Dinner · asian
Quick Fried Rice with Frozen Veg
Fifteen minutes, one pan, and a near-empty fridge can still produce a real dinner. The key shortcut is microwave rice used straight from the pouch: Ben's Original Ready Rice or Trader Joe's frozen brown rice both work well. Cold or room-temperature rice fries better than freshly cooked, so day-old leftover rice is even easier.
How to make it
Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat and add a drizzle of oil.
Add frozen vegetables and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes until thawed and hot.
Push veg to the side, crack in eggs, and scramble until just set.
Add rice and stir everything together for 2 to 3 minutes.
Drizzle with soy sauce and sesame oil, toss, and serve.
For the vegetables, use a standard frozen peas-and-carrots mix or Trader Joe's frozen foursome (corn, edamame, peas, carrots) which pours straight from the bag. Three eggs scrambled in the same pan add protein and help kids feel full. Kikkoman low-sodium soy sauce and a small drizzle of toasted sesame oil at the end do most of the flavor work.
Add a handful of shredded rotisserie chicken or frozen cooked shrimp if you want more protein. Swap soy sauce for coconut aminos to make it gluten-free. Kids can crack the eggs or stir the rice, which counts as enough involvement to get them invested in eating it.
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