Classic Fried Rice

Fried rice is so ridiculously easy to make at home. This may seem pretty obvious to most of you, but up until pretty recently, I have to confess that I always used the boxed version when I made Chinese food at home. Don’t get me wrong; I have nothing against boxed rice and pasta products (rice pilaf and white shells and cheddar, I’m looking at you), but when I went to buy a box of fried rice recently I thought to myself, “C’mon, Cassie. You can make this yourself.”

And so I did. And it was good! This is a very classic version of fried rice, made with eggs, onions, peas, carrots, and soy sauce. It’s still pretty quick since it’s made with instant rice, but the rice still has tons of flavor because it’s cooked in chicken stock. My soy sauce measurement below is approximate; I just kept glugging it over the rice until I was happy with the color and flavor, so be sure you taste often and adjust up or down accordingly. My husband thought my version was really good, and he's a huge fan of fried rice, so I'll definitely take his word for it!

I served this alongside our favorite chicken lettuce wraps, and it would also be delicious as a bed for a heaping serving of Asian shredded beef. Yum!

Classic Fried Rice

1 cup uncooked instant rice
1 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 eggs, scrambled
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 carrot, shredded
Approximately 2 tablespoons soy sauce

1. Cook the rice in chicken stock according to package directions; set aside.

2. Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a large, high-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add the eggs, and season with salt and pepper (go easy on the salt).

3. When the eggs are nearly cooked, add the rice to skillet. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes, or until rice begins to get just slightly brown. Add the peas, carrots and soy sauce and stir to combine.