Hawaiian Fried Rice

Another regular meal around here is Hawiian Fried Rice. We just eat it as the main dish. It's pretty easy and yummy. The recipe is from my favorite cooking blog: Melskitchencafe. Since I pretty much follow her directions, to save some effort, I just pasted her recipe below.

Hint: This recipe is better when the rice is day old, kind of dry rice. It absorbs the liquids better.  I rarely remember to make rice ahead just to let it dry out, but I do always save left over rice in ziplock baggies in the freezer so I use it (or just make new rice), it's still good. Freezing rice in ziplock baggies is the best. To heat it up, just put the unopened ziplock bag in the microwave for a few minutes and it stays moist. Leftover rice stored in the fridge gets dry and yucky. The freezer is the way to go.

INGREDIENTs

• 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce (like Tapatio or Sriracha), more or less to taste
• 1 tablespoon vegetable, canola or peanut oil
• 2 cups cooked, chopped ham
• 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped
• 6 green onions, chopped, white and green parts separated
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 5 cups cooked rice, white or brown, cold
• 3 large eggs
• 1-2 cups pineapple pieces

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil and hot sauce. Set aside. In a large nonstick skillet or electric frying pan (which is what I use), heat 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil until rippling and hot. Add the ham, red bell pepper, and the chopped white parts of the green onions. Cook, stirring often, until lightly browned and the red pepper is tender (but not mushy), about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook another minute. Scrape the mixture onto a plate and set aside.
2. Heat another teaspoon of oil in the skillet until hot. Add the cold rice and cook, breaking up large clumps, until the rice is heated through, 5-6 minutes.
3. Push the rice to one side of the skillet and heat the last teaspoon of oil on the empty side of the skillet. Crack the eggs into the hot oil and stir lightly with a spatula or wooden spoon, cooking until the eggs are lightly scrambled and set. Stir the eggs and the ham mixture into the rice. Pour the soy sauce mixture into the rice and cook, stirring, until thoroughly combined and hot.
4. Off the heat, stir in the pineapple and green parts of the onions. Serve immediately.