Cozy Fried Rice 1.0

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In my opinion, nothing says cozy cooking more than fried rice, especially when it’s made with love. Fried rice is comfort, creativity, and freedom all in one pan.

To be honest, you can make fried rice with almost anything. All you really need is rice, oil or butter, and eggs. That’s it.From there, the sky is the limit.

I usually make fried rice when I have a little bit of leftover meat or chicken, or when my fridge looks empty but my kitchen still feels full of possibilities. I just add whatever veggies I have around and let the pan do its magic.

That’s the beauty of this dish. It’s not about perfection, it’s about intuition.

A Cozy Tip From Nina

If there’s one thing I recommend always having in your kitchen, it’s ginger root.

Ginger is the ingredient that gives fried rice that flavor you’ve probably been chasing for years without realizing it. It took me a long time to understand that ginger was the missing piece in my cooking, but once I did, everything changed.

That warm, slightly spicy, comforting aroma, that’s ginger doing its thing.

Ingredients You Can Add to Your Cozy Fried Rice, Depending on What You Have

Before we jump into today’s version, here are some ingredients that work beautifully in fried rice. You don’t need all of them, just pick what feels right.

• carrots

• onions

• green peas

• any kind of edible mushrooms

• green onion

• chives

• ham

• corn, if you’re feeling adventurous

• any kind of peppers

  
  

This recipe is not strict. It’s flexible. It adapts to you.

For the Rice

• 1 1/2 cups of water

• 1 cup of rice

• about 1 teaspoon of salt

• some parsley

• a small sheet of nori

For the rice, I add the salt, parsley, and nori directly to the water and turn the heat to the highest setting. While the water is heating, I wash the rice. Nothing fancy, just rinse it.

When the water starts boiling, I add the rice, wait until it boils again, then cover it and turn the heat off. After that, don’t touch it. The rice will literally cook itself.

Just make sure you leave the pot on the same burner so it keeps the residual heat. This part feels almost magical every time.

For the Fried Rice

• the cooked rice from before

• 1 egg

• 2 chopped carrots

• about 1 tablespoon of ginger and another of garlic

• green onions

• about 1 cup of celery

• any extra veggies or mushrooms you want

  
  

For the fried rice, start by adding your oil or butter to the pan. Some people add the eggs first, but I prefer cooking the veggies first.

I start with the garlic and ginger, but be careful because they burn very fast. After about 30 seconds, I add all the veggies with some salt and pepper.

When everything looks caramelized, usually around 5 minutes, I add the egg and then the rice. Stir everything together gently, let it sit for a moment, then stir again.

And just like that, you have a simple, cozy fried rice.

I personally don’t add soy sauce, but that’s completely up to you. This is your kitchen.

Why This Recipe Is So Important to Me

This is a very simple recipe, but it carries a big message.

You don’t need to go grocery shopping to cook something comforting. You don’t need a perfect fridge. You don’t need special ingredients.

The whole point of this recipe is learning to be happy with what you already have. To open your fridge, look around your kitchen, and trust yourself.

That’s what cozy cooking is really about.Being present.Being creative.Using what’s in your hands.

If you want, plant a little garden. Grow green onions, fresh herbs, something simple. Eating from what you grow changes your relationship with food in the most beautiful way.

A Cozy Goodbye

I’ll see you soon in a new post.

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With all the love,Nina Meek 🍄‍🟫