Negatives of living in a small town: No good Chinese take-out places :-( By now, you know that I’m not much of a “take-out” girl, but sometimes, the mood strikes and you MUST HAVE ALL THE CHINESE FOOD. You know what I’m talking about. But when the mood struck the other night, my choices were to a) drive an hour round trip to get said Chinese food, or b) make it my dang self. I chose option b. Ten minutes. Six ingredients (and you probably already have all of them). Fresh, delicious, and much healthier than take-out, this Veggie Fried Rice is life changing. LIFE CHANGING.
The best part about this recipe is how flexible it is. I used a zucchini (because I happened to have one) and carrots/celery (because I always have them) for my veggie base. You can omit the zucchini or add corn, peas, broccoli, or other vegetables you have available. Usually fried rice is a side dish, but add another egg or two or maybe some meat, tofu, or shelled edamame and you’ve got yourself a protein-filled meal. If you’re feeling fancy, spice it up with some fresh ginger, crushed red pepper, or toasted sesame oil. The possibilities are endless!
Now, I make the claim that this recipe takes only ten minutes- and it does. But only if you have cooked rice. You can usually buy cooked rice at the store (just heat it up in the microwave), but I have another suggestion. Next time you are cooking rice, make a bit extra. Stick it in an airtight container or bag, and freeze it. That way, you’ll have cooked rice ready to go for fried rice any time the mood strikes!
For a vegan option, substitute the eggs with soft tofu. And one last trick: don’t use too much salt in the beginning, since you’ll be adding a good amount of salty soy sauce toward the end. Recipe below!
