When you get Chinese carryout, aren’t you always amazed at how much rice is left over? And the next day, it’s hard as a rock in the carton. You could just throw it away. Or…..
You can be slightly creative and make that leftover rice into a nice side dish for dinner later that week.
The first thing to do is reconstitute the rice with chicken or vegetable stock or broth. Have up to one cup of broth ready, but the amount of broth you use will depend on how much leftover rice you have. The hard rice will absorb the liquid of the broth and become fluffy again.
Put the hard, leftover rice in a saucepan big enough to hold the rice. Turn on medium heat and slowly add the broth (use 1-2 tablespoons at a time) and stir the rice. Keep stirring so the rice doesn’t stick to the saucepan. Continue to add broth until all of the rice has become fluffy.
Next, add in some frozen peas. Again, the amount of peas you use will depend on the amount of rice you are bringing back to life. Since they are already cooked, stir for about 1-2 minutes. Because they are in a frozen state, they will give off moisture which the rice will also absorb.
Finally, add in some flavoring – and herb such as basil, tarragon or cilantro, salt & Pepper to taste. You can also use chives or Green onions. Be creative and add your own ingredients. It’s leftover rice, you can afford to have a little fun with it.
This is all you will need
Leftover Chinese Rice
Chicken Broth/Stock
Frozen peas
Basil, tarragon or Cilantro (or Chives or Green Onions) – be creative
Salt & Pepper
Great use of leftovers