Over the Hedge

So what do you do when you want some bangers and mash, but aren't sure the kiddies will eat it?  Food Art!  This is a pretty simple and quick dish which doesn't require a lot of work.

Ingredients are straight forward with sausge from the supermarket, olives, potatoes and peas.

For mash potatoes, the only thing you need to know is more butter = better tasting potatoes.  And while not the best thing, kids LOVE butter.  Come to think of it, adults do too!  When molding the hedgehogs, you want to make plump hedgehogs.  Don't be afraid to use your fingers to do the molding.  Add the peas (frozen is fine, they'll thaw in the mash) and olives, and you're set!

Pour a bit of olive oil and start cooking the olives.  Later, add some peppers and onions and you have a perfect dish.  While I didn't make hedgehogs for the wife, the kids certainly loved it.  Total cooking time along with preparation < 30 minutes.

Eddie's Famous Chinese Flied Lice.

The quintessential Chinese fast food is fried rice. It's a great dish that makes use of ole rice and whatever left over ingredients you have in the fridge. Today is one of my favorites and that's Chinese sausage fried rice. Here's what you'll need.

Software:
8 Cups of Cooked Day old Rice
4 Eggs
4 Chinese Sausages Sliced thinly on the bias
4 tablespoons Canola or peanut oil
1 Clove of Garlic minced
SnP

Hardware:
Wok or large cooking vessel with high rims
Stiff Spatula or wooden spoon

I like to actually start with the eggs first if you are using one pot so I you don't have to clean another pan. Some people start with the rice and cook the eggs in parallel and toss them in. Add 1 table spoon of canola oil into your wok or pan and set your flame on full blast. As you wait for wisps of smoke to start  you can crack your eggs into a bowl and mix them until homogenized. Once you start to see wisps of smoke coming from your oil pour your eggs in and SnP. As the eggs begin to cook start to pull the side of the eggs towards the center.

This will allow more of the cooked egg to pile up in the center and the raw egg to spool on the side and cook. Don't overcook the eggs. I like to have them finish a little runny because they will continue to cook as you cook the rice. Set aside once done.

Pour the rest of the oil into your wok or pan and let it heat until you see wisps again. Throw in your sliced Chinese sausage and cook for about 5 minutes until they begin to crisp golden brown then add your minced garlic. If you don't have great knife skills just peel your garlic and grate on a microplane.

Continue to cook until the mixture starts to smell aromatic.

Toss your rice in next and chop it up with your spatula to break up any large chunks.

After about 10 minutes of tossing and turning you can turn the flame off and add your eggs on top. Incorporate well and SnP to taste.

This dish is simple yet so comforting this is Fast Food the Chinese way.