I can’t believe we’re almost finished the second half of January. Boy time flies when you’re having fun.
And in this case, having fun refers to cooking out of this month’s cookbook, Small Victories by Julia Turshen.
Every single recipe that I’ve made from this book has been a dream. It’s a cookbook for everyday life filled with recipes that will shine on even the most fancy occasions. She offers tips and tricks to help the reader conquer the basic recipe, and then outlines various ways to switch it up and totally apply those newly learned methods to variations of the original recipe.
In my case, this time around it was a good Asian rice. For some reason, I get put off from a lot of Asian recipes because of the list of ingredients required. Not that I probably don’t already have most of those items in my cupboards (even if some of them are lurking in the deep dark recesses, lids stuck on due to lack of use) For me it the ‘1/4 of one type of chilli, 1/8 tsp of some sauce, 1/2 of another sauce, 1/4 tsp of this sugar, 3/4 tsp of that sauce: oh you don’t have that sauce, then use the first sauce (well, why not just use the one if it’s going to end up being the substitute anyway?)’ My eyes get all bleary and tired reading through the endless list, just to create a special sauce. Now don’t get me wrong, I have no problem creating a master sauce (see my Ginger Miso Salad Dressing, which is truly a master sauce, since you can use it for salads, marinades, grilling etc) But Julia dismisses the need for that endless list, with a basic and yet flavour doable list for a truly yummy dish.
Cooking Rice the French Way
The first tip she offers in the book is with regards to cooking rice. I used to be horrible at cooking rice. Something so simple, and yet so frustrating. I could never consistently create a pot of rice where every grain was not sticking to its neighbour. Usually one big clump. I got a rice cooker. Case closed. But I also did learn a trick from my mom which I will still use if I am not at cooking at home where my rice cooker is: cook rice like the French. In other words, they cook their rice like cooking pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the amount of rice you need and simmer until just tender (about 10-15 minutes for most types of white, medium to long grain; and 35-40 minutes for brown rice) When the rice is done, then drain it through a fine mesh sieve, and serve immediately (I usually drizzle with olive oil, Julia also suggests butter, and salt obviously) I was so happy to see that Julia’s method for cooking rice is exactly like my mom’s!
Anyway, for fried rice, you want to use cold rice. So cook it in advance and let it cool down and then refrigerate immediately. I usually cook mine the day before I need it. I make more than I need, since it can be used in a variety of ways throughout the week. And I usually use brown rice. The cold rice becomes very dry, thus allowing them to remain separate when being fried up, and they also better absorb all the flavours that will be added to them in the pan or wok. Refrigerated rice will be good for up to four days. After that it should be discarded.
Kimchi
So, rice is set. What will I be adding to it here? Kimchi. The best condiment, side, veggie out there. Check out my Sauerkraut, Two Ways for a fabulous Kimchi Sauerkraut recipe. The heat and spices, and tang are all still there of course. I put this stuff on everything: grilled cheese sandwiches, on burgers, with quinoa or kasha for breakfast, even on avo toast.
How to Keep Some of the Active Cultures Alive in Kimchi
For the recipe here, the kimchi is added to sautéed onion and garlic, and even the juices will be added with some tamari or soy sauce after the rice has been tossed in as well. Now, once you cook Kimchi, the probiotic health benefits are gone, since the heat kills the active lactobacillus in the kimchi. So what I do is this: eat some of it raw while I’m cooking! And then add some more raw at the very end before serving.
Finish with Scallion Salad
So rice and kimchi, set. Julia’s recipe includes the most lovely fresh salad that will top the rice mix. A simple scallion salad. It’s the toasted sesame oil and rice wine vinegar that pulls it all together. The crunch from sesame seeds, and it’s a wonderful little dish.
Want to make it dinner for a Meatless Monday? Poach or fry up some eggs, or grill some shrimp and serve these on top of the rice and scallion salad. Fresh, filling, and seasonless. Julia also offers the alternative of frying up some bacon cubes before adding the onion and garlic. Instead of bacon, you could also use some pork belly. Pork and kimchi love to hang out together.
And if you want to make Chicken Fried Rice, then just sauté some shredded or sliced carrots, broccoli, celery, peppers etc with the onions as the beginning of the recipe. Add your leftover cubed chicken towards the end, just to warm it through. Top the entire dish with chopped peanuts or cashews. Et voila! The easiest Fried Rice dish in the world.
My new go-to easy-to-throw-together fried rice dish. One that doesn’t require a bajillion ingredients, but still tastes like they are there!
If you make this healthy, flavour-packed Kimchi Fried Rice, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! It’s always lovely to hear from you guys, and I always do my best to respond to each comment or question. And of course, if you do make this recipe, and you post it on Instagram, don’t forget to also tag me so I can see! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is such a treat.
Love Jen
Kimchi Fried Rice with Scallion Salad
All the goodness of kimchi, perfectly seasoned and textured fried rice, with a fresh scallion salad topping it all off. Or go a step further and top everything with an egg!
Ingredients
Scallion Salad
- 8 scallions roots and dark green parts removed
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- kosher salt
Kimchi Fried Rice
- 1 @ 16 oz (448 g) jar of cabbage kimchi including the juice
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion finely diced (I used a red one)
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- kosher salt
- 4 cups (560 g) day old cooked brown or white rice
- 1 tbsp soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos to taste
Instructions
Scallion Salad
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Cut the scallions thinly on the diagonal or into small matchsticks (to do this, cut the scallions into 3 even pieces and then cut each in half lengthwise. Then slice finely)
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Put the scallions, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar and sesame seeds into a medium bowl and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt. Set aside
Kimchi Fried Rice
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Put a sieve over a large bowl and drain the kimchi. Reserve the juice. Finely chop the kimchi.
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In a large skillet over medium high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and sprinkle with a large pinch of salt.
Cook, stirring now and then until the onion begins to turn translucent, about 5 minutes.
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Add the chopped kimchi and cook, stirring until the edges of the kimchi become ever so slightly crisp and begin to stick to the pan, about 5 minutes.
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Crumble the rice into the skillet and stir to combine. Add the reserved kimchi juice and cook until the rice is warmed through, about 3 minutes.
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Turn off the heat and drizzle the soy sauce over the rice mixture. Taste and re-season if necessary.
Transfer to a serving bowl and top with the scallion salad. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Since Kimchi loses its active bacterial cultures as it cooks, I actually eat some raw while I'm cooking the rest! I also add a bit more chopped raw kimchi at the very end. This way we get the flavour, but also some of the health benefits. I add my kimchi juice at the the end and barely cook through.
As Julia mentions, to make this even more substantial, feel free to add some poached or fried eggs to the dish.
This can be totally personalized by adding fresh chopped or shaved veggies that you will cook at the same time as the onion. Then add cooked chicken or even shredded rotisserie chicken towards the end to just warm through, and sprinkle with cashews. Voila, a great chicken fried rice.
A little late to comment on this recipe, but I made it the day you posted it 3 years ago and it’s been my absolute favorite ever since. I make it at least 2x a month. The scallion salad is so unexpected and so easy, and a wonderfully fresh acidic compliment to the fried rice.
Hi Nisha, Thanks so much for the lovely comment! I agree, the scallion salad is what sets this recipe apart from other versions. Such a fun one to whip up. Hope you’re having a great summer. Love Jen