Here’s the perfect example of saving money by not going out to eat. You can find many of your favorite restaurant’s recipes on line. A friend mentioned she went out for Japanese last night, which made me crave Benihana’s fried rice.

So I made it!

• 1 cup uncooked rice
• 5 Tbs butter
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 2/3 cup chopped scallions
• 3 Tbs sesame seeds
• 5 eggs
• 5 Tbs soy sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

Cook rice according to package directions. In the meantime, heat a large skillet and add the sesame seeds to toast in the dry pan, about 8-10 minutes. Keep an eye on them and shake them around often to prevent scorching. Set aside.

In the same pan, melt butter. When butter is bubbling, add onions, carrots and scallions. Sauté until carrots begin to get tender and onions are translucent: about 5-7 minutes. Set aside on separate plate and give pan a quick wipe.

Lightly oil the skillet if needed. Beat eggs and pour into hot skillet. Cook as you would scrambled eggs, stirring frequently. Add the cooked rice, vegetables, and sesame seeds to the eggs. Add the soy sauce. Stir. Add salt and pepper to taste.