Grilled Swordfish Steaks with Fried Rice

Ever since I opened up that box from California and saw my new mortar and pestle my brain has been churning with ideas on what I could make using it. I had picked up 2 swordfish steaks, so I decided that I would make up my own little marinade with the help of my dandy new toy. Into the mortar went some mustard seeds, a little olive oil, some honey, the juice of half a lemon, a tablespoon of Dijon, and a bit of salt and black pepper. I mashed the hell outta everything with my humongous pestle and marinated the swordfish in my concoction most of the day while I went back outside to play.

It was a beautiful day, so we spent most of it outside planting and cleaning up the yard. We visited a couple of my favorite nurseries and came home and dug in the dirt. John got all the Earth Boxes up from the basement and got them primed and ready for planting. We both had really dirty hands when we came in. After a quick scrub I got started on the Fried Rice. I loosely followed the recipe for Spam Fried Rice from Jaden (of Jaden's Steamy Kitchen). I threw in a few things here and there, left out the Spam, and just kinda winged it until I thought it would taste right and oh man....it tasted right. It was the best fried rice I've made yet.

The secret to great fried rice - use day old Jasmine rice. It's the best! Here's what I did:

Fried Rice

3 cups of Jasmine rice, cooked the day before and broken up to remove clumps

2 eggs, beaten

Handful of green onion, chopped (I got mine from my herb garden, yeah perennials!)

1 tablespoon white wine

2 tablespoons fish sauce (or soy sauce, I used Fish sauce....I love Fish sauce, I think I used more than 2 tablespoons!)

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1 cup fresh jumbo shrimp (I cut these in half so they would be bite size)

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

Dash salt

Heat some cooking oil in wok or large pan over medium high heat. When oil is hot, add eggs and gently stir to cook eggs. When eggs are about 80% done (still a little runny), remove from pan and set aside.

Turn heat to high. Add a little more cooking oil to pan. When hot, add green onions, and cook for just a minute. Add the shrimp and cook until just done (about 2 minutes). Remove from pan and set aside. Add the rice, and the rest of the ingredients (except the wine & fish sauce) and mix until combined.

Let it all just sit still in the pan so that the grains of rice have a chance to heat up, about 1 minute. Add cooking wine and fish sauce and stir again.

This made a lot of rice. Since it was just John and I tonight for dinner, we have plenty for lunch tomorrow. Best fried rice - ever! The swordfish was fantastic too. I think I hit on the perfect combination of flavors, it was tangy and sweet with just enough lemon.

Since I played in the dirt all day, it's time to pamper myself, I'm off wash up, paint my toenails and lay on the couch like a lump!