Ham and Egg Fried Rice

In a world filled with uncertainty, one fact remains constant: Chinese food is delicious! Seriously, it's one of our favorites, and nothing livens up a ho-hum dinner repertoire like a dash of Eastern flare. That's why we're proud to show you a recipe we've already made several times over: Ham and Egg Fried Rice (Cooking Light, Sept 2008).

One of the things we love about this dish is how quickly it comes together. The prep time is minimal and can be done well ahead of time. For example, this Sunday we chopped up all of the vegetables and meat while watching football. Having everything ready would have allowed us to hop right into the kitchen after a Monday evening trip to the gym and whip together a healthy, balanced dinner in just 15 minutes.

"Would have" is the operative phrase, of course. You'll notice from the little red light on that rice cooker in our ingredient line-up that we didn't make the rice ahead of time. We absolutely could and should have, but then Walking Dead came on and we were too distracted by zombies to remember! (Does anyone out there watch that show? You should - it's wonderfully creepy!)

Nonetheless, with the help of our trusty rice cooker, the rice was ready in minutes. We popped it in the freezer and let it sit there for 10 minutes

while we washed up, and then it was show time.

Make no mistake, this is a recipe that keeps moving. Every one to two minutes there's something to do, but with everything measured and ready, your only charge is to stir and watch the clock. Veggies and meat go first on high heat, followed by rice and wet ingredients on medium to medium high (the exact setting may vary based on your range).

Once the liquids are incorporated, it's time to scramble your eggs. If your wok is non-stick, check your heat to make sure it's low enough that the eggs will set without sticking. Remember, you can always cook them longer if the heat's a bit low, but you'll be stuck scouring your pan after dinner if it's too high. With the eggs set, they and the green onions are gently stirred in and voila - dinner is served!

This recipe is a "YTK favorite" for a few reasons. The first is the rapidity with which you can feed the hungry masses. Fifteen minutes for dinner is, after all, practically unheard of! The second reason we love it is for its slump-busting potential - this is a mighty, meaty, low-fuss dish that brings lots of unique flavor to the table.

Lastly, although we followed the recipe to a tee this time, there's so much room for improvisation. If you've got spare, sturdy vegetables like bell peppers on hand, get to choppin'! Frozen peas? Why the heck not!? Had enough protein for the day? Tell those eggs to scram!

Take this basic stir-fry technique and make it yours - and remember, sharing is caring. Tell us about your favorite fried-rice combo in the comments!