Quinoa fried rice

Being a resident (or any doctor, for that matter) means an unpredictable schedule. Besides sometimes being on nights, or weekends, or a 24-hour shift, the days also vary. You can have all your patients tucked in, signouts ready to go, and then a test comes back positive, or a baby starts breathing more heavily, or the ED attendings finish signing out to one another and send you a bolus of admissions. Sometimes I get home at 5:30, and sometimes it's more like 7:30. 

Last week was a slow week, and I found myself at home with plenty of time to spare before dinner rolled around. Which meant I was left with the ultimate dilemma: go to the gym or cook dinner?

Or both?

I decided on both, because I knew the quinoa fried rice could come together in about 20 minutes.












Lately I've been really into scallions, especially the ones cooked over high heat til they start to blacken and let out this amazing sweet/savory aroma. But somehow I never manage to use them as soon as I buy them, and they tend to get slimy and unappetizing pretty quickly.

Then I discovered YOU CAN FREEZE THEM. I just zipped them up in a freezer bag and pulled them out for this recipe, chopping them before even giving them a chance to thaw. Sure, they're not the beautiful stuff of garnishes, but if you're gonna fry them up anyway, they taste just fine.

I love this quinoa fried rice because, like fried rice, you can add pretty much whatever you have lying around. I like to pile in the vegetables, usually finishing off with something leafy like kale or spinach, and adding some protein in the form of chicken sausage or (in a pinch) hot dogs. It would probably work well with just about any protein, so if you have tofu, grilled chicken strips, pancetta, chorizo, or even sliced ham, go for it. It also tastes great with just vegetables, if you're that sort of person.

And unlike rice, quinoa is one of those superfoods with all sorts of vitamins and protein, so the whole dish ends up being pretty darn good for you. I discovered that quinoa also freezes well, so if you're making some for another dish, make twice as much and freeze half for an even faster way to this meal.

I actually forgot one of the essential components of fried rice - the scrambled egg tossed in (eep!) when I made the version pictured here. The thing is, I didn't even notice because this concoction is so flavorful. Then again I think I'd eat pretty much anything smothered in soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. So if you have eggs, go ahead and include them (also adds some protein in case you're forgoing the sausage equivalent) but if you're out, do not despair.

And so it turns out, even if you are a resident and your life is not your own and you haven't been to the grocery store in weeks, with some quinoa, a freezer, and a little creativity, you really can have it all.

Quinoa Fried Rice

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water or broth
corn, canola, or other neutral oil
Bunch of scallions, diced (or onions, shallots, or other aromatics)
Diced vegetables - carrots pictured above, I used squash in the summer
2 chicken sausages (or hot dogs, grilled chicken, tofu, etc), diced into 1/2-inch pieces
2 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp rice vinegar, or to taste
2 tbsp soy sauce
1-2 tsp sesame oil, to taste
garlic salt, to taste
frozen peas, corn, or whatever you like
few handfuls of spinach, kale, other leafy greens
Sriracha or other hot sauce to serve

1. Bring water or broth to a boil. Add quinoa and cook about 25 minutes, until tender.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a nonstick pan or cast iron skillet and add aromatics cooking until translucent. Add diced vegetables and saute until soft. Add chicken sausage/hot dog/other protein and brown.
3. Deglaze with a little rice vinegar if needed (especially if using cast iron). Then add cooked quinoa, stirring to incorporate well, and beaten egg, mixing thoroughly to coat the quinoa mixture.
4. Add the rest of the vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil and garlic salt, mixing well and adjusting to taste.
5. Add frozen vegetables, warm through. Add greens, cooking only until wilted.

Serve with Sriracha or your favorite hot sauce.