Veggie Fried Rice
A great way to use leftovers!
There’s a misconception that eating vegan is expensive. But stocking your kitchen with beans, grains, oats, frozen vegetables, seasonings and other staples enables you to eat well on a very tight budget.
My father was Filipino so as a kid we had rice with every meal. Our rice cooker was the hardest-working appliance in the kitchen! My mom fed four kids on a tight budget and always made fried rice using leftovers.
Now I too make extra and use it for fried rice, breakfast porridge, or a snack rolled in toasted nori. It’s a great use of bits and bobs of veggies in the fridge drawer! You can even freeze your rice once it’s cooked so it’s ready to thaw and cook for your fried rice.
Tonight I had leftover black and Haiga rice. I had half an onion, half a head of cauliflower, a quarter of a white cabbage in the fridge, frozen peas, (always) garlic in the basket, and half bunches of curly and Dino kale. I also had half a block of sriracha marinated tofu.
Filling, nutritious, delicious, and took about 20 minutes!
Ingredients
Rice (brown rice, black rice, red rice…any rice!) amount will depend on how many people are eating!
Onion, finely chopped
Garlic, minced
Soy sauce, tamari, Bragg’s or coconut aminos
optional:
tofu, frozen peas, carrot, celery, broccoli, bell pepper, cubed sweet potato or squash, cauliflower, snap peas, green beans, kale, spinach…really whatever you’ve got on hand.
Instructions
Start with a hot wok or a pot or wide, deep pan. Start with your hard veggies, sautée, stirring frequently with a pinch of salt. Splash a little broth or water in and put a lid on to let it steam a little.
Remove the lid and sautée until all the moisture evaporates – cooked but still a little firm. Scoop it into a bowl and set it aside. Then sautée the minced garlic, chopped onion (if you are using bell peppers, carrot, celery, add now) and cook until they begin to soften (if you pan gets too dry, splash in a little broth or water), and add the rice and a T of your soy sauce/tamari/aminos (whichever you are using). Cook for several minutes, it’s ok if some of the rice sticks. Next, add your lead greens (and frozen frozen peas if using) and the tofu, and let cook a for a couple of minutes, stirring to incorporate. Add back your cooked hard veggies. Taste for seasoning – this is when you can add a little more if your sauce if needed.
Garnish with the sliced scallions, chopped fresh herbs like cilantro, parsley to basil and toasted sesame seeds if you’ve got them.
Optional: although we recommend oil-free cooking, a small amount of toasted sesame oil can be used for flavor. For this recipe, you could add a teaspoon to your wok when you sautée or add a few drops at the end.
