Fried Rice Collard Wraps

A while back I posted what is, in my opinion, the Best Fried Rice recipe. I've recently gotten into collard wraps and so I thought...well why not make that fried rice more portable and stick it in a roll!

Fried Rice Collard Wraps

1 batch fried rice with a few shakes of black toasted sesame seeds
1 bunch collard greens
olive oil
fresh lemon juice

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil.

2. Lay a collard leaf down on a cutting board with the more protruding underbelly side of the leaf facing up. Take a sharp knife and slice out the largest, toughest part of the stem. You'll go about half way up the leaf. Repeat with all the remaining leaves.

3. Once the water is boiling drop your collards into the pot and let them boil for about a minute or until they turn a bright green. Drain the leaves and run cool water over them.

4. Combine several Tbsp of oil and lemon juice in a bowl. Place a collard leaf on the cutting board. The side that is facing the cutting board will be the outside of your wrap.

5. Using a pastry brush lightly coat the leaf in the olive oil and lemon mixture. Arrange the leaf so that its a solid piece - remember you took out part of the stem so unless you arrange it there will be a gaping hole in the middle of your wrap.

6. Place a large dollop of fried rice towards the bottom of the leaf in the center portion of that bottom half. You will fold the wrap in the same way you fold a burrito. Fold the outer, vertical sides of the leaf over onto the rice and then grab the very bottom, horizontalish side and begin to roll up, tucking the vertical sides in as needed until it is fully rolled.

7. Repeat with remaining leaves and rice. Serve with garlic chili sauce.

Vegan Mofo: The Best Fried Rice and Chocolate Avocado Pudding

One of my favorite things to make is fried rice. It's easy, it's tasty and it's filling. The oils that I use in my fried rice were originally gathered by Alicia Silverstone in the Kind Diet but we differ on ingredients to go in the rice. This dish is great because it's customizable. You don't need to measure things, you don't have to follow a set of ingredients, just keep tasting till it tastes right! As with a lot of Asian dishes, I have found, a lot of knowing when the dish is done is based on smell. If you want your fried rice to have a saltier flavor, add more tamari till it smells salty. If you want it to be more vinegary add more vinegar until it smells like you have enough. Personally I prefer more salt to vinegar but to each his own.

Fried Rice for 2

1 cup basmati brown rice, cooked
3 organic carrots, sliced into rounds but not peeled
1/2 red onion, diced
1 portobella cap, cleaned and sliced
toasted sesame oil
brown rice vinegar
braggs liquid amino or tamari
(also consider things like peas, kale - which should be added at the same time as the rice, cabbage, daikon, adzuki beans or water chestnuts)

1. Heat about two tablespoons of toasted sesame oil in your cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and mushrooms. Sautee until the onions are getting translucent and the carrots and mushrooms have taken on a darker, saturated color - about 3 or 4 minutes.

2. Add the already cooked brown basmati rice. Stir the veggies and rice together to mix. Start adding your vinegar and tamari a little at a time. I tend to do about 1-2 tablespoons worth of tamari first, then about a teaspoon of vinegar. Taste.

3. Let the rice and veggies keep cooking until the carrots are soft but certainly not mushy. Keep seasoning as needed. I would guess that I use roughly 3 tbsp of tamari and perhaps 2 tsp of vinegar in all. Serve hot topped with sesame seeds, shriracha or just as is!

For dessert I have been somewhat obsessed with avocado pudding lately. I don't remember where I first saw it but I jotted down the ingredients from somewhere and then just finally got around to making it. SO GOOD!



Oh were you expecting a picture of it? I ate it all....

Avocado Pudding

2 ripe avocados
1/2 cup maple syrup
3 tbsp lemon juice
6 tbsp carob or chocolate powder

1. Put it all in a blender. Blend. Eat.

This dessert is so simple and so tasty. Everyone I have made it for, and I have made both carob and chocolate, agree that it has so much more complexity and character than your standard pudding, while still satisfying that fat-kid desire to finish (or start) the meal with a Snack Pack.

Skrimps with Bacon and Corn

Pang and I made this a few days back, so excuse the picture of left-over reheated food but I was too hungry to photograph the dish when we first made it. Anyhow..this came out purtty good indeed so give it a try. I ran out of rice so I just stirred in these tasty roasted potatoes that Pang made.



1 cup long grain white rice (or jasmine or brown, whatev)
8 slices bacon
1 tbsp olive oil
half chopped onion (or a whole one if you just love them or can stand to cut a whole one)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/4 pnd large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 10 oz. pack of frozen corn

1. Cook rice according to package or just hand this job off to your handy-dandy asian room-mate and let her mess with it
2. Meanwhile cook the bacon in a large skillet and then set it aside in a papertowel lined plate to cool. Wipe out the skillet
3. Heat the oil over med-high and add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally until its soft (4-6 min). Add the wine and cook until reduced by half (2-3 min)
4. Add the cream and bring to a boil. Stir in the shrimp, corn, 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper. Simmer until cooked through 4-6 min. Stir in the bacon (which at some point you broke into pieces). Serve over rice.

next post will be more excited I promise. I have a craft fair coming up soon so I will photograph the scarves and give you the details shortly.

Curry Shrimp and Rice with Blueberry Cobbler Dessert

Jon and I had Trey and Mandy over for dinner tonight so I wanted to show off and try some fancy new recipes. It turned out really really well so I will pass them along for you to enjoy. ( recipes adapted from Real Simple)

Curried rice with Shrimp (serves 4)

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tsp curry powder
1 cup long-grain white rice
salt and pepper
2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup fresh basil



1. Heat oil in large skillet (this has to hold all of the ingredients at some point so plan ahead) over medium heat. Add onions and carrots, stir and cook until soft (6 to 8 min)
2. Add garlic and curry, stir and cook for 2-3 min
3. Add rice, 2 1/2 cups water, 1 tsp salt, bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer 15 min
4. Stir those little gems (shrimps) into the rice, cover and cook until the shrimp is opaque throughout. Fold in the basil and eats!

And plus! For dessert!

Blueberry Cobbler (serves 6 OR 2 hungry hippos)

2 pints blueberries
1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups plus 1 tbsp all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp grated lemon zest
6 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3/4 cups plus 2 tbsp cups heavy whipping cream



1. Preheat to 375 F. In medium bowl toss together the blueberries, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1 tbsp flour
2. In separate bowl combine baking powder, salt, lemon zest, and remaining flour and sugar
3. Add the butter and blend with your fingers until coarse crumbs form. Add 3/4 cups plus 2 tbsp cream and mix until shaggy dough forms
4. Spread blueberry mix out in shallow 1 1/2 qt baking dish or a 9 inch deep dish pie plate (this is what I used). Spread dough out over this (you have to kind of break off chunks of the dough, flatten it in your hands then lay it over the blueberries and kinda stitch all the dough pieces together)
5. Bake 35 to 40 min or until berries are bubbling and crust is golden
6. Top with whipped cream if desired