Despite waking up at 5:30am every day this past weekend to play with yeast (not the baking kind), I had a pretty nice weekend. It’s amazing how much I accomplished in the little amount of free time that I had, and how relaxed I felt by Sunday night. Even got in a lovely phone chat with my friend Amber back in Columbus. It’s the little things that keep me going . Especially since as I write this, it is 10pm and I am doing that graduate student research thing at lab.

This recipe serves one person and it’s quick and easy to prepare. Perfect match for my mission to not produce any leftovers before I head out of town, in combination with my sparse time. It was also my first time ever using fresh ginger, and smells amazing! I never want to use dried ground ginger again. Which brings me to a question, how do you store ginger root? Is it supposed to be refrigerated or left out on the counter?

VEGETABLE FRIED RICE FOR ONE

Serves 1

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp rice vinegar

1 tsp sugar

4 tsp vegetable oil, divided

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 small carrot, thinly sliced

1/2 medium zucchini, quartered and thinly sliced

1 scallion, thinly sliced

1 Tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup cooked brown rice, cold

1 cup baby spinach

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
2. In a large nonstick skillet or wok, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high. Add egg and cook until set. Transfer to a cutting board.
3. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet. Add carrot, and zucchini and cook, stirring until softened, about 3 minutes. Add scallion, ginger, and garlic and cook until scallion is soft, about 2 minutes. Add spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes.
4. Add soy sauce mixture and cook, stirring, until liquid is absorbed, about 1 to 2 minutes. Coarsely chop egg and stir into rice, serve.

Source: Adapted slightly from Everyday Food June 2012.