Easy Fried Rice

Fried rice is a quick and satisfying meal that’s easy to tailor to what you have on hand or your family’s tastes. This recipe comes to us from Katie of Kitchen Stewardship.

Serves 4

Cooking Tip of the Week: Recipes like fried rice are a great way to use up the veggies you have on hand before they spoil. Try adding whatever you have in the fridge, even if it’s not listed in the recipe.

Food for Thought: Did you know that garlic can help you fight a cough or cold? Research shows that garlic is antibacterial (kills bacteria) and antiviral (fights viruses). But to get these benefits when you eat garlic, it’s best to chop the garlic first, then let it sit for about 15 minutes before you cook it. This lets the garlic develop its sickness-fighting power. Now that’s a good reason to add garlic to tonight’s dinner!

Family Dinner Conversation Starter: Using a knife is an important part of learning to cook. Have you ever used a real knife before?

Ingredients:

• 1-2 cloves garlic
• 1 Tbs. sesame or olive oil
• diced red pepper, about ½ cup
• About 1 cup frozen peas
• About 1 cup frozen corn
• 1/2 cup frozen green beans
• 1 cup frozen broccoli
• 1 Tbs. rice vinegar
• 2 cup cooked brown rice
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric
• 1/4 tsp. powdered ginger
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper

Directions:

Kid: Press the garlic and set aside.

Adult: Heat the oil over medium heat in a pot or deep pan large enough to fit everything (or a wok, if you’ve got one).

Together: Add the diced peppers and any other vegetables that are not already cooked. (Frozen veggies are blanched and will do fine added in the next step.)

Adult: Saute until limp/cooked.

Together: Add the vinegar and garlic and saute for one minute.

Together: Add all the other ingredients and cook over low to medium low heat, stirring often, until everything is heated through.

Kid: Serve warm with optional soy sauce.