:: fried rice ::

somewhere along the line,

for reasons i can't explain,

fried rice fell off our "what's for dinner" list.

i used to make it all the time

using this recipe {from TEN years ago}.

earlier this week,

my friend mary shared this recipe

and i knew it was time to give fried rice

a spot back on the list.

{thanks, mary!}

:: fried rice ::

~the basic ingredients~

cooked rice

veggies

eggs

tamari {soy sauce}

early in the day,

cook a pot of rice as usual:

2 cups short grain brown organic rice

4 cups water

2 Tbls butter

2 tsp salt

bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.

cover & simmer for 1 hour {maybe a bit more}.

then, grab every vegetable you have on hand:

red onion

garlic

red bell pepper

carrot

broccoli

zucchini

cabbage

peas

dice everything except the peas.

saute veggies in canola oil.

season with salt & pepper.

i like to start with onions & garlic

then work my way down the list

to the more tender veggies.

{note: fresh ginger is on the list for next time,

but i added some ground ginger to the veggies}

then make a well in the center & add eggs.

scramble until almost set

then add rice.

{this is a good time to add a little sesame oil}

i didn't have much room left,

so i did the eggs & rice in another pan, then combined them.

season with tamari {soy sauce}.

maybe a little fresh basil on top.

fried rice is always better than you expect.

it's a more-than-the-sum-of-its-parts

kind of thing.

can't wait to have the leftovers for lunch today.

♥