basil pineapple fried rice

what i really want to call this is basil pineapple cashew sesame fried rice but that seems just a tad long for a title. anyway, this is an easy fried rice recipe that we whipped up tonight (i know! i can still taste it! such fast blogging i'm amazing myself). this is one of those recipes where you can use whatever vegetables you have on hand and i'm sure it will be delicious with whatever you choose. also fried rice works best with rice that sits in the fridge overnight. i know this, but i didn't do it.




ingredients
1 1/2 cups rice
4 bunches baby bok choy
1 zuccini
1 small onion
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
ginger (1-2 inch piece) peeled and finely chopped
1 hot little pepper, finely chopped
1 can pineapple (make sure it's in it's own juice not gross syrupy stuff)
1/2 cup toasted cashews
1 bunch basil (bonus if it's thai basil)
soy sauce or tamari
chili sesame oil
regular sesame oil
sesame seeds
peanut oil for frying

cook the rice according to package instructions. let cool for a few minutes when it's done.

finely chop the garlic, ginger and pepper. chop the bok choy and onion into 1/2 inch-ish pieces. slice the zuccini

heat a little peanut oil in a wok. throw in the rice for 5-10 minutes to let it get a little crispy (don't stir too much). put the rice in a bowl.

heat a little more peanut oil if needed. cook the garlic, ginger, pepper and onion until the onion softens. add the zuccini and bok choy and cook a few more minutes until they are cooked through.

add the rice back to the wok and season with a couple of splashes each of soy sauce, chili sesame oil and sesame oil. taste and add more as you like. add the basil and stir until wilted. add the pineapple and cashews and cook a few minutes longer. sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

-d