If this doesn't show you how I cook, I don't know what will!!!

I got home from work and a couple of stops on the way, at around 8:00.  I was hungry, but not starved.  My daughter agreed she wasn't all that hungry, but she would have a little of whatever I made.  I walked over to the refrigerator to see what I had to work with......

Leftover jasmine rice with almonds
a zucchini that was almost on it's last legs
Half a bag of cooked shrimp
Corn on the cob
Scallions
half of a vidalia onion

Sounds like slim pickins', right?  No.  This has to be one of my favorite ways to cook!  I have to make something out of nothing.  I see my version of fried rice..... so here goes.

I begin by dumping the leftover rice into my favorite big skillet, along with a drizzle of olive oil.  As that is heating, I beat one egg and drizzle it into the hot rice.  After the egg had cooked, I cut up the zucchini and add that. 

 In a smaller pan, saute the chopped vidalia onion and the corn that I cut off of the cob.  Into the rice it goes.

 

So, I look in the pan and I see the rice, onion, corn, zucchini, and the almonds.  The only ingredient missing is the protein.  I was originally thinking about adding some cut up deli sliced ham I had on hand, but once I saw the shrimp in the fridge,  that was it!  I cut the tails off and cut them into pieces.  In they went.

Now comes the challenging (fun) part.... the flavors.  The Jasmine rice has a delightful sweetness to it, which is great, but I needed something to make a statement.  Garlic?  no.  Crushed red pepper? no.  Then it hit me.  Soy sauce, and sesame oil.  Who knew?  A drizzle of the oil, a bunch of shakes of the soy sauce, stir it all up, and taste.  I needed to add a bit more soy sauce, but in the end, it was delicious!

 

So, here's the best part of all.  I spooned some into a bowl, added some cut up scallions, and a spoonful of French's French Fried Onions (for the crunch).

 

Here's what my daughter (the one who really didn't want to eat much) said:

"It was a perfect combination of crunchy and Asian-y flavor, and the shrimp was a wonderful addition to the flavorful sauce.  I would say I was slapped in the face with flavor, in a good way!"  Can you tell she watches The Food Channel?  She ended up eating 2 bowlfuls...

I really love to create a meal without any recipe, measurements, or fore thought.  It's almost like The Cooking Channel show "Chopped" where they are given a basket of ingredients and have to come up with a dish to "wow" the judges.  I think I wowed my daughter tonight, and I hope I have wowed you too!