Fish Fried Rice

A great way to use up cooked rice – we always boil more than we need and freeze the rest for quick meals like this one. To keep this as healthy as poss I used canola oil which has omega oils in it. Choose a firm fish that will keep its shape when cooked – I used Nile perch (one of the few types of fish we can get here) but any thick white fish should do like cod or haddock though it may flake a little.

For 2

- 1 tablespoon of canola, vegetable or light olive oil
- 1 tsp on cumin
- 1 tsp or ground coriander seeds
- 1 large cup of cooked rice
- 1 medium sized onion finely chopped
- 1 large clove of garlic finely chopped
- 2 stalks of celery finely chopped
- 1 large ripe tomatoe finely sliced
- 2 white fish fillets cut into large bite sized chunks
- 1 small chilli finely chopped – optional
- 1 heaped teaspoon of ginger
- 1 dessertspoon of rice vinegar or lime juice
- 1 dessertspoon of fish sauce
- ½ dessertspoon of tamarind or pad thai sauce
- 1 dessertspoon of soy sauce (depending on how salty/sweet you like it)

- Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan over a medium hear

- Fry the spices for minute or so

- Add the onion and soften

- Add the garlic and celery and fry until the celery is fairly soft

- Add the tomato and chilli if using and cook until tomatoes are liquid

- Add the fish and ginger and fry fish on all sides

- Add the rice and the rest of the ingredients

- Cook until fish is tender

· You could also add any of the following – cashew or peanuts, beaten egg, fresh coriander , tuna or crab meat, bean sprouts etc, etc, etc!

Quick Tip - How to re-heat rice without a microwave

I remember when my parents first got a microwave. EVERYTHING was cooked in it. Then as time went on, and the novelty wore off it was condemned to heating milk for hot chocolate and reheating leftovers, the odd can of baked beans, my favourite instant noodles from China town.

Then there was the cancer when we all thought we would get cancer from using a microwave. Nowadays we realise that they are no worse than cell phones (and FAR less annoying!). I miss having a microwave, they saved time and saved electricity but I have at least found an effective way of re-heating rice on the cooker and you don’t need to really stir like you do with a microwave.

- Put your rice in a sieve
- In a saucepan only slightly larger than the serve pour a couple of inches of boiling water
- Place the sieve over the water and cover
- Steam until piping hot all the way through – about 4 or 5 minutes for cold rice.

Coriander (cilantro) and Lemon rice

Although maize is the staple in Zambia, rice is also cultivated here in places like Chama and Mongu, where they get more rain. I love the local rice, it is very fragrant and quite sticky. I know I should eat brown, and I do quite often, but white is still my favourite.

The rice here is packaged and shipped in less time so still is full of taste and fragrance when it's cooked.

By simply salting the water when it comes to the boil the rice becomes wonderfully fragrant and tasty, but here's another way of serving rice, especially if you find your rice is lacking in deptrh. Luckily, most lemons bought here are not waxed – thank goodness, but if you're buying from a supermarket, make sure they are unwaxed. If you're not sure run your nail firmly along the skin without piercing it to see if you can gather any of the wax or not.

This makes enough for about 3 – 4 people and is really good with fajitas or chili con carne

• A large bunch of coriander
  


• The rind of a lemon - unwaxed
  


• 2 coffee mugs of your favourite rice
  


• Salt
  

To cook the rice, either rinse the grains first if you don't like your rice too sticky – until the water is clear

Add the rice to the pan with twice the amount of water.

Bring to the boil. Add salt – half a teaspoon or thereabouts as well as the coriander and lemon rind.

Stir once with a fork then cover and turn off the heat

Wait for rice to absorb all the water.

Check for seasoning and serve.

*Try also adding dried rosemary to the water when cooking, about 2 teaspoons*