Tuesday, August 4

My favourite way to eat leftover rice is for breakfast!


Being home alone all day with a baby does not make for the most inspiring cooking circumstances.

For one, cooking a meal for yourself takes significant motivation (because, let's face it, snacking directly from the fridge all day long is just so much easier!). And two, who has the time?!

But when I do take the time to prepare myself a decent meal (i.e., put something on an actual plate and eat it at the table like a respectable person), well I am always so happy that I did.

And this meal (the one I'm about to encourage you to try) is one of my favourites to make when I'm flying solo. Because it's simple, it's quick (like 3 minutes quick), and it's downright delicious.
All you really need is some leftover rice, which you press into the bottom of a frying pan until it sticks together and turns magnificently crispy, and an egg. Oh and sriracha! The Sriracha is essential. You could use any leftover grain really. I've done it with farro and quinoa too, and it was wonderful.


I'm not really sure what to call it, and I'm not quite sure if it should be classified as breakfast or lunch (probably brunch).... but let's call it Crispy rice pancake & eggs, and here's how you do it....

Crispy Rice Pancake & Eggs for One
  1. In a small frying pan, heat up a little olive oil over medium-high heat.
  2. Scoop a generous 1/2 cup leftover rice into the pan (pictured above is a blend of short grain brown & wild rice), and press it down and out into a thin even layer (using the back of a spoon or spatula). Keep gently pressing down all over (but don't stir it) for a few minutes until you hear it crackling and the bottom is turning golden.
  3. Gently crack one or two eggs on top, cover, and turn down the heat to med-low. Leave it like this until all the egg white has turned opaque. But don't overcook it, as you want to keep the yolk runny!
  4. Gently slide/push it onto a plate using a spatula (it should come off essentially intact - but don't try to lift it as it will likely fall apart). 
  5. Season with salt & pepper and Sriracha (or other hot sauce). If you have it, it tastes wonderful with fresh cilantro leaves and a tiny squeeze of fresh lime juice. Enjoy!