Falling for Autumn

This summer has flown by at lightning speed. It’s been over a month since my last blog post, and yet it feels like it was only Memorial Day a week ago. Unfortunately, I think the summers will only get shorter as my years as an “adult” progress. I’m kicking myself now, wishing I soaked up every last second of freedom last summer rather than stressing out about finding a job.

As sad as it is to see summer go, I always look forward to this time of year—apple picking, sweater weather, and pumpkin everything! For me, the fall is a time of comforting traditions spent with friends and family, and a welcome change of pace after a summer on-the-go…So the recent dreary and cooler weather in NYC was the perfect opportunity to make something warm and wholesome for dinner.

Sloshing through the puddles on my way home from work, I had this craving for a curry dish. Now don’t be fooled—curry was never a tradition in my home. I don’t know that curry has ever set foot in my family’s home, but something about the rich spices and the deep orange color of curry just has “autumn” and “comfort” written all over it. Luckily, this recipe is so simple that I already had all the ingredients and didn’t have to trek back out in the rain to the grocery store. I served the curry sauce with shrimp over brown rice, but it would also be great over chicken or vegetables. The curry perfumed my whole apartment with this spicy, almost cinnamony smell, and had a rich, creamy texture that I just crave in fall foods. Not having a true summer vacation anymore is definitely a bummer, but it’s these hearty, comforting meals that I look forward to all year round.

Easy Curry with Shrimp and Brown Rice (served with roasted baby zucchini, pictured below)

Serves One

Ingredients:

1 tbs butter

2 tbs honey

1 tbs Dijon mustard

1 tsp curry powder

Dash of nutmeg

Dash of salt

6-7 cooked shrimp (I just thawed some frozen shrimp in my freezer)

1 cup cooked brown rice

1. In a small saucepan, combine the butter, honey, mustard and spices over medium heat. Whisk until the butter is melted and everything is combined even.

2. Add the cooked shrimp to the sauce, allowing them to absorb the flavors and warm through—about 4 minutes.

3. Pour the shrimp and sauce over prepared brown rice and serve warm.

Better than Takeout: Homemade Fried Rice

This past weekend was full of delicious food. From lobster rolls to burgers, guacamole and apple pie, it was a traditional Memorial Day feast. But one of the more unexpected dishes consumed in my gluttony this weekend was my friend's mom's fried rice. Many times I've heard about her rice; but never before had I tried...until now.

The fried rice was served as a side dish to a beautiful Chicken Marbella (recipe from the Silver Palate), but the rice easily caught my attention as the star. I literally could not wait to come back and make this on my own. I was too anxious to wait for her recipe that I went ahead and developed my own.

She explained the basic gist of it: sauté the veggies, add the cooked rice, drop in an egg, and voila! I cannot tell you how easy this recipe is, you just need to try it for yourself. The most time-consuming part is waiting for the rice to cook (but if you buy the pre-cooked rice from Trader Joes like I did, this will only take a minute in the microwave!) From start to finish this dish only took me 15 minutes to make--no doubt less time than it takes to order and wait for takeout delivery, not to mention a whole lot cheaper!

Knowing that I already had frozen corn and peas on hand, I decided to add some red pepper to the mix to keep with the bright colors, but you could use whatever vegetables desired--mushrooms, broccoli, shredded carrots. The egg gives that sticky texture to the rice that is so familiar in Chinese takeout, but without the extra grease and fat. This recipe makes about four servings, but I could not help myself from going back for seconds, it was that good. And just like takeout, this fried rice will taste even better as leftovers for lunch, dinner, even breakfast ;)

Fried Rice
Serving Suggestion: Serve with sautéed chicken, shrimp or tofu for a rounded meal

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked brown rice
2-3 tbs canola or vegetable oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 red pepper, chopped
2/3 cup frozen peas, thawed
2/3 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons soy sauce, or more to taste

1. Coat the bottom of a large pot with 1-2 tablespoons canola oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Sauté until fragrant and translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
2. Add red pepper, peas and corn (or other desired vegetables). Sauté until slightly softened, about 5-7 minutes. Remove veggies from pot and set aside.
3. Add another tablespoon of oil to the same pot. Add the cooked rice and stir to coat with the oil. Continue to stir the rice until it is glistening and starts to brown slightly, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the egg into the rice and stir immediately to distribute evenly throughout the rice.
5. Return the veggies to the pot and add a couple tablespoons of soy sauce. Stir to combine. Serve warm or cold.