Cheap Eats: Fried Rice!

The Topic: Leftover Love

The Dish: At my house, brown rice can be a healthy, inexpensive meal on its own (buy in bulk!)—a little Braggs Liquid Aminos and gomashio sprinkled on top and I'm a happy girl. Another benefit to whipping up a batch in the trusty rice cooker is guaranteed leftovers, which is really just code for "fried rice." It's hard to say no to a dish that combines salty and spicy flavors with whole grains and vegetables. Follow a recipe one time, and for the rest of your fried rice-eating days you can improvise, turning the most random veggie combinations into takeout-worthy dinners. While the restaurant version often gets its kicks by throwing in a ton of oil and a very un-vegan dose of egg, this at-home version is animal-friendly and makes the most of whatever you have on hand. And since you're running the show, you can give or take the oil to your liking.

Get started with this easy recipe, courtesy of VegWeb. This version calls for a bag of frozen veggies, which is super simple if you have one in the freezer, just waiting to be used. If not, may I recommend seeing what frozen wonders are on sale at your local supermarket? A peas-and-carrots medley works great here, or go with a classic cauliflower-broccoli combo. If you have odds-and-ends veggies hiding in your crisper, be resourceful and chop them all. Everything tastes great in fried rice. As for the hot sauce, I'd probably go with Sriracha, but I put that stuff on everything.

Instant Fried Rice

Serves 2

What You Need:

2 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 medium onion, sliced thinly

1 14-ounce bag frozen vegetables, thawed slightly

2 cups cooked rice

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon hot sauce

Salt to taste

What You Do:

1. In a medium skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add garlic and onion, and stir for one minute. Add vegetables and continue to stir for two minutes. Add soy sauce and hot sauce, and continue to stir, cooking continuously for 5 minutes.
2. Make a hole in the middle of vegetables, and drop in cooked rice. Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until heated, and add salt to taste. Serve immediately.

The Final Word: Oh, and speaking of VegWeb, you're signed up for the newsletter, right? It's a free way to stay updated on what's happening on the largest veg recipe website, as well as get awesome seasonal meal ideas from everyone's favorite webmistress, Laura Hooper Beck. It doesn't hurt that her commentary is hilarious and will brighten up any day.

The Amazing Aldi

The Topic: Less Frills, More Food

The Dish: There are quite a few things I'm nostalgic for when it comes to my hometown. Absence does make the heart grow fonder, especially for a Missouri native who is used to 100-degree summers, family cookouts, and discount groceries. Surprised food made it onto my list? You shouldn't be! A big piece of the Midwest puzzle that I miss is Aldi. While I love the deals at Trader Joe's, Aldi has a special place in my heart with its quarter-operated carts, five-cent shopping bags, and warehouse-like stacks of cheap, awesome, vegan-friendly staples.

While those unaccustomed might be thrown off by the locked-up carts (don't worry, you get your quarter back) and minimalist interior, it only takes one trip to get hooked on its inexpensive goods. Beyond what you'd expect to find at a typical mainstream grocer—fresh produce, canned goods, cereals, and so on—Aldi stocks veg essentials such as soymilk, vegan margarine, convenience foods, and even Boca burgers from time to time, all at really low prices. Most items I buy don't cost more than a couple bucks. Between the frozen fruit, off-brand granola bars, and dark chocolate, I'm pretty much set. I can easily fill a cart with an embarrassing amount of food and pay a fraction of what I would at one of the big stores. Oh, and don't forget to check out their skincare and beauty line, which isn't tested on animals.

As an added bonus, having to pay for paper bags is a pretty good incentive to remember and bring those reusable totes, don't you think?

Aldi also runs weekly specials on featured items, including kitchen appliances and housewares. Keep an eye on the ads, and grab a rice cooker if you get a chance (I also scored a small slow cooker for $10 once).

The Final Word: According to its website, they have more than 1,000 stores from Kansas to the East Coast. Check Aldi's store locator and see if you can count yourself among the lucky. In the meantime, I'll be writing a strongly worded letter in hopes of bringing one of my favorite chains to California.

Money-Saving Appliances

The Topic: Fast and Easy Eats

The Dish: Buying in bulk is one of the best money-savers, and I'm all for stocking up on cheap, healthy grains to serve as meal mains. I've been on a quinoa kick lately, but am transitioning back to my undying love for brown rice. While quinoa takes no time on the stove, cooking up the perfect pot of rice can take closer to an hour, which is still worth the investment if I'm planning for the week ahead.

Honestly though, I'm a creature of convenience more than I'd like to admit. Despite having approximately one square foot of counter space in my apartment, I decided to bite the bullet and invest in a rice cooker. Verdict? Best decision ever. I scored a small, 6-cup cooker for a reasonable $15 at the local Target, which is perfect for one person. It even came with a handy steamer basket, so heating up veggies is easy and keeps it to a delightful one-pot meal. I know to the uninitiated it may seem silly to buy an appliance strictly for cooking grains (yes, any grain is fair game), but it makes even the laziest person (me) capable of having a healthy meal with very little effort. Add rice and water, and push a button—ta da! It's really, really hard to mess it up, and at around 22 cents per cup of rice, the price can't be beat. With a little seasoning, steamed veggies, and a few dashes of Tapatio—my favorite hot sauce—I have the perfect meal.

The Final Word: Water to grain ratio varies depending on your rice cooker, as well as the grain used, so make sure and consult the manual for your machine. If you're jonesing for some amaranth and it doesn't mention it, then Google is your friend. I've also heard of people using their cookers for all sorts of culinary adventures, including soups and sauces. Are you a rice cooker devotee? What's your favorite use for it?