Hot Date: Quick, Cheap & Easy Fried Rice
So it’s not a huge surprise that I’m all about simplifying recipes. It’s not that I’m even lazy (ok sometimes I am), it’s that I don’t have the time or energy to go to 4 different grocery stores, scour the nooks and crannies of a farmer’s market for a locally sourced herb, or spend 2 hours mincing and pureeing ingredients. On the other hand, a lot of “quick” recipes and frozen foods aren’t the greatest for you. The other day I was having a major craving for PF Chang’s Fried Rice. I had a few options: drive 20 minutes to PF Chang’s and spend $$$ on some Fried Rice, go to the grocery store and buy something frozen that had a laundry list of weird ingredients and intense levels of sodium, or make some myself!
By no means is this an “authentic” recipe. BUT, it tasted pretty damn good, is cheap and only takes about 10 minutes to make! This basic recipe is for Veggie Not So Fried Rice, but you can easily add a protein in. I recommend throwing in some leftover chicken (minced up), steak or tofu! The great thing about this recipe is that you can use everything in the recipe in other recipes and don’t have to buy anything super exotic.
What you’ll need:
- Rice (You can totally use leftover rice if you want, I went with 1 Pack of Veetee Long Grain Rice)
- Frozen Peas & Carrots (about 1/2 cup)
- Chopped Onion (about 1/8th of a cup, but you an eyeball it as about a handful)
- 1 egg
- 1 tbs butter
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 3 tbs low sodium soy sauce (more to taste)
Alright… the best part of this recipe is that it’s all done in one pan! Start by heating a medium sized pan over medium high heat.
Add a tablespoon of olive oil (you can also use canola oil or coconut oil). Then, throw in the frozen peas & carrots and onion. Stirring ever minute or so until they’re thawed.
Whisk your egg up and toss it in. Turn the heat down to medium heat and stir until the eggs are cooked (they’ll look scrambled).
I used Veetee rice because you don’t have to cook it. It’s ready to go! If you’re making your own rice, add about 4 cups of cooked rice to the skillet.
Drop the butter in and then add the soy sauce. Stir. Heat over high heat for about 5 minutes, or until it the rice starts to brown a bit.
You’re in business! Not only is this fried rice super easy to make, but it’s a lot lighter than the restaurant version! You can totally add some protein too. Throw in some leftover chicken, shrimp or tofu to make it extra filling!
