peppers, bread crumbs, eggs, herbs, avocado, cheese – the list goes on. It’s a travesty, people! A GOOD crab cake only needs crab meat, and a little bit of a binder. I had a recipe that I used forever, and it was great. But, I would use a good amount of breadcrumbs to get them to hold their shape. That always kind of bothered me. Then, one of my best girlfriend’s aunt shared this recipe on a local recipe swapping group that I’m a member of on Facebook. It had virtually no binding agents! Flour, a bit of mayo and mustard, an egg, and a bit of seasoning. I should also mention the fact that this said Aunt is a purveyor of crab meat. As a side-job she picks crabs and sells the meat in the summertime. The woman knows her crab, ya’ll. I knew I had to try it…

Talk about blown away! Like I mentioned above, I don’t even like crab cakes, and I ended up scarfing one down. These cakes are solid packed full of meat. It is definitely my go-to recipe for crab cakes now. They formed in your hands beautifully, fried up beautifully, and as you can see from the picture – were gorgeous inside too. I realize that not everyone can get their hands on blue crab meat. I’ve not tried myself, but I’m fairly certain this recipe would work with Dungeness crab meat, or even snow crab meat. Whatever is good, and fresh in your neck of the woods! I served with baked oven fries, as well as a green salad. They make a delightful sandwich too. Oooh, or over a bed of fettuccine Alfredo. Hea-ven!

This recipe makes about 5 crab cakes. If your budget allows, I’d highly recommend doubling the recipe, and then freezing half of the cakes. They freeze great! And, frozen crab cakes are one of my favorite “go to” easy meals on those nights when I’m just too tired to cook. Simply form and place on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Freeze on the cookie sheet for about 2 hours, until frozen. Then vacuum seal or wrap securely in freezer paper. Cook the frozen cakes just as you would if they were fresh, adding a few minutes of cooking time to each side of the cake.


Maryland Crab Cakes

Makes about 5 large crab cakes

1 pound fresh crab meat, picked clean of shells
3 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon Old Bay, or other seafood seasoning

Add flour, mayonnaise, dijon, the egg, and the Old Bay to a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Carefully fold in the crab meat, being careful as possible not to separate the lumps of meat. Gently form about 1/2 cup of the crab mixture into a cake about 3 inches wide by 1 inch thick with your palms. Once formed, set aside on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.

Heat about 1/2 cup vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet (I like to use my trusty cast iron pan!) over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add crab cakes to hot oil, and fry for about 4 minutes on each side – until nice and golden. Transfer from pan to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Serve with cocktail sauce, tartar sauce, and plenty of fresh lemon.

Source: Morgan’s Aunt “B”