Easy Last-Minute Dinner Tonight: Fried Rice

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Do you ever have one of those days when figuring out what to make for dinner just seems like an impossible task? Today was one of those days for me, but I persevered!

I woke up wondering what to make for dinner. I ate breakfast, still wondering what I should be pulling out of the freezer. I got distracted by a few (thousand) things and before I knew it, it was lunchtime and I still didn’t know what I was making. By 3:00 I started to really rack my brain, and my blog. By now it was too late to thaw anything, so I looked over the list of ideas for some meatless meals and the only one that jumped out at me was the fried rice.

photo by startcooking

EASY ALMOST-LAST-MINUTE MEAL: FRIED RICE

• I started the germinated rice (which is even healthier than plain brown rice!) at 3:30. I made 4 cups (8 cups cooked) and cooked it in some homemade chicken stock I had going on the stove – the stock gives this recipe an extra nutrient kick. This amount was right on for our family of 6, and everyone had at least two helpings, a couple of the kids had 3 or 4. (We only had one small bowl full leftover…my lunch tomorrow!)  ***You could also use vegetable broth.
  
• At 5:00 I put some expeller pressed sesame oil into a wok (borrowed a pan from the neighbors), let it get hot, then stir-fried the rice around. (1/4 cup or so)
  
• I was thankful I had chopped some green onions from the farm market this summer and had them in the freezer. I added these to the bottom of the pan and got them hot. (1-2 T. chopped)
• Sprinkle generously with sea salt to your taste, along with some pepper. (If you get these amounts right, it can make or break the whole recipe. I know this is a no-brainer for some, but it really makes a huge difference in how well it goes over!)
  
• Next I added some frozen peas (which I thawed under my hot water tap) and stirred those in. (3/4 c. or so)
  
• I was too lazy to crush some garlic, so I sprinkled in some organic garlic powder. (1/2 to 1 t.)
  
• I gave it a few shakes of Tamari (a fermented soy sauce) (about 1/8 to 1/4 c.)
• Keep stirring, and then make a hole in the middle the pan. Crack 5 eggs in there and stir around until they’re cooked.
• Stir the eggs in and you’re done!
• Variations: you could add chicken, carrots, what else? What do you like in your fried rice?
  

We served it with a few apple slices, and the kids were all over this dinner. It took a little work in the last half hour, but I love having another meal that I can throw together easily at the end of a long day of lists and errands.

• More fast last-minute kid-friendly meal ideas
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