Garlic Rice with Chinese Sausages and Cucumbers
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
As our car drove into our driveway late afternoon, I noticed there were more golden leaves on the ground than the trees — a change since we were last home the past week. The scent of burnt leaves from a neighbor’s yard filled the chilly air as we got down from the car.
We had been on the road. I like to travel. But after a few days, we were so over restaurant food and longed for a good home cooked meal. However, my food supplies were sparse and limited tonight. A quick inventory of my refrigerator revealed I had leftover cooked rice, some vegetables in the chilled bin and a pack of sweet Chinese sausages.
I then reached for the cookbooks my friend, Nancie McDermott sent me. “300 Best Stir-Fry Recipes” has been my lifesaver lately. Nancie shares 300 easy, doable Asian recipes. This cookbook is the perfect kitchen helper for anyone — whether a novice cook or a skilled pro.
Stir-fry dishes are my simplest way to prep a meal on any day. Cookbook author Nancie McDermott offers 300 recipes you can make from seasonal vegetables or ingredients you might have on hand.
This dish was a cinch to cook. The sweet Chinese sausages were a good combo with the refreshing, crisp cucumber slices. Together with sweet peppers, glazed onions, sautéed vegetables, these were perfect to put atop a bed of savory garlic fried rice or what Filipinos call sinangag (say ‘see-nah–ngag’). I sniffed the aroma of peppers mixed into the onions slices and that instantly had me hooked.
As I scooped a spoonful of garlic fried rice, the familiar flavors and scent of sinangag were like an old friend that warmly welcomed me home.
Garlic Rice with Chinese Sausages and Cucumbers
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 cups cooked white rice refrigrated overnight
- 2 whole lap cheong or Chinese sausages, sliced from Asian markets; about 3/4 cup
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 Tablespoon patis (fish sauce)
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced fine
- 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger
- 1 1/2 cups green beans sliced in 1-inch length pieces
- 1 whole large fresh cucumber peeled, sliced,
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 whole onion sliced
- 1 whole medium-sized red bell pepper , seeded, sliced in strips, for garnish
Instructions
- Using a fork, loosen chilled, refrigerated rice till the grains are no longer clumped together. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, place the Chinese sausages and water. Bring to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Slice when it has cooled.
- Put the remaining water used from cooking in a small bowl. Add the fish sauce, soy sauce, salt, and sugar.
- In a large skillet or wok, over medium heat, sauté the garlic, onions and ginger.
- Add the softened Chinese sausage and green beans. Cook for 6 minutes or till green beans are soft. Then add the cooked rice.
- Pour the fish & soy sauce mixture on the rice in the skillet. Mix well till sauces coat the rice grains and turn to brown.
- Place the cucumber slices, nestled next to the Chinese sausages and green beans.
- Season with salt and black pepper. Garnish with slices of red bell pepper slices. Serve warm.
- COOK'S COMMENTS : Author Nancie McDermott described Chinese sausages in her cookbook 300 Best Recipes: "Chinese sausages are rich, sweet pork sausages, beloved throughout Asia. They are often used in steamed rice dumplings or sautéed quickly and served over rice." I buy my supply of sausages at Asian markets. They are also known as lap cheong. Read labels well when purchasing. There are different varieties that range from salty, sweet to very spicy.
- About the Author: Nancie McDermott is an expert on the food and culture of Thailand. She has written several cookbooks and contributes recipes and features on food and travel to Food and Wine, Bon Appetit magazines. Find more of Nancie's recipes and cookbooks on her site nanciemcdermott.com.
- Buy the Book from Amazon: You can conveniently purchase the "300 Best Stir-Fry Recipes" Cookbook by Nancie McDermott (Robert Rose Publishing) and more cookbooks from my Amazon affiliate page. Click here.
- Disclosure: I did not get paid to review or mention this cookbook. The cookbook was a gift from the author and one which I highly recommend to those who want easy, quick stir-fry Asian dishes to prepare.
Hello, Friends! All the images and content here are COPYRIGHT PROTECTED. This means BY LAW you are NOT allowed to use my photos or content on your website without my permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write it in your own words and simply link back to this blog to give proper attribution. It’s the legal thing to do. Thank you. Email me at [email protected]
Nutrition
Notes on Nutrition: The nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brand of ingredients used.
Did you like this recipe? I have more classic recipes inspired by my late mother’s cooking in my popular cookbook: My Mother’s Philippine Recipes. If you’re learning how to cook Filipino food or a fan of Philippine cuisine, buy my cookbooks and books on Amazon.com sold worldwide in paperback and Kindle format.
