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By Root 156 0

yummy, and, shockingly, not necessarily too bad for you. Although our version has the word fried in the name, we use cooking spray instead of oil to reduce the calories, and you can also add a little fiber by using brown rice instead of white. See? Actually good for you! Rice is really cheap, and the vegetables in this recipe aren’t too expensive either, so this a staple of my diet. –J

Serves 4

2¼ cups water

1 cup white rice

1 bunch green onions

1 cup snow pea pods

2 cloves garlic

Cooking spray

2 eggs

2 cups bean sprouts

½ cup frozen peas

¼ cup soy sauce

Place the water and rice in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, or until most of the water has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.

Trim the green onions, discarding the ends, and cut the white and about 1 inch of the green part into thin slices. Cut the snow pea pods into thirds. Peel and finely chop the garlic or pass it through a garlic press.

Coat a large skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Beat the eggs slightly and pour into the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until scrambled. Remove the eggs from the pan and set them aside.

Remove the pan from the heat and wipe out the pan with wadded-up paper towels. Recoat with cooking spray, and place over medium-high heat. Add the snow peas and bean sprouts to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the bean sprouts just begin to wilt. Add the green onions, garlic, and frozen peas to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Stir in the cooked rice, eggs, and soy sauce and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until heated through. Serve immediately.

Cooking 101:

Fried rice is one of the original thrifty leftover dishes. Leftover cooked rice gets a little dried out in the fridge, so it’s not too pleasant to reheat and eat. But when you cook it up with some eggs and veggies, it gets a whole new life. And fried rice makes a good leftover itself: even if you’re just making it for yourself, make the whole batch and refrigerate the rest to eat later or take with you for lunch.

Spicy Potato Samosas

If you like curry and crispy fried foods, you’ll love these Indian-style turnovers. The filling can be prepared in advance and kept in the fridge until you’re ready to eat. We use wonton wrappers for the dough, so all you have to do is fill them and fry them when you’re ready. –M

Serves 4

1 small onion

2 cloves garlic

2 large potatoes (about 1½ pounds)

2 jalapeño peppers

Canola oil

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

½ cup frozen peas

2 teaspoons curry powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

2 teaspoons lemon juice

12 (6-inch) wonton wrappers

Peel the onion and cut into ¼-inch pieces. Peel and finely chop the garlic or pass it through a garlic press. Peel the potatoes and cut into ¼-inch pieces. Cut the jalapeños in half, remove the seeds, and finely chop.

Place 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and potatoes and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 to 12 minutes. Add the jalapeños, ginger, and peas and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked. Add the curry powder, salt, cilantro, and lemon juice and cook for 2 minutes.

Spoon about ¼ cup of filling into the center of each wonton wrapper. Wet your finger with water, dampen the entire edge of the wrapper, and fold the wrapper over the filling. Press the edges together to seal. Repeat until all the wrappers are filled.

Heat about 2 inches of canola oil in a large saucepan until very hot (depending on the size of your pan, you’ll need about 2 to 3 cups). Add 2 samosas to the pan at a time and cook for 5 to 7 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve immediately.

Cooking 101:

Curry is an Indian blend of up to twenty spices and seeds. The chief ingredient is usually turmeric, which provides its characteristic