Fried Pearls

Fried rice, with its diverse mix of textures and flavors, is a favorite weeknight dinner, but it requires previously cooked, dried-out rice to fry up crisp. Replacing the rice with pearl-sized Israeli couscous—boiled until tender, and then baked dry to mimic leftover rice—means even more crunchy bits. Separately stir-fry the shiitakes, silken tofu, and pea shoots, and then toss everything together in your widest skillet. Almost-raw celery might be our favorite untraditional addition, and the sambal oelek (chili paste) shouldn’t be skipped if you like heat.