Pico de Gallo

Also known as “Salsa Fresca,” this uncooked form of salsa adds freshness to whatever it’s eaten with. If you’re familiar with Hawaiian “lomi salmon,” it’s pretty much like that, except without the salmon.

My pico de gallo is made with a minimum of ingredients. Many versions use cilantro, but I absolutely dislike the stuff (to me, it tastes like soap). You can add it if you want to.

Pico de gallo is great on scrambled eggs in the morning, as a dip for taco chips, as an accompaniment to chili con carne, or just to munch on if you want something refreshing in the afternoon.

Ingredients

• TOMATOES, 6 ripe, semi-seeded, chopped
• ONIONS, 1 medium, finely chopped
• JALAPENO PEPPER, 2 medium, finely chopped
• LIME, 2 juiced
• GARLIC SALT, to taste

Directions

1. Cut the tomatoes in half horizontally, squeeze out the seeds and some of the juice.
2. Chop the tomatoes into 1/8-inch dice.
3. Chop the onions finely and add to the tomatoes.
4. Devein and deseed the jalapenos and chop finely. (If you want more heat, leave the veins in; if you want even more heat, leave the seeds in as well.) Add to the tomatoes and onions.
5. Squeeze in the juice of two limes.
6. Flavor with garlic salt to taste.
7. Mix well.
8. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors blend. Serve cold.

Surprise Fried Rice

Fried rice is one of those dishes that can be a side dish, but when I make it, fried rice becomes a whole meal in itself. I’ve had it Chinese style and American style. Either way is good with me.

All you need is left-over rice, preferably rice that’s sat overnight in the refrigerator. There’s something about refrigerated rice that creates better fried rice.

If you’ve got some leftover meat or vegetables from the night before, that’s even better. In fact, the name Surprise Fried Rice comes from the wife’s “recipe,” as she throws in anything she can find that’s in little leftover bowls. I’m sure you’ve all had some of those in your fridge.

Feel free to substitute anything you have. This recipe calls for two cups of rice, but you can use as much or as little as you want, depending on how much leftover rice you have, or how many people you have to feed.

Ingredients

• MIXED VEGETABLES, frozen, or leftover, 1 cup
• RICE, 2 cups cold precooked
• OYSTER SAUCE, 2 tablespoons
• SOY SAUCE, 3 tablespoons, plus 1 teaspoon for the eggs
• SUGAR, 1 teaspoon
• GARLIC SALT, to taste
• BLACK PEPPER, freshly ground to taste
• BACON, 4 slices
• MEAT OR SAUSAGE (Spam, Chinese lup cheon, Portuguese sausage, linguica, chorizo, smoked sausage, leftover steak, whatever), 1 cup, chopped into a small dice
• ONION, 1 small or ½ large, chopped
• GREEN ONION, two spears, chopped
• EGGS, 2, beaten

Directions

1. Put frozen mixed vegetables in boiling water or the microwave oven until hot. Drain and set aside.
2. If you’re using leftover vegetables, chop them into a small dice.
3. Mix the oyster sauce and soy sauce, and pour over the rice in a bowl. Mix the rice with your hands and put aside.
4. Chop the bacon into lardons and sauté until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crispy or near-crispy. Set aside.
5. Sauté the chopped meat and set aside, leaving any oil remaining in the pan.
6. Sauté the onions until soft but not browned, and set aside.
7. Add a teaspoon of soy sauce and the sugar to the eggs. Scramble and cook, breaking it up into little pieces. Set aside.
8. Fry the marinated rice in the pan, seasoning with garlic salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
9. Add in the all ingredients you set aside earlier and continue frying while mixing everything together. Make sure you stir continuously so the rice fries and browns but does not overcook and burn.
10. Stir in the chopped green onions, reserving some of the greener pieces to sprinkle on top for garnish.

Serve in a bowl or plate. If desired (for breakfast), fry an egg or two and slide them on top of the rice. To make fried rice with a Korean flavor, chop up some kim chee and add it to the rice in its final stages of heating.