SO VERY QUICK VEGETABLE "FRIED" RICE

I cook with a "no-waste" philosophy. When I don't do recipe-specific shopping trips, I'll use up whatever I have in the fridge. Speaking of which, I still have yogurt, cheese, and eggs I don't want to waste even though I want to maintain my vegan diet. I'll use these items up but will not buy more. So, with a slew of fresh vegetables, basmati rice, eggs, and spices, I whipped up an extremely easy and delicious version of vegetarian fried rice.

Ingredients:

1/4 red bell pepper

1/4 green bell pepper

1/4 yellow bell pepper

1/2 zucchini

1 bunch scallion

2 carrots

1 sm. head broccoli

3 tbsp. butternut squash oil

white basmati rice

3 eggs

tamari

garlic powder

onion powder

s+p

cayenne pepper

handful of cashews

Gideon makes the rice in this house because I am always impressed with the perfection of each individual grain. My rice is too often mushy. I think his secret is the immense amount of time he spends rinsing it. Once you get the rice going, whether you use the stove top or rice cooker, work on the veggies.

Heat the oil in a large saute pan or wok. Chop your vegetables however you'd like and add them to your pan. Add cayenne pepper, s+p, garlic powder, and onion powder to taste. I go light on the cayenne and s+p and heavier on the others. Continue to toss your vegetables. (I do not cook my vegetables for very long. I prefer them hot and crunchy.)  Add tamari. I do this by sight. I want all the vegetables covered without too much excess in the pan. You can always add more upon service. Next, I add a few cups of the cooked rice to my pan and proceed to crack the eggs over top. Mix the rice, veggies, and eggs together until the latter is cooked. Serve and top with chopped cashews.

I love that this dish will always be a little different everytime I make it. Sesame oil is always a good alternative, and fresh ginger, cilantro, and lemon make great additions. You can scrap the eggs or use a vegan egg substitute to make this a vegan dish.