Kimchi Fried Rice + Refreshing Licuado

We're celebrating Meatless Mondays with balanced, delicious meal plans. We hope you'll join us -- whether you're vegetarian all the time or just here and there.

Today: Complement a spicy rice dish with a cold drink that will remind you of summer (even as you head into fall).

If you have several cups of cooked rice lying around, you are well-positioned for dinner delight: You can always make a cheesy casserole or -- if you're in the mood for something tangy and spicy -- you can invest in a jar of kimchi and ready your sauté pan. (If you don't have extra cooked rice, make a trip to the hot bar of your grocery store and buy some...now.)

Here's how you'll do it:

Start by making the mint water for the drink (if you need to cook the rice from scratch, get that started, too). Let the mint water chill in the refrigerator while you prepare the rest of the meal.

Sauté the white parts of a few scallions with kimchi and Korean chili paste. Then, add the cooked rice to the pan, flavor with sesame oil and soy sauce, and stir until the rice is coated with spicy sauce. Cook the rice, stirring occasionally, until it's warmed.

Add the mint water, frozen fruit, milk, and honey to the blender so that the drink is ready to go. Crack a few eggs into a pan and blend the drink while they fry. To finish, scoop the rice onto four plates, cover each mound with a fried egg, and add chopped garlic chives and scallion greens, along with some shredded seaweed, if you have it.

The Menu

Take advantage of our handy grocery list and click the recipe photos or titles to see (and save and print) the full recipes.

Kimchi Fried Rice by Allison (Spontaneous Tomato)

Refreshing Summer Licuado by hardlikearmour

The Grocery List

Serves 4

1 bunch scallions
1 to 1 1/2 cups kimchi
3 to 4 cups cooked rice
Korean chili paste (gochujang)
Sesame oil
1/2 bunch garlic chives, for garnish
Shredded seaweed, for garnish
1 bunch fresh mint
Frozen fruit (we recommend raspberries and peaches)
Whole milk

You probably have canola or vegetable oil, soy sauce, salt, eggs, and honey on hand. If not, add those to the list, too.

Photos by James Ransom