Tasty Tuesdays | Japenese Fried Rice & Yum Yum Sauce {Recipe}

So, I don't know about you, but I LOVE going to a hibachi grill.  I usually get sushi, but their fried rice & yum yum sauce are to die for!

I made fried rice with yum yum sauce well over a year ago and it was a huge hit.  The recipe got pushed to the back of my recipe book and was promptly forgotten about.

Last week, out of the blue, I just started craving fried rice!  I may or may not have cooked fried rice for dinner TWICE that week.  It was that good.

Here's the thing with fried rice.  The best fried rice requires just a tad bit of planning ahead, because you really need to cook the rice the night  before.  I didn't do that either night, but I remember from making it before that it helps with the consistency of the rice.  Don't forget to check out my "perfect rice" tip!  We did find out that this works out best if you are using Jasmine rice!

Another tip before I get on with the recipes.  While you are cooking the rice the night before, go ahead and mix together the yum yum sauce.  The flavor gets better as it sits over night!

Oh...just one more!  Sesame Oil is NOT OPTIONAL!  It adds something to it that you just can't replicate or do without, so just trust me!  So buck it up and buy a bottle of it.  It's a stable oil so it will last you a really long time!  I get mine at the ethnic store in Memphis where it is way cheaper than at Kroger!

Yum Yum Sauce

 

 

1 cup Mayonnaise (I used 1/2 mayo, 1/2 greek yogurt)
3 Tbsp White Sugar
3 Tbsp Rice vinegar
2 Tbsp Butter, Melted
¾ tsp. Paprika
½ tsp garlic powder
Cayenne pepper, to taste

Mix together.  Refrigerate 4-5 hours for optimal flavor.

Japanese Style Fried Rice

Meat of choice, cut into small pieces Optional
3-4 C. cooked fried rice (day old is the best!)
3 tbsp Sesame oil (not optional, no substitutes!)
1 tbsp. Butter
¾ - 1 c. frozen peas & carrots
1 onion, chopped
2-3 Eggs, scrambled
2 tsp. minced garlic
1/3 c soy sauce, or to taste

1.) In large skillet cook meat, seasoned to taste, set aside.

2.) Heat butter & oil in skillet3.) Sauté Garlic, onion, peas & carrots until tender.

4.) While vegetables are cooking, scramble eggs in a separate skillet

5.) Add eggs, rice, soy sauce & meat to vegetables and mix together

6.) Stir fry until heated through.

 

You'll want to add this to your menu this week. We made chicken fried rice one night, and steak fried rice another night.  Both were equally good! 

Make sure to let me know how it turns out!

Tasty Tuesday | The Perfect Rice

So I am a HUGE Rice lover.  I don't eat it very often, but when I do, my Stomach does a little happy dance. 

A little while ago I made the MR. Red beans & rice, which is one of his favorite meals, and I came across a no fail way to make perfect rice, every time! 

It's so easy.

Seriously, you'll be asking yourself, why hasn't anyone told me this before now! 

I used Jasmine rice, so I'm not sure how this will work for brown rice, since it seems like brown rice takes a little longer to cook!

source

All you do is....

1. Bring a pan of water to a boil.  I'll usually season my water with salt, pepper, garlic, and whatever other seasonings I'm in the mood for, or that will compliment the main course.  I also had a small pad of butter.

2. After water comes to a boil, add in the rice.  Stir CONTSTANTLY (while boiling) for 3 minutes.

3. Turn off the Heat, put on a cover, and leave on the burner.

4. DON'T TOUCH for 15-20 minutes.

5. Remove the lid, fluff with a Fork!
Voila, Perfect Rice!


 
**update:  I tried this out on brown rice and it worked out well!  Just increase the amount of time that you boil & stir the rice (8 minutes or so) and let it set for a little longer!  We also found that this works best with Jasmine rice!  If you are using regular white rice I would recommend decreasing the amount of time that you let it boil (2 minutes) to keep it from getting too gummy)

XoXo,