Clean Out The Fridge Fried Rice
Fried rice is the best dish to use up any leftovers you have lying around, or the odd bit of veg at the back of the fridge. This is our fried rice guide.
STEP 1: CHOOSE A BASE GRAIN
The gold standard here is left over white rice from the night before. But if you don't have any leftovers, cook up a fresh batch too. If you have no rice at home, you can also use:
Brown Rice
Quinoa
Barley
Farro
Bulgar Wheat
STEP 2: CHOOSE YOUR VEG
You can really use any type of veg here, this is why it fried rice is such a fantastic dish when it comes to clearing out your fridge. Here are some of our favourite combinations:
Capsicum + Mushroom + Spring Onion + Asparagus
Cabbage + Sweetcorn + Broccoli + Spinach
Bok Choy + Carrots + Zucchini + Capsicum
Top tip: we think ginger and garlic should be added to all fried rice!
STEP 3: CHOOSE YOUR PROTEIN
Protein or not to protein, that is the question. Protein doesn't always have to be meat. Here are some ideas:
Tofu
Tempeh
Eggs
Peanuts
Cashew nuts
Legumes such as beans or chickpeas
Your choice of meat (chicken, beef, pork, seafood)
STEP 4: SPICES, SAUCES & HERBS
Here's your chance to experiment. Fried rice is generally made with soy sauce and oyster sauce but you can chop and change based on what's in the cupboard. Here are a few things that we are adding in moderation:
Chilli flakes
Pinch of curry powder
Ginger
Cumin (for a more Mexican style)
Turmeric
Coriander
Spring onions
Basil
Thai basil
Parsley
OUR VERSION:
2 cups cold left-over cooked rice.
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 onion
1 carrot
½ capsicum
1 clove garlic
2 Bok choy
3 spring onions
3 eggs or you can substitute eggs for silken tofu & a add a touch of black salt to give you that eggy flavour.
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 table spoon toasted sesame seeds.
METHOD
Dice the onions, carrots, capsicum.
Crush the garlic
Finely Slice the spring onions & bok choy.
Beat the eggs in a bowl, set aside
Heat a large frying Pan to medium heat with the oil. Add the onions, garlic, carrots, and capsicum, cook for 4-5 minutes. Add the rice sauté for a further 3 minutes.
Move the rice to one side to create some space for the egg to cook. Move the rive to one side. Pour in the beaten egg stir to scramble & cook. Mix the eggs through the rice. Add the boy choy and spring onions.
Add the soy sauce, mix through. Soy sauce is salty, you may not need salt, taste for seasoning, and serve with toasted sesame seeds on top.