Fried rice is a great meal that you can make with things from your pantry. This recipe is ideal for using up leftover cooked rice, and can help you use up those two carrots or half a broccoli head left from other cooking adventures that now have nowhere else to go. Fresh, frozen, canned, or dried vegetables all work well here, so get creative!
Prep time 20 min | Total time 30 min | Yield: 8 cups = 8 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 3 eggs, whisked
- 1 tablespoon ginger, grated or minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
- Fresh, frozen, dried, or canned vegetables of your choice. We suggest:
⇒2 carrots, diced
⇒1 onion, diced
⇒1 cup frozen spinach
⇒1 cup frozen corn
- 1 bunch of green onions sliced (optional)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil (optional)
Instructions:
- This recipe works best with leftover rice, as it is drier, but if you haven’t made the rice yet, you can still make it fresh now. Rinse raw rice. Add 3 cups water to 2 cups rice and a pinch of salt to a pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer. Cover the pot with a lid and cook until water is gone and rice is tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest, about 10 minutes.
- Heat skillet over medium-high to high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil and swirl to coat pan. Add carrots (or any fresh hardy vegetables you are using as they will take longer to cook). Sauté until just tender, about 3 minutes.
- Add onions. Sauté and brown.
- Add remaining vegetables – frozen, canned, and dried. Sauté and don’t stir too often or the vegetables won’t have a chance to caramelize. Cook until veggies are tender and light golden brown, about 3 minutes.
- Add ginger and garlic. Stir to incorporate. Sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds
- Push veggies to one side and pour your beaten eggs on the other side. Scramble as the egg cooks, about 1 minute.
- Add rice and stir everything together to incorporate.
- Add soy sauce/tamari and stir to incorporate, about 30 seconds.
- Remove from heat and serve. Once done, fried rice can keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.
Chef’s notes:
- This can be a great recipe to involve your kids. They can learn how to crack and whisk eggs or shave ginger skin with a spoon. They can also help rinse veggies and wash cans, and if they are competent with sautéing, they can be the chef for the day as you add each ingredient to the pan together.
- For a sweet twist, add canned pineapple after the soy sauce, and then mix and sauté for about 30 seconds.
- Add fresh sliced green onions and sesame oil after cooking for more flavor and texture.
Watch Gina’s cooking demo & try it yourself!
More Cooking Matters at Home Videos
Solid Ground’s Community Food Education (CFE) program hosts cooking and nutrition classes to support healthy and holistic living on a budget. The CFE team created this series of cooking videos to offer resources, tips, and tricks that you can practice at home. Visit our Food & Nutrition and Coronavirus Food Resources webpages for more food and nutrition info and resources.
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