Easy Last-Minute Dinner Tonight: Fried Rice

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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