Meat Lovers' Yang Chow

We had an abundance of left-over meat in the fridge, so what better (and yummier) way to utilize it than to put it in fried rice. Actually, if I can have my way, I would probably eat Yang Chow Fried Rice everyday (hello, cholesterol!). It is basically a complete meal - carbs from rice, protein from meat or seafood, and vitamins from the veggies. Who could ask for more?

What you need:

• 2 pieces Sweet Italian Sausage, sliced
• 1/2 cup cubed ham
• 1 Chinese Chorizo, sliced
• 2 scrambled eggs, cut into strips
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 1/4 cup frozen green peas
• 1/4 cup frozen corn kernels
• 3 - 4 cups of rice, cooked
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/4 teaspoon Five-Spice powder
• dash of sesame oil (optional)

What to do:

Put a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a wok and fry the sliced Italian Sausage until they hold their shape (becomes firm). Remove from the wok and set aside.

In the same pan, saute the garlic for about 30 seconds, then add the sliced Chorizo and diced ham. Cook for another 30 seconds, then put in the rice, corn and peas. Cook until heated through, around 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and five-spice powder according to taste. Stir frequently to separate rice clumps. Before serving, add a dash of sesame oil if the rice becomes too dry. Serve hot!

Tips, Tricks and Tweaks:

1. Refrigerated rice is best to use when cooking fried rice as it is already "hard" enough and won't get too mushy.
2. Feel free to use any left-over meat or veggies you have in the fridge. Yang Chow's basic elements are rice, meat, seafood, eggs, and peas.
3. Chinese chorizo is somewhat oily, and will turn your rice reddish-yellow. If you think the rice is already too oily because of the chorizo, skip the sesame oil.
4. Experiment with veggies! Add carrots, water chestnuts, scallions, etc!
5. Five-Spice powder is what gives the dish a distinct "oriental" taste. Omit it if you don't like it.

Yummy!