Utilize Your Leftovers: A $0 Dinner Made of Pantry Randomness

Because the Food Network was on in the background all day while I was doing research for my paper on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, I had the itch to cook even though my fridge was full of leftovers. Succumbing to the itch, I decided to make something using what I already had: an exercise in creativity and parsimony. Oh what to make, what to make? Well, there’s some leftover saffron rice, half a package of frozen peas, and a small package of salted cashews that Anthony probably bought for a late-night snack (sorry, babe!). Fried Rice! Oh yum delicious. Here’s how I did it:

Ingredients
-about 3 cups of leftover rice
-cashews
- ½ package of frozen peas
-3 cloves of minced garlic
-a couple of teaspoons of minced fresh ginger (I had some in the freezer! Here’s the deal with ginger: if you need some you have to buy a big piece of the root for only a few little teaspoons. It’s not cheap and the rest will go to waste… unless you freeze it! It keeps quite well that way.)
- some light soy sauce
- 2 eggs
-a splash of champagne vinegar (I’m not sure this is a critical ingredient if you don’t have any…. I just threw it in there just because I wanted to)
-olive oil

Directions
1. Scramble the eggs in a little olive oil (nothing else). Set aside.

2. Add some more olive oil to the pan and start frying your rice (I mean, you don’t have to drench it in oil, just enough to coat)

3.Once it gets going, add some soy sauce, champagne vinegar, ginger and garlic.Cook your garlic, but careful not to burn it.

4.Add the peas and heat through. Take a little taste to see how the flavors are melding. Add more of anything you feel like you need to.

5.Add the eggs, cut them up with your spatula, and stir it though so that there’s an even distribution of everything.

And that’s all. In the words of Ina Garten, “Now how easy is that???” Let me tell you something, people, it was so flipping good. Pretty healthy, too, I think… And it didn’t cost anything! Yay!