Ham and Veggie Fried Rice

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Dairy-Free/Nut-Free/Vegetarian Option

Skill Level: Beginner

Yield: 4-6 main dish-sized portions

Prep Time: 20-25 minutes

Cook Time: 10-12 minutes

Equipment Needed:

• Cutting board 

• Chef's knife 

• 12-inch skillet 

• Rubber/Silicone Spatula

The Recipe:

This recipe was inspired by a recipe from the website Gimme Some Oven (which I love)

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon butter, optional

• 2 eggs, optional

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 2-3 carrots, scrubbed and diced small

• 1 onion, chopped

• 1 cup broccoli florets, cut into small pieces

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 4-4 1/2 cups cooked, chilled rice

• 1/2 cup frozen peas

• 3/4 cup cooked ham, cubed

• 3-4 green onions, sliced thin (green and white parts)

• 4-6 tablespoons soy sauce, more or less to taste

• 2 teaspoons oyster sauce

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Procedure:

Make your egg ribbons (optional): Crack 2 eggs into a bowl and add a hefty pinch of Kosher salt. Use a fork or whisk to thoroughly mix. Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Melt 1/2-1 tablespoon butter in the pan; swirl plan to coat. Add your beaten eggs to the pan and tilt the pan so that the egg completely covers the surface. Wait about 10 seconds, then use a silicone/rubber spatula to push the egg from the sides of the pan down, all the way around.

Tilt the pan again so that any runny egg flows out to the edges of the pan where it can cook. Repeat this process (1-2 more times, max.) until there is no more egg flowing/running when you tilt, but the top of the eggs still looks wet. Turn down the heat and use your rubber spatula to fold one edge of the egg circle over about 1-2 inches.

Repeat folding and rolling your egg up like an enchilada until you've reached the other side.

Transfer your egg roll to a cutting board, and cut slices/ribbons that are about 1-inch thick.

Alternatively, you could just scramble your eggs :) the ribbons are just a more impressive presentation if you're into that.

1. If you made eggs to add into your fried rice, no need to wash the pan. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil to your pan and heat over medium-high heat; swirl to coat pan.

2. Add the diced carrots, chopped onion, and broccoli to the pan and cook, stirring often, until vegetables begin to soften (4-5 minutes).

3. Add the garlic and stir/cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

4. Add the rice, peas (no need to thaw in advance), ham, green onions, soy sauce, oyster sauce, a big pinch of Kosher salt and several grinds of black pepper. Cook, stirring to break up the rice as needed, for an additional 3-4 minutes.

5. Remove pan from heat and stir in the sesame oil. Taste, and adjust with additional salt, pepper, sesame oil and soy sauce to your liking.
   

To Serve: Dish up individual portions in bowls or on plates, passing the egg ribbons as an optional add-in. I love serving fried rice with wontons and sweet and sour sauce, but it's great on it's own as well. If you like some spice, try drizzling some chili oil or Sriracha on top of your fried rice.

Adjusting for your diet: This dish can easily be made vegetarian by omitting the ham. If you are on a gluten-free diet, this can be made gluten-free by using gluten-free soy sauce.

Tips:

• This is definitely one of those recipes that moves quickly once started, so you want to make sure you have all of your ingredients prepped in advance.

• Fried rice really works best with rice that has been chilled and dried out. I always make my rice the day before and chill it overnight. This also makes one less step for me to do the day I plan to make my fried rice, so it's a win-win! If you forget, you could make your rice right before you do your fried rice, just be aware that your rice will be significantly stickier, making it harder to evenly distribute the other ingredients going into it.

• I use 1 1/2 cups uncooked rice, which yields 4 1/2 cups cooked rice (rice triples in size as it cooks). I spend about a minute rinsing my grains of rice in a fine mesh strainer, periodically mixing it with my hand to get as much of the excess starch rinsed off as possible (this will aid in my rice not being overly sticky after I cook it). I add my rice to the pan along with 3 cups of cool water. I bring to a boil over medium-high heat, add a pinch of Kosher salt, stir, then turn the heat all the way down to low and cover with a tight-fitting lid. I allow my rice to simmer for 15 minutes, then remove it from the heat and allow it to sit covered for 5 additional minutes. This method gives me perfect rice every time.

• I like to use long-grain white rice, but you could easily substitute brown rice or most other varieties of rice you enjoy (I would not recommend wild rice, unless you're really planning to shake things up).

• My husband hates eggs; that is why I do the eggs as an optional add-in. Most fried rice dishes are served with the eggs mixed right in, so if everyone eating your fried rice likes eggs you could definitely just mix your egg ribbons right into your rice at the end.

• I use yellow onion, but you could definitely substitute red or white if you have one on hand.

• I do not peel my carrots in recipes like this; I see it as an unnecessary step, plus the peel has the highest concentration of some of the nutrients found in carrots such as Vitamin C. I scrub them under cool water, and if there are any parts of the peel that look unfit to eat because they are damaged or questionable, I just pare those off.

• I like this combination of vegetables, but you could absolutely switch it up based on your taste preferences and depending on what you have on hand. You could add pineapple tidbits for a sweet and fun twist!

• I like adding the ham because it makes this fried rice seem more like a main dish, but it could easily be omitted or another protein such as shredded chicken or cubed and fried tofu could be substituted. I buy a "ham nubbin" at my local grocery store to use in my fried rice; they sell these small pieces that they cut off of a big ham hock they plan to sell for cheap. I cut around the bone (freeze for later use in a soup or stew!), and then cut my ham into little bite-sized pieces.

• I really debated what I should put down for a measurement on the soy sauce in this recipe, because when it comes to adding soy sauce to fried rice...I measure with my heart ;) I pour a pretty liberal amount directly from the bottle to the pan (I estimate about 1/4 of a cup), then mix it all up, then add a bit more (maybe another 2 tablespoons?). I encourage you to do the same!

• If you do not have oyster sauce on hand, this ingredient could be omitted without compromising the integrity of the recipe.

The Story:

In my experience, fried rice recipes I find online are often advertised as "better than takeout." I can honestly say I have never eaten takeout fried rice, so I don't know if mine is any better or worse than takeout, but I do know it's darn good.

My experience with Asian-inspired dishes really didn't start until I met my husband while I was in college. He loved Thai food, and I was a vegetarian at the time, so we used to frequent a Thai spot in uptown Minneapolis that made a great Sweet and Sour tofu dish. One of the things I loved about that dish is that it was chock full of veggies. I love everything about vegetables; the color, the interesting shapes and textures, and the many, many diverse flavors.

When I started experimenting with fried rice recipes a few years ago, I focused on figuring out the technique first. Using the cold, day-old rice is a big part of successful fried rice, along with proper cookery of the different additions. Good fried rice (in my opinion) includes vegetables that still retain some crispness and are not mushy. Once I felt I had the technique down, I started experimenting a bit with different vegetables and add-ins until I came up with this combination. My kids really like fried rice, so this is a great place for me to pack in a healthy serving of vegetables.

Filling and savory, this Ham and Veggie Fried Rice is packed full of delicious flavors and textures, and it's FAST to make which makes it a real winner in my book! What's your favorite combo of veggies and meats in fried rice? Let me know in the comments below!

Happy tasting!