My brother and I always used to make fried rice together. It was one of my favorite dishes, and it was always a team effort--we'd get the pan super hot and keep adding tablespoon after tablespoon of butter, spreading the rice out in one thin layer and pressing down with a spatula so it got super crispy. 

Sean and I haven't made fried rice in a long time, especially since I've gone grain-free, although to be honest white rice isn't something I lose sleep over if I eat it here and there, because what exactly is a life without sushi? But that's beside the point--I was grocery shopping last week and picked up a couple daikon radishes, which I almost never eat. Then I picked up some green peas, which I never really buy, and I realized it was time to make fried rice again, only this time, a Paleo version.

This recipe involves using a spiral slicer to make noodles out of the daikon radish before chopping them up, but if you don't have a spiralizer, you could use a food processor (for both steps) instead.

Ingredients (serves one for lunch or maybe two as a side dish):

• 1 1/2 cups "riced" daikon
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1/4 cup carrots, diced
• 1/4 cup green peas
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 tablespoons coconut aminos (but I won't tell anyone if you use gluten-free soy sauce)
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon grass-fed butter

Instructions:

1. Peel your daikon radish and use spiral slicer to create noodles. Then chop liberally until you have daikon rice!
2. In a large pan, saute the daikon rice in the sesame oil. Spread the daikon rice out into one layer and let it cook for a minute or two, then mix it up and repeat several times for five to seven minutes.
3. Add butter, garlic, and ginger. Stir until well incorporated. Add the carrots, peas, crushed red pepper, and coconut aminos. Continue to stir.
4. Crack an egg over the pan and scramble it right there in the pan, incorporating it into the fried rice.
5. Continue to cook until daikon rice starts getting crispy (feel free to add another half tablespoon or so of butter if you wish). Season with pepper and maybe some salt, just taste it first because the coconut aminos is pretty salty.
6. Enjoy hot, straight out of the pan, and don't forget to tell your brother all about it.

Last year in August, Rob and I celebrated a year of Minnesota together by going to what is arguably one of the most Minneapolis restaurants--The Bachelor Farmer, which serves farm-to-table, Nordic-inspired fare in a cozy atmosphere of hipster vibes. We only stopped in for a drink and an appetizer because it's really expensive, but we felt weird about moving away without going on a date there. 

We ordered drinks and while we waited for our food, our server brought us some pickled vegetables and some of the most beautiful little carrots and radishes I've ever seen. Vibrantly colored and so tender, they were quite possibly the most delicious carrots and radishes I've ever eaten. And they were served with the most luxurious dip--fatty and smooth and salty and simple and light all at once. It was one of those times that you eat something and really feel emotional about it.

Only later on did I learn that it was just really good quality, room-temperature butter with some salt. I recreated the dish at home here in Charlotte a few weeks ago and it was just as good as I remembered. I laid all the ingredients out and sat cross-legged on the floor of my living room, savoring every bite.

--

I woke up feeling out of sorts this morning and I've been in a bit of an funk all day. My anxiety tends to leave me alone for long periods of time and then it comes back all at once to ruin a rainy Monday. But if I've learned anything so far, it's that this too shall pass.

Sometimes life feels really complicated--overwhelming, even--but it doesn't have to be. Sometimes it's just butter and salt.

If you could pick one city in the world to live in for a year, where would that be and why?

I'm torn on this one--a big part of me feels like I'd do well somewhere in Scandinavia, like Norway. Another part of me really wants to see Ireland. But I think if I had to pick a specific city and live there, I'd head to Argentina and call Buenos Aires home. My mom was born there, I've never been, and it would be the perfect way to regain my Spanish fluency. I'd actually really love Argentina to be the destination of our next big trip sometime in the next two years.

Do you ever struggle with time management? What do you do when you're short of time for something important?

The sweet person who asked this questions said that if I do struggle with time management, they couldn't tell, and that was just so nice of them. But yes, I am the worst with time management. I'm a big proponent of to-do lists (I use Trello and absolutely love it), but I'm not always great at completing them. Working from home can be wonderful, but sometimes I really have to motivate myself to get things done.

In my dreams, I would have a schedule that is specific to the hour. Wake up, go running, make breakfast, eat breakfast, write this post, cook this recipe, take these photos, answer emails, stop for lunch, take a walk, make dinner ahead of time, etc. In reality, I am nowhere near that. 

I definitely think prioritizing things is important--what's due first is obviously significant, but sometimes I'll do the quickest thing first so that I can check something off my list immediately. That often propels me toward a more productive day. One thing I've found to improve my time management skills is visiting a coffee shop a couple times a week, because when I'm working in a public space, I'm less inclined to spend an hour on Pinterest. It's a work in progress.

What is your favorite home-cooked meal, Paleo or non-Paleo?

My absolute favorite meal growing up (and before going Paleo) was pasta with pesto. My mom makes the best pesto and my entire family loved it. Sometimes I'll make pesto and put it on chicken or veggies but let's be real, it's not the same. Now I think my favorite home-cooked meal is a really good flank steak or a beef tenderloin, sliced up really thinly, with roasted Brussels sprouts and a big salad on the side.

Do you come from a big or a small family? Tell me more about your childhood.

I come from an immediate family of just four (my mom, dad, brother and I), but both sides of my family are really huge. My dad is one of five and my mom has only one sister, but their extended family is really large. I visited Italy as a kid and could barely keep all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins straight (the language barrier didn't help)!

Rob comes from a big family as well. He has three brothers and both of his parents come from large families. I think we want to have three kids, maybe. I love the relationship I have with my brother so much, but I think having two siblings could be really fun.

I grew up in Roanoke and loved it--still do. I went to Catholic school from kindergarten through high school and I loved that, too; but I don't think Rob and I will send our future kids to a religious school. I was super active in student government, my church, swimming, cross country and track, and even a little cheerleading here and there.

I had a cat in California named JoJo (we gave him to one of my cousins when we moved) and also a pet rat named Zippity after the hamster in Barney. In Virginia I used to collect pet mice two at a time--it was sort of bizarre. They were the little white ones that you feed to snakes. They actually made really good pets, even if it means you're kind of a weirdo. And then of course there was Rocky, who we got when I was in seventh grade. He was seriously the best dog in the world.

--

Now it's your turn--leave me a comment with your answers! I love hearing from you guys.