KimmyKokonut

Fried Rice with Maitake, Peas and baked tofu

Fried rice is my go-to meal if I’ve got a leftover rice.  It’s so easy and quick and if you always have a stash of peas in your freezer, you are halfway there.  I like this dish because it’s quick and really versatile.  Plus, who doesn’t like fried rice?  I steam whatever veggies I have and I’m ready to eat within 10 minutes.  So next time you make rice, make extra for that upcoming evening you work late or would rather not cook for 2 hours.

KimmyFriedRice

Yield:  depends on your proportions of everything, usually 4 servings.  Sorry the amounts aren’t exact, I make it different every time and you’ll probably have a different palate than I do.

Ingredients

• canola/vegetable/peanut oil (NOT olive oil, it can’t handle the heat)
• Veggies of choice (frozen peas, diced carrots, snow peas, broccoli, bok choy)
• Tofu/tempeh/seitan
• minced garlic to taste (2 cloves should do it)
• peeled, minced ginger (about 1 tsp)
• Leftover cooked rice (about 3 cups; I use short-grain brown)
• soy sauce or tamari (about 1 Tbl)
• sesame oil (about 1 tsp)
• toasted sesame seeds (garnish)
• thinly sliced scallions (3 Tbl)

Method

1. Steam fresh vegetables in a steamer until al dente or just tender.  Set aside.
2. Heat some oil (1-2 Tbl) in a skillet and saute your protein of choice until it is nice and crispy (I like to fry tofu cubes, but it’s not the healthiest option out there).  Using a slotted spoon, remove it and set aside on paper towels.
3. Now comes the quick part: heat about 1 Tbl of oil in a large saute pan on medium-high heat and add garlic and ginger and saute for about 30 seconds or until the garlic starts to color.
4. Toss in all the cold rice and stir with a wooden spoon to break up any large clumps.  Your rice may stick, that’s okay, it will add a little crunch and make it that much better.  Continue stirring the rice for about 5 minutes on medium-high heat, making sure it’s all coated with the oil.
5. Add the frozen peas and cook for about a minute to defrost them.
6. Add the remaining veggies and protein and cook long enough to heat them back up.
7. Turn off the heat and add soy sauce and sesame oil.  Stir to combine and serve with a garnish of sesame seeds and scallions.  This makes excellent leftovers.