This Veggie & Egg Fried Rice is a family favorite, balancing a carb the kids love with nutritious veggies that are good for them. It's also the perfect fridge clean-out meal!
There are three carbs I can rotate with my kids: pasta, potatoes and rice. We’re working on being more adventurous and there are shining little beacons of success cropping up here and there as they get a bit older, but it’s an uphill battle. Anything smothered in cream sauce works. Anything with cheese. And bacon. They actually love a good green salad, so yay for that!
Cooked veggies, not so much. But I can sneak as many as I dare into this Egg Fried Rice with minimal dramatic melt downs and only muttered complaints of the barely audible kind. Szechuan pepper, spring onions and cilantro strictly on the side, of course.
I always make too much rice. Always. Which means that the leftovers are destined to become egg fried rice. Which is great, because what’s not to love about this? Here, I’ve used red bell pepper, zucchini and carrot as my veggie add-ins, but feel free to substitute whatever’s in your fridge.
I’ve tried various methods in regards to the egg in the rice. Some recipes call for the eggs to be cooked half or three quarters of the way before setting them aside and then adding them to the rice later on, which just basically results in scrambled egg bits in the fried rice. Also good, but not ideal, IMO. I much prefer adding the eggs after the veggies are al dente and the rice is crispy as it melds everything together in the most delicious way.
Hope you love this as much as we do!
xoxo Donata
Ingredients
Serves 2-3
3 eggs
1 tsp salt
2 cups leftover fridge-cold rice
1 1/2 tbsp neutral oil such as grapeseed or canola
1/3 cup red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, about 1 cup, finely diced
1 1/2 cups (1 smallish) zucchini, diced
1 medium carrot, finely diced
1 tbsp gluten-free soy sauce
1/2 tbsp fish sauce (optional if vegetarian, substitute gluten-free fish sauce if gluten is an issue)
1/2 tsp ground szechuan pepper (optional, substitute regular pepper if you don’t have szechuan or if you prefer a milder flavor)
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
3 scallions, white and green parts, chopped into rings
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, as garnish
Preparation
In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and 1 tsp salt. Set aside.
Heat 1 tbsp neutral oil in a large pan on medium high heat.
Add the onions, garlic, bell peppers and carrots and sauté until fragrant and slightly soft. Add the zucchini and stir fry for two to three further minutes. Add the sezuchan pepper, soy sauce and fish sauce and stir thoroughly.
Add the cold rice to the pan and break up any clumps with a wooden spoon. Toss the rice in the pan with the veggies so it’s evenly coated with the oil in the pan. Spread the rice out in an even layer. Fry for about 4-5 minutes to heat the rice through. Resist the urge to stir, so that the rice gets lovely crispy bits on the bottom of the pan.
Add the whisked eggs. Stir through and cook until just done, two to three minutes. Remove from the heat and add the sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds. Stir through once more. Serve immediately with piles of fresh cilantro and scallions on top.
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