During a pandemic, the key to survival is flexibility and adaptability.
When accessibility to ingredients is limited, we cook with what we have. Dining Happy’s stay-home series feature flexible. They take into consideration what you have to work with during a stay-home order. Use this guide and adapt the recipe to the ingredients you already have for a balanced, nutritious, one-pan meal.
Dining Happy Tip
Approach this project with the concept of stages in mind. The key is to cook, mix and fold your ingredients in, one type at a time, until all your ingredients are evenly folded in.
Dining Happy’s Flexible Fried Rice
A flexible fried rice recipe for all those times it's not convenient to head to the store.
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Servings: 2 people
Ingredients
- 3 cups refrigerated, day-old cooked plain rice (loosened) any kind, except sticky rice
Protein
- 1 cup chopped, ground, or shredded protein of choice e.g. chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, tofu
Vegetables
- 1 cup frozen or canned mixed vegetables OR
- 2 cups chopped fresh vegetables any kind – e.g. bok choy, kale, collard, cabbage, broccoli, green beans, sugar snap peas, or any veggies you have
Aromatics
- 2 tbsp garlic finely minced
- 1/2 onion chopped
- 1 any kind of red chili optional
- 2 stalks chopped green onions optional
- 1 tbsp chopped cilantro optional
Seasoning
- 1 tsp seasoning (add more to taste) fish sauce, soy sauce, tamari, coconut aminos , mushroom seasoning powder, bouillon, or salt
- black pepper to taste
- 3 tbsp neutral-tasting cooking oil preferably with a high smoke point
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add one egg, a pinch or squirt of seasoning and black pepper. Beat the mixture with a fork for about 30 seconds and set aside.
- Heat a nonstick pan or wok on medium heat. Once hot, add 2 tbsp of cooking oil into the pan. Then add the onions and garlic, and stir-fry until translucent using a wooden spatula or spoon. This takes about 2 minutes.
- Crank up the heat to high, add your protein, and some seasoning for flavor. Continue to stir fry the protein on high heat for about 3-4 minutes (raw protein) or 2 minutes (for cooked protein).
- If you're doing the egg, make a well, and add the egg mixture right in the middle. Swirl quickly and scramble the eggs within the well, then incorporate the eggs with the rest of the ingredients in the pan.
- Add the vegetables, and continue stir-frying for 1-2 min. Then add the turmeric, and chili. (optional)
- Add the turmeric, and chillies. (optional)
- Add the loosened rice. Avoid adding the rice in clumps, or your fried rice will be clumpy and won't cook evenly. Continue folding the rice into the proteins and season to taste. Drizzle another tbsp of cooking oil all over the rice. Mix and incorporate everything.
- Keep stir-frying for about 3-5 minutes, until your fried rice dish looks steamy and evenly cooked. Turn off the heat.
- Sprinkle with chopped green onions, and garnish with cilantro if desired.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Approach this project with the concept of stages in mind. The key is to cook, mix and fold your ingredients in, one type at a time, until all your ingredients are evenly folded in.