Chile pepper fried rice

When you leave your husband alone for five days, he might order some takeout Chinese food.  So you may come home to a little takeout container of cooked rice, sitting in the fridge.  Really, the only logical thing to do in this situation is to make fried rice.  Particularly this fried rice, because it's so delicious and spicy and downright good.

(adapted from Thai Cooking from the Siam Cuisine Restaurant)

2 dried chiles de arbol

1 tbsp vegetable oil

2 large cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, thinly sliced (easy to do this when they are frozen)

1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce

1 jalepeno, cut lengthwise in quarters

2 cups cold cooked rice

1 tbsp fish sauce

3/4 tsp sugar

20 fresh Thai basil leaves

6 sprigs of cilantro, leaves only

10 half-slices cucumber

Soak the chiles in hot water for about 15 minutes.  Remove the stems and chop finely.

Get all your ingredients ready to go:

Heat the oil over high.  

When it is hot, add the chiles de arbol and garlic.

Stir fry until garlic is just turning light brown, then add the chicken.

Stir fry until most of the pink is gone, then add the oyster sauce and jalapenos and stir fry until well-mixed.

Add the rice.  

Break up the clumps so it is evenly distributed. Stir fry for about a minute.
Add the fish sauce, sugar, and basil leaves and stir fry until the leaves are nicely wilted.
Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the cilantro leaves and slices of cucumber.