Veggie fried rice

Brianna Price copy editor 

Ingredients: 

2 1/2 cups cooked white rice 

1 cup mixed frozen vegetables, thawed and chopped 

1/2 frozen peas, thawed 

2 eggs, beaten 

2 tbsp. milk 

6 tbsp. soy sauce 

Instructions: 

To begin, add the thawed mixed vegetables and peas to a medium to large-sized skillet on medium heat. Stir and warm until tender and slightly browning. In a separate bowl, crack the eggs and beat with a whisk or fork until completely combined; add the milk to the beaten eggs to thin, then stir/beat.  

Next, move the vegetables to the side of the skillet and pour in the beaten eggs and milk mixture. Scramble the eggs with a spatula until fully cooked. Mix together the vegetables and eggs, turning over while mixing to further break apart the scrambled eggs. Once to preferred browning, add the cooked rice to the mixture—if it looks like the skillet cannot hold the entire mixture, separate into two sections instead, cooking one at a time. 

Mix together, and fold-over while stirring, the rice and vegetable/egg combination until thoroughly fried to desired taste. Add the soy sauce to the mixture before finishing frying to let the ingredients soak for further flavor—if frying in two sections, use 3 tbsp. per section; add more or less soy sauce depending on preference. 

Remove from heat and enjoy. Store inside a glass bowl with lid for prominent warmth prior to eating. 

Commentary: 

This recipe was based off a generic fried rice recipe found online, as I had never cooked fried rice before, but I tweaked it to encompass ingredients I had instead. 

I had a box of rice in my cupboard that I had yet to touch but had bought over a month before and finally decided to make something with it. However, I wanted something other than boring, plain rice. As per usual, I decided I wanted to add vegetables and tried to think of some specific recipe I could make with such ingredients. Fried rice was the first thing I could think of and I remember my mom making it back home and it seemed easy enough. It turns out making fried rice—even for your first time—is not very difficult. 

I was proud and surprised with how it turned out; it reminded me exactly of my mom’s, even though mine included different vegetables and I had no clue how she made hers—though it must’ve been pretty similar. The nice thing about this recipe is that it can be accustomed to fit anyone’s tastes—I used a mix of vegetables found in my freezer, which can be changed out for almost any other vegetable, and the amount of eggs and soy sauce can fluctuate. 

This lasted me a good few days’ worth of lunches and dinners, as even refrigerated and rewarmed in the microwave the rice mixture tasted just as great—needing only a hint more of soy sauce, though. 

If you’re in a time crunch and need something quick and healthy that provides a source of protein and a whole meal, try out this simple recipe for a homemade, authentic meal!