Dinner for One: Give new life to your leftovers

Salad Bar Fried Rice.

If you’ve got leftover rice from a previous meal, frying it is a great way to use it up. It’s also good for repurposing tidbits of meat or vegetables, if you have any to throw into the mix.If not, there’s no need to buy entire packages of ingredients that you’ll then be eating for the rest of the week. Just head to the grocery store’s salad bar and choose as much or as little of whatever you want from the broccoli, carrots, onions, chicken, and other goodies that have already been prepped.

This is a quick heat-and-eat dish that can be made precisely to your tastes.

Salad Bar Fried Rice

1 tablespoon oil (see note)

Teriyaki sauce

Sriracha or other hot sauce

2 cups of diced items from a salad bar: vegetables, meats, etc.

1 cup prepared rice

1 egg

Salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add a splash each of the teriyaki and hot sauces.

Add any vegetables that you’ve selected from the salad bar to the skillet and stir fry them briefly, until crisp-tender. Add the rice and any prepared meats you’ve chosen; cook for 1 minute, then push these ingredients to the sides of the pan to make a well.

Break the egg into a cup and blend it with another splash of both the teriyaki and hot sauces. Pour the egg mixture into the well and stir it constantly to scramble the egg. When it’s mostly cooked, stir the egg, rice, and vegetables all together and stir fry the mixture briefly.

Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more of the sauces, if desired, and serve.

Note: Half sesame oil and half vegetable oil is great. If the former isn’t available, though, that’s OK.

Yield: 1 serving

Source: Mary Bilyeu

Contact Mary Bilyeu at mbilyeu@theblade.com, and follow her at facebook.com/​thebladefoodpage, bladefoodpage on Instagram, or @BladeFoodPage on Twitter.