Rice griddle cakes: my favorite way to clean out the fridge
This is a highly unscientific recipe adapted from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman. You should stick to the proportion of wet ingredients to dry ingredients, and the baking powder is important for texture. Beyond that, the quantities of herbs, spices, meat, and cheese are very much a personal choice. They are pretty bland if you leave out the onions though.
The griddle cakes are best served straight from the skillet, but they are also good when reheated in the toaster. I mostly eat them for dinner when I'm home alone, so I rarely bother with sides, and I eat the leftovers for breakfast. They are probably good served alongside a green salad though.
*1 egg
*1/4 c. milk product of your choice: cream, half and half, whole milk (I have not tried 2% or skim, but presume they'd work)
*3/4 c. leftover rice (leftover is important - freshly cooked will be too mushy)
*1/4 c. grated cheese (preferably cheddar, gruyere, monterey jack, or something else that melts well)
*1/4 c. all-purpose flour
*1/4 tsp. baking powder
*Chopped leftover meat of your choice (I have used crumbled cooked bacon and random slices of turkey or ham)
*Handful of chopped fresh herbs (Oregano, parsley, basil, thyme, and chives have all proven nice)
*Handful of chopped onion, leeks, shallots, or garlic (leeks are my favorite)
*Salt and pepper to taste (Add red pepper flakes or chili paste if you feel like something spicy)
1. Whisk together milk (or milk product) and egg.
2. Whisk in rice and grated cheese
3. Switch to a spoon and stir in flour and baking powder. Then stir in meat, herbs, and onions.
4. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, put in a dollop of batter. (I use however much fits in my big mixing spoon.) Mush it with a spatula to make a thin pancake. Much like a regular pancake, these should be flipped when the batter on top is bubbly. I usually remove them from the skillet when they smell done, but if you want a test, smush them with a spatula and see if any batter comes out. If it doesn't, they're done.
(Makes about 4 medium pancakes)
The griddle cakes are best served straight from the skillet, but they are also good when reheated in the toaster. I mostly eat them for dinner when I'm home alone, so I rarely bother with sides, and I eat the leftovers for breakfast. They are probably good served alongside a green salad though.
*1 egg
*1/4 c. milk product of your choice: cream, half and half, whole milk (I have not tried 2% or skim, but presume they'd work)
*3/4 c. leftover rice (leftover is important - freshly cooked will be too mushy)
*1/4 c. grated cheese (preferably cheddar, gruyere, monterey jack, or something else that melts well)
*1/4 c. all-purpose flour
*1/4 tsp. baking powder
*Chopped leftover meat of your choice (I have used crumbled cooked bacon and random slices of turkey or ham)
*Handful of chopped fresh herbs (Oregano, parsley, basil, thyme, and chives have all proven nice)
*Handful of chopped onion, leeks, shallots, or garlic (leeks are my favorite)
*Salt and pepper to taste (Add red pepper flakes or chili paste if you feel like something spicy)
1. Whisk together milk (or milk product) and egg.
2. Whisk in rice and grated cheese
3. Switch to a spoon and stir in flour and baking powder. Then stir in meat, herbs, and onions.
4. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, put in a dollop of batter. (I use however much fits in my big mixing spoon.) Mush it with a spatula to make a thin pancake. Much like a regular pancake, these should be flipped when the batter on top is bubbly. I usually remove them from the skillet when they smell done, but if you want a test, smush them with a spatula and see if any batter comes out. If it doesn't, they're done.
(Makes about 4 medium pancakes)