Lunch Lessons

There are times when I'm such a mom it kills me. Take, for example, lunch. Every night I pack a lunch for Thatboy and I. I don't have to, I could make him fend for himself, but I pack myself a lunch, so it just makes sense for me to pack lunch for him too.

Rarely, I use leftovers. Most of the time I actually make a whole new meal for the two of us. I vary between the most basic of easy - sandwiches and fruit, and some form of Asian cuisine. Because it's also easy and reheats beautifully. There are curries and stirfries, classic dishes like beef and broccoli or sesame chicken, and of course, one of my favorite easy meals - fried rice.

I said I rarely use leftovers, however, upon reflection, I make use of some dinner components. I hate leftover rice. Refrigerated and reheated it never tastes quite the same. So if we have rice for dinner, I always use whatever is left to create fried rice for our lunches. Adding the egg, soy sauce and veggie somehow solves that whole reheating problem. And it contains almost all the basic food groups, which makes it a well rounded meal. (You can always add chicken, pork, beef, or even shrimp if you so desire) Toss in an orange, apple, or even a pear and you're completely covered!

Lunch Fried Rice
2 Tbsp oil
2 cups cooked rice
2 Tbsp green onions, sliced
3/4 Tbsp soy sauce
pepper
1 egg, slightly beaten

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet and add the rice, scallions, soy sauce and some ground pepper.
2. Cook for 5-6 minutes. Press to side of pan and add egg to the open space.
3. Scramble the egg, and once cooked, stir it into the rest of the rice so it breaks into smaller pieces. Remove from heat and serve.