Um jantar simples - Arroz com erva limao

a simple supper of lemongrass fried rice

We eat and serve rice fairly frequently at Casa Rosada. Most of the time I cook plain boiled rice or herb rice. Today I added a twist and tried rice cooked and flavoured from from our garden, with fresh lemongrass which has now grown to ornamental proportions. I made the rice as a side dish to grilled chicken.Much to my amazement I was left with a massive amount of leftover rice.I had misjudged all my proportions and cooked for six instead of two (as one does Huh).

So, if you were wondering what would be a great make-ahead item that you could leave in the refrigerator, and still retain its incredible flavour when re-heated, well this is it. Make a big bowl of this fried rice and enjoy it as a side dish. The left over recipe is then very quick and simple,and if you have some leftover chicken it’s even tastier. I used leftover grilled chicken, but any cooked and shredded chicken would work.The basic rice is cooked in advance and the cooked chicken added with the egg at the last minute.The twist here is that in a normal scenario you make leftovers from the remains of a main course here you are making a main course supper dish from the leftovers of a side dish.

For the lemongrass fried rice 

Vegetable oil
1 onion diced
1/2 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tbsp fresh minced ginger
3 stalks lemongrass, minced white part only
2 cups cooked rice
juice of 1 lemon
In a large non-stick pan,heat alittle bit of oil.Sauté the onions,garlic,ginger and lemongrass until they soften but not brown.Add the cooked rice and continue to cook for about 5 minutes until heated through.Add the lemon juice and salt (optional).Serve with chicken or seafood,

For the egg fried twist

2 eggs

2tsp sesame oil

2 tbsp vegetable oil

200g (7oz ) long grain rice (uncooked weight), cooked and left to go cold

100g(4oz) frozen peas, defrosted(rinse under the tap to do this quickly

4 spring onions finely chopped

1-2 tsp soya sauce

freshly ground pepper

Beat together the eggs and sesame oil and put to one side.
Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or large frying pan.When its shimmering and almost smoking,add the lemongrass rice and stir-fry for about 3 minutes until completely heated through.Add the peas and spring onions.Continue stir frying,turning the rice constantly around the pan for about 3 minutes.Season well to taste with the soya sauce and pepper,then scoop to one side of the pan.Pour the beaten egg mixture into the other side and leave for about 10 seconds so it begins to set.Using a chopstick,briskly swirl around the egg to break it up and then toss it around with the rice.Stir fry for a further minute and then serve immediately