This recipe is a perfect way to use up small amounts of fresh vegetables and clean out the refrigerator or freezer.  Quickly stir-fry the fresh diced veggies, cook the eggs, add cooked rice, then season with the soy sauce mixture. Besides the usual carrots and peas, consider adding radishes, mushrooms, red or green pepper, broccoli stems, sweet potatoes, seeded cucumbers, corn and more.  Let your imagination run wild with vegetables to add for more flavor and crunch.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil, divided
• 2 medium carrots, washed, peeled, and chopped to 1/2-inch diced pieces (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 cup miscellaneous vegetables such as radishes, red or green peppers, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, seeded cucumbers, chopped to 1/2-inch diced pieces.
• 1/2 cup frozen peas and corn
• 4 large eggs, thoroughly beaten
• 4 cups cooked jasmine rice, brown or white 
• 3 green onions, cleaned and thinly sliced

Sauce Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions

1. In a large 12-inch skillet add 1 tablespoon of vegetables oil.  Heat oil over high heat.  Add carrots, miscellaneous vegetables, peas and corn.   Stir fry for 2-3 minutes.  Turn heat down to low, cover and cook for 3 more minutes.  Remove vegetables and place them into a small bowl, set aside.
2.  Add another tablespoon oil to the large skillet.  Swirl to coat bottom of the pan. Heat over high heat.   Add beaten eggs and cook without moving until puffed and lightly browned on one side, for about 1 minute.  Tilt the pan so the uncooked eggs run onto the sides of the hot pan.   Fold eggs into a loose omelet and push to the side of the pan.
3. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan and swirl to coat. Add rice to the center of pan. Flip eggs on top of rice.  Using a wooden spoon, flip and stir fry the rice and eggs, breaking apart clumps for about 2 minutes until rice grains are loose and separated.
4. Turn the heat down to low.  Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.  Pour the sauce mixture over rice and eggs. Stir to coat rice and eggs.
5. Turn heat to high, add reserved cooked vegetables.  Stir fry for another 2 to 3 minutes.  Add thinly sliced green onions.  Mix to combine.  Remove from heat and serve.

Tips:

• Jasmine rice is the preferred rice for fried rice, but any rice can be substituted.
• If using broccoli or bok choy for your miscellaneous vegetables, thinly slice it into 1-inch pieces.
• If using a wok instead of a large 12-inch skillet, cooking times may vary.  
• Make Ahead: Cook the rice, then spread it on a tray or baking pan to cool completely, refrigerating it overnight to dry out.   This prevents mushy fried rice.
• How to Dice Carrots: Slice the carrots into half, then into strips.  Hold the strips together and dice into ½-inch pieces.