Make Your Own Fried Rice!

You can prepare one of the most popular dishes in Chinese eateries -- fried rice -- in your own kitchen, and your can not only be delicious, but healthier and less costly than the restaurant fare.

Robin Miller, nutritionist, author, and host of the Food Network's "Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller," served up tips and recipes on The Early Show Thursday.

She points out that fried rice is a great way to use up all of those leftovers in your fridge!

1. To start, heat oil and add garlic and ginger -- these are you base flavors.

2. Add your protein (steak, chicken, pork, tofu -- anything goes!), cut into small pieces, and allow it to warm through.

3. Add sliced vegetables and other "mix-ins." It's important to have all of your mix-ins sliced and ready to go before you begin -- the dish goes so quickly that you won't have time to cut things up as you go.

4. Add cooked rice to your pan. Don't use instant rice as it gets too mushy during the cooking process. Leftover rice works great for fried rice. Because it's cold, it separates easily, meaning it won't clump up during cooking.

5. Next, add soy sauce and sesame oil. Don't add too much or the dish will become greasy. You can always add more soy sauce at the table if you wish.

6. Make a well in the center of the rice mixture and pour in whisked eggs. This keeps the eggs contained as they cook. Once they are mostly set, stir them into the rice mixture.

7. Toss all together and cook until hot.

The fried rice dish Miller made on the show is a one-dish meal. But you can also serve fried rice as a side dish, and even for breakfast!

RECIPE

Steak & Shiitake Fried Rice

Serves 4

Recipe courtesy Robin Miller's "Robin to the Rescue" (Taunton 2008)

Fried Rice is an ideal vehicle for leftovers. You can morph leftover steak, chicken, shrimp, or pork into fried rice and everyone at the table will think it's a completely new meal, made from scratch. I like to use regular rice in this recipe because it's a bit "chewier" than instant, so factor that into your prep time, or prep ahead and make the rice up to 5 days in advance (store it in a sealable container in the fridge). I like to serve this with steamed snap peas on the side.

1 cup rice (white, basmati, or jasmine)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
8 ounces steak of your choice, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 medium carrots, chopped, or 1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 cup snow peas, strings removed
1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms or any mushroom variety
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup chopped scallions (white and green parts)

1. Cook the rice according to the package directions. Set aside.

2.Heat olive oil in large skillet, add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add the steak and cook until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the carrots, snow peas, and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are softened, about 3 minutes. Add the soy sauce and sesame oil and bring to a simmer. Stir in the rice and heat through.

3. Make a well in the middle of the ingredients and add the 2 eggs lightly beaten. Let eggs sit in skillet and cook for a minute until they begin to cook through, then break up the egg and toss them with the remainder of the ingredients.

4. Remove from the heat and stir in the scallions.

4. Spoon the fried rice onto a serving platter and serve.

Total Time: 17-25 minutes

Prep time: 10-15 minutes

Active cooking time: 7-10 minutes

To sneak a peek at Robin's new book, of "Robin to the Rescue," click here.