Category: Fall & Winter Dinners

Ham and Egg Fried Rice

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This recipe is another of my favorites from Everyday Food. It comes together quickly and is really great. We usually eat it as a main, and have broccoli or stir-fried vegetables on the side. And, thanks to a great tip from Amy, I mostly use turkey ham as a substitute for the ham in it. If you’ve never heard of it before, it’s sold in small-ish quantities, comes as a steak (no bones), and is usually sold by the hams. The benefits are that it’s small, affordable, and it’s turkey. Another tip: instead of placing on egg on top, you can scoot the vegetables and rice to the side of the skillet, scramble the eggs in the middle of the skillet, and then mix back together. For some reason, the scrambled eggs are much more appealing to the crowd here. Last tip: definitely use fresh ginger–it really makes a difference.

Ham & Egg Fried Rice

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 thick slice ham (8 ounces), cut into 1/4-by-1-inch strips
  • 1 bunch scallions, white and green parts separated and cut into 1-inch lengths
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 1 1/4 cups cooked white rice, rinsed and drained
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 4 large eggs
  1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add ham, scallion whites, garlic, and ginger; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, 2 to 4 minutes.
  2. Add rice, scallion greens, vinegar, and soy sauce. Cook, stirring, until heated through, 2 to 4 minutes. Divide fried rice among four serving bowls.
  3. Wipe out skillet with a paper towel. Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium. Gently crack eggs into skillet; season with salt, and cook until whites are set, 2 to 4 minutes. Top each bowl of rice with a fried egg.

Note: Instead of peeling ginger root with a knife, scrape off the peel using the edge of a spoon. This way, more ginger goes into your fried rice and less into the garbage.

Roasted Chicken with Chile, Cilantro, and Lime

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This chicken is great—really, really great. Rex and I make it all the time, and we especially love the onions (we frequently include other veggies on the pan as well), like sweet potatoes, carrots, garlic, and potatoes. It’s worth the effort and the leftover bone makes a great chicken broth.

Roasted Chicken with Ginger, Chile, and Lime

2 T +  t. butter at room temperature
1 shallot, finely chopped (about 2 T)
1 piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped (about 2 T.)
1 T. finely chopped pickled jalapeno chile
1 T. fresh lime juice
2 t. ground coriander
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 whole chicken (3  lbs.)
2 large onions, thickly sliced
1 lime, cut into 8 wedges, for serving (optional)

Make the ginger-chile butter by mashing together 2 T. butter, shallot, ginger, jalapeno, lime juice, coriander, 1 t. salt, and  t. pepper. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 425º. Using fingers, gently loosen skin from chicken breasts. Rub butter mixture evenly between skin and meat; pat skin back down. Tie chicken legs together with cotton kitchen twine; tuck wing tips underneath. Rub chicken with remaining  t. butter; season generously with salt and pepper. On a rimmed baking sheet, arrange onions in a single layer; place chicken on top.

Roast until chicken is well browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted in a thigh reads 175º, 50-60 minutes. Transfer chicken to a cutting board, and tent with foil; let rest 10 minutes (the temperature will rise by about 5 º).

On baking sheet, stir onions together with pan juices. Carve chicken; serve with onions and if desired, lime wedges.
Serves 4