Broccoli with Garlic Sauce over Broccoli-Carrot Fried Rice

When in doubt, I always go to Japanese or Chinese cooking. When I was a teenager, these were the things I started out with, so they're a comfort food of sorts with me. Fried rice was one of the first foods I ever cooked, and it's so forgiving that it's easy for the working girl to make. As a plus, it also uses that dry, leftover rice that has no other use! I mean, you can grimace and eat it even though it's chewy and disgusting, but why, when you could make such delicious fried rice out of it?

Normally, when I eat Broccoli with Garlic Sauce, I eat it over white sticky rice, not fried rice, but since I had the leftover rice, I did what I had to do.  I worked all day today, but really needed to get my fresh broccoli and leftover rice out of the fridge, since both had been in there for a while.

Broccoli with Garlic Sauce

The recipe for Broccoli with Garlic Sauce takes a pound of fresh broccoli (about 3 broccoli crowns), some garlic, and various condiments. Vegetarian oyster sauce is most easily found in an Asian food store. Vegetarians should shop there anyway, if possible-- many useful things are cheaper there. It's about 5.99 a bottle, but it lasts quite a while.

This particular recipe tastes just like take-out, but without swimming in oil, like all the Chinese take-out in my area. Light, but very flavorful, it's perfect for a quick, tasty meal.

1 pound fresh broccoli

3-6 cloves of garlic (3 large cloves; 5-6 small)

1/2 cup of vegetable broth

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tbs brown sugar

1 tbs corn starch

1 tbs vegetarian oyster sauce

A dash of red pepper flakes

Cut the broccoli into florets. The smaller the better, if you've the patience. Put about a teaspoon of olive oil in your frying pan (more if you're not using nonstick), and begin sautéing the broccoli in the pan. Meanwhile, start mixing the garlic sauce (the last six ingredients of the recipe). When the broccoli begins to brown, pour in a generous drizzle of water and continue cooking for about 3-4 more minutes. After the water has completely evaporated, pour the sauce over the broccoli and cook for 3-4 additional minutes; serve over white or (preferably sweet) fried rice.

Broccoli-Carrot Fried Rice

Fried rice was one of the first recipes I learned to make, and one of the most forgiving. Virtually any ingredient you have around the kitchen can go into this. The best use of resources is to use rice leftover from another meal; otherwise, broccoli with garlic sauce is actually best over white sticky rice.

Using the amount of rice I had leftover--

1 1/2-2 cups cooked sticky rice

3-4 diced green onions

1/2 cup of fresh broccoli

2 carrots, sliced in half length-wise, and then diced

2 eggs

2 tsp of soy sauce

1 tsp vegetarian oyster sauce

Good additions are pineapple, red bell pepper, onion, and pretty much any fruit or vegetable known to mankind.

Spray your frying pan with nonstick spray, then sauté the vegetables. The carrots should go in first, ideally, then the broccoli, then the green onions just as the broccoli starts to turn the dark green color of perfectly-cooked broccoli. If using onions rather than green onions, cook until onions are translucent. Otherwise, cook until carrots are tender, and add the white rice. Since it will be cold, it takes a few minutes to heat through and break apart. When it is hot, push the entire mixture to one side and break 2 eggs into one half of the pan. Scramble them and cook until fluffy and solid. Mix everything together again and drizzle soy sauce and vegetarian oyster sauce over rice. Be careful with both, and adjust to taste. Both are salty, and overusing can be disastrous.

If necessary, adjust the flavors; lemon or lime juice, or perhaps brown sugar, can help balance the taste if necessary. This is unlikely to be an issue if you added pineapple or other fruit.

Stir thoroughly and serve.

Serving suggestion: The taste of the fried rice can be fairly heavy, so a palate cleanser between bites is a good thing. Something fresh and crisp, such as grapes or cucumbers, helps. I ate mine with black cherry Chobani Greek yogurt and fresh grapes.

How many meals does it make?: These two recipes, at this quantity, can make two meals; maybe three if you stretch it out.