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A super-quick, easy dinner for Gdcs when you’ve all been out all day and they’re ‘starving’….

(28 Posts)
Witzend Fri 07-Aug-26 18:00:26

I’ve done this a few times now.
Cook plenty rice first thing, drain, put on a plate, cover.

On coming home, sling some frozen peas into a pan of water, set it to boil.
Heat a little oil in a large frying pan. When hot, sling in the rice, stir fry for a few minutes, then crack in an egg or two (I use 2 large) mix in well.
Open a small tin of sweetcorn, drain it.
Add cooked peas and some or all of the sweetcorn to the rice, stir a couple of minutes more, so it’s all hot.

Lately I’ve been adding (separately) a pack of 10 fish fingers - 3 each, one left over, (6 minutes in the microwave) since the Gdcs are older, taller, and with increasingly hollow legs.

A favourite with our Gdcs anyway.

Retread Fri 07-Aug-26 18:12:09

That sounds tasty 😋 especially with the fish fingers...

MayBee70 Fri 07-Aug-26 18:25:42

I’m paranoid about reheating rice.

YorkLady Fri 07-Aug-26 18:40:56

MayBee70

I’m paranoid about reheating rice.

Me too. I have microwave packets of rice for quick meals. They take 90 seconds in the microwave

BlueBelle Fri 07-Aug-26 18:47:42

I reheat rice for days and have never ever had a problem
Usually cook at least enough for three days sometimes with a day off between My then West Indian mother in law would cook a huge pan and everyone heated it up as and when they came in

teabagwoman Fri 07-Aug-26 18:49:11

If I’m cooking rice in advance I spread the cooked rice on a metal baking tray sat on top of a flat freezer pack. Into the fridge as soon as it’s cold. I’ve been doing it for years and have never had a problem.

MT62 Fri 07-Aug-26 19:08:46

Retread

That sounds tasty 😋 especially with the fish fingers...

Just going to say can’t go wrong with fish fingers 😋

Witzend Fri 07-Aug-26 19:22:28

MayBee70

I’m paranoid about reheating rice.

Similar to what BlueBelle posted - the waitress we hd every day in Indonesia told us that early every morning she cooked 2 kg of rice, for all her extended family’s meals all day. And somehow I doubt that it was all refrigerated all day.

In a good many places rice is eaten at every meal. A colleague of dd, when she was working in Aceh, Indonesia, told her that she had to have rice at every meal, or she didn’t feel full.

We were with them both one morning when Hariatty, the colleague, stopped our vehicle in order to buy her breakfast from a street vendor. It consisted of sweet sticky rice cooked in coconut milk, served on a large leaf - probably banana.
It cost the equivalent of 2.5p!

When she asked me how much it cost to buy breakfast in England, I hadn’t the heart to tell her that about 100 times that would probably be the cheapest you could possibly get!

petra Fri 07-Aug-26 19:23:22

MayBee70

I’m paranoid about reheating rice.

So am I.
I ended up in hospital in China on a drip.
And it was my birthday. The Dr said it was probably rice.
I was also ill in Turkey.

NotAGran55 Fri 07-Aug-26 19:35:51

Reheated rice is far better for the gut health and blood sugar levels.
You just have to cool it quickly. I cook it in a rice cooker, freeze it in batches, and have done so for many years.

A quick meal is a previously made pasta sauce served with fresh pasta, grated cheese and herbs. On the table in 5 minutes.

Farmor15 Fri 07-Aug-26 19:58:05

The food poisoning events linked to cooked rice have been when large amounts of rice have been cooked and left in a warm place for possibly 2 days, then briefly reheated - mostly Chinese take-aways.
Home cooked rice used same day, as OP has described or kept in fridge for a few days, is very unlikely to cause illness.
The microbe involved, Bacillus cereus , takes time and warm temperature to multiply and produce a toxin.

BlueBelle Fri 07-Aug-26 20:22:51

I never put rice in the fridge just keep it at room temp put a plate over it and it lasts a few days in various dishes
Guess my gut has always been used to it

CocoPops Fri 07-Aug-26 21:04:06

Cook some pasta and while it's cooking, saute a chopped onion in some oil from a jar of sun- dried tomatoes. Chop up some of the tomatoes and add to the onion. Add some drained chickpeas from a can. Heat. Drain the boiling water from the pasta over a sieve full of baby spinach leaves. Add spinach to pan. Season and stir into the pasta.

Desdemona Fri 07-Aug-26 21:07:51

Sounds ok but did I misunderstand that you microwave fish fingers? Surely they are oven baked, grilled or fried?

Jaxjacky Fri 07-Aug-26 21:23:27

Our two, once teenagers, often had pizza, easy as one is vegetarian and no washing up, plates in dishwasher.

DianneAngel Fri 07-Aug-26 22:32:03

Reheated rice or potatoes are not good for anyone with IBS. hugs

Georgesgran Fri 07-Aug-26 22:57:16

I thought that too Desdemona unless the OP meant air fryer and typed microwave in error.

Aldom Fri 07-Aug-26 23:00:23

CocoPops

Cook some pasta and while it's cooking, saute a chopped onion in some oil from a jar of sun- dried tomatoes. Chop up some of the tomatoes and add to the onion. Add some drained chickpeas from a can. Heat. Drain the boiling water from the pasta over a sieve full of baby spinach leaves. Add spinach to pan. Season and stir into the pasta.

A good, healthy meal. smile

Crumbly159 Sat 08-Aug-26 06:59:10

Keep a bag of Sainsbury's Hash Browns in the freezer - they go with anything and are fairly filling on their own.

Maremia Sat 08-Aug-26 12:40:05

Yes DianneAngel, it's the 'restricted starch' that happens when you reheat rice and pasta that causes the problem for folk with IBS.
Delicious dishes like ravioli and lasagne are best avoided.

Witzend Sat 08-Aug-26 15:35:37

Desdemona

Sounds ok but did I misunderstand that you microwave fish fingers? Surely they are oven baked, grilled or fried?

6 minutes in the microwave is fine.
For the dinner I posted about (for 3 ‘starving’ grandchildren) I can’t be waiting 20minutes plus for anything to cook.

Also, when we’ve been out with them all day, their dinner in just a few minutes means I can sit and relax with a cup of tea/G&T. that much more quickly!

Bassoues Wed 12-Aug-26 06:50:55

Fry an egg, grate a good handful of cheese, a cple of sliced cherry toms, put the egg, cheese and toms in a wholemeal sandwich and fry on both sides in oil from tomato jar till golden brown..
It's been my go to for most of my life as far back as I can remember. Still love it smile

Basgetti Wed 12-Aug-26 08:40:40

Salmon fillets, spread with teriyaki sauce and bake in oven/air fryer. Serve with fresh egg noodles and peas. Lovely.

Retread Fri 14-Aug-26 12:59:56

Bassoues

Fry an egg, grate a good handful of cheese, a cple of sliced cherry toms, put the egg, cheese and toms in a wholemeal sandwich and fry on both sides in oil from tomato jar till golden brown..
It's been my go to for most of my life as far back as I can remember. Still love it smile

What is the 'oil from a tomato jar? Is it from sundried tomatoes in oil...?

MayBee70 Fri 14-Aug-26 14:50:12

Maremia

Yes DianneAngel, it's the 'restricted starch' that happens when you reheat rice and pasta that causes the problem for folk with IBS.
Delicious dishes like ravioli and lasagne are best avoided.

Isn’t it better for other conditions though eg high cholesterol, diabetes?