Veggie Packed Fried Rice

Do you ever have a brilliant idea, or a perfectly well-thought out plan that goes horribly wrong because of some unforeseen circumstance totally out of your control? That TOTALLY happened to me tonight.

OK, I'm being slightly dramatic. But, I had slightly different intentions for tonight's recipe. I had a vision of remaking a basic Asian-style fried rice and turning it into something more robust by subbing the rice for quinoa. We all know about quinoa. It's very hip right now, considered a great food to add to your diet especially if you are trying to lose weight.

Well, apparently the cat is out of the bag on this one. The mart that I frequent for quick shopping trips on my way home was plum OUT of quinoa. And because it was a work night and there was no way I was making my way to a second store, my plan was foiled.

Yes, the "cat is out of the bag" line is a totally shameless ploy to put a picture of my cat in this post. I'm a winner.

Luckily, I still decided to whip up a batch of this Veggie-packed Fried Rice. It was really delicious and flavorful. It also took no time at all to whip together. This is the perfect side dish to thwart any craving you may have for Chinese take out!

I am totally hooked on edamame right now, so I knew that would make an appearance in this dish. It has great protein content and it's light, delicate flavor loaned itself perfectly to a stir fry.

Along with the edamame, this rice has plenty of shredded carrots, onions, and broccoli. I also added in scallions and cilantro, because I love the way these herbs compliment many Asian flavors.

A fried egg also adds a punch of protein, while a touch of red wine vinegar, soy sauce, and hoisin sauce give the rice body, flavor, spice, and saltiness.

The recipe below will serve two as a side dish or light meal. Feel free to double the recipe and toss in some chicken or pork for a great dinner! Will you try this with quinoa? I know I will -- I'll be sure to post again after I have experimented!



Here's what you need for Veggie-packed Fried Rice:

1/2 large onion, diced
4 to 5 baby carrots, shredded
1/2 cup frozen edamame
1/2 cup frozen broccoli flourettes, chopped fine
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce, divided
1 egg
1 cup leftover cooked brown rice
2 tablespoons (probably closer to 1.5 tbs) hoisin sauce
Chopped chives and cilantro, about 1 tablespoon each
Canola oil for cooking
Black pepper to taste

Here's what you do:

In a large skillet, heat about 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, edamame and broccoli. Stir to coat in the oil. Season with pepper. Cook about 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until browned and slightly tender.

Add the red wine vinegar and scrape up any bits of veggies from the bottom of the pan. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce and cook about 30 seconds.

Push the veggies to the sides of the pan and add in the egg, breaking the yolk. Allow to sit until the bottom sets, then stir back into the veggies. Reduce heat to medium-low.

Once there are no more bits of raw egg in the pan, stir in the brown rice and the remaining tablespoon of soy sauce. Allow to cook until warmed, about 2 minutes more.

Remove from the heat and stir in the hoisin sauce until your taste buds prefer. Stir in the fresh herbs. Serve immediately.

Note: Slightly adapted from Skinnytaste