"Bonsai" Fried Rice!

This it my amazing, perfected fried rice recipe. I perfected it after years of tweaking and copying the way they cook it at Bonsai Tepenyaki , and Benihana.

-1/2 cup Butter (1 stick divided)
-4 Cups Rice (Cooked)
-1 Large Diced Onion
 -1/2 Cup Diced Carrots
-1/2 Cup Diced Celery
-3 Large Eggs
-1/4 Cup green onions, Chopped in 1/2 inch sections
-Soy sauce to color and taste (around an 8th of a cup)
-Salt and Pepper to taste
-2 Cloves of Garlic finely chopped (Divided)
-Optional: 1 tsp fresh finely minced ginger, or ginger powder

Heat a large skillet (can also use Wok or Sauté Pan, but cast iron skillet is best) over medium high heat. Add 2/3 of the butter, once melted, add the onions, half of the garlic, carrots, and celery. Sauté until onions begin to be opaque, then add the rice. (I find it works best if the rice is at or below room temperature, but if you just cooked it its fine too, though I refrigerate mine overnight for best results) Stir the rice until vegetables are Incorporated.

Scoop the rice mixture to clear an opening on one side of the pan, add the remaining butter to open area. Once the butter is mostly melted, crack the eggs into the open space. Once the eggs begin to cook on the bottom scramble the eggs a bit. Pour the desired amount of soy sauce over the rice mixture while the eggs continue to cook. Lightly scramble the eggs making sure not to mix them around too much, and once they are nearly cooked through, but still runny, begin to mix them in with the rest of the rice mixture.

Salt an Pepper to taste, and once removed from the heat add the additional Garlic, and the green onions, and incorporate into the Fried rice. The rice is now delicious and ready for eating!!!

*You can also add a meat of your choice, or pineapple is also delicious, you will want to add it with the rice, after the initial vegetable sauté.

Best Ever Black Bean Coconut Rice

This recipe has been one of our favorites for a long time. I still hear you guys talk about it and ask for the recipe. So here it is. And of course for bigger crowds you should double or triple this recipe, this one serves about 4-6.

1 C. uncooked Jasmine or Basmati Rice
1 Can coconut milk
1 1/4 C. Chicken stock
4 strips of bacon, diced
4 green onions
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. Cumin
1 Jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1/4 C. unsweetend coconut
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
salt and pepper

Cook the rice in the chicken stock and 2/4 C. of the coconut milk. In a small frying pan saute the bacon till brown, remove bacon leaving all dripings in pan. Add to bacon fat green onions, garlic, jalapeno and cumin, saute until garlic is cooked but not browned, about 4 min. Add the black beans to the pot with the rice stir, now add the green onion mixture including all bacon drippings from the pan, remaining coconut milk, shredded coconut, bacon, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and adjust seasonings as desired, sometimes I like more cumin or more shredded coconut etc. Serve hot and enjoy!