Vegetable Fried Rice

Let your imagination guide you in the choice of vegetables to add to this Vegetable Fried Rice recipe.

I found this recipe in a booklet published by Bick’s Pickles. I simple but very flavourful.

Bick’s Corn Relish has been a standard for many years

I like to use many of the farm fresh vegetables available at this time of year, but it’s secret ingredient is the addition of the corn relish.

It is particularly nice when served with a dish such as the Grilled Moroccan Chicken that was posted recently.

Serves

6 - 8

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Cloves garlic (minced)
2 Medium onions (peeled and chopped)
1/2 Tsp dried basil
1/2 Tsp dried oregano
1 Large carrot (thinly sliced)
1 cup green or yellow beans (tips off, slice on the diagonal in 1 1/2 inch pieces or may substitute with 2 medium zucchini thinly sliced)
10 Medium-sized cremini mushrooms, sliced (may substitute with white)
2 Medium-sized tomatoes (diced (about 1 cup))
1/2 cup Corn Relish (I like Bick's Corn Relish)
2 1/2 Cups cooked rice (1 1/4 cups of uncooked rice, see recipe for Easy Steamed Rice)
salt and pepper to taste


Saute garlic, onion and herbs in large frying pan over medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots, beans and mushrooms. Stir fry until tender crisp, another 5 - 7 minutes.

Add in the tomatoes, corn relish, cooked rice and salt and pepper to taste. Gently mix the mixture together over medium heat to heat through. Place in a serving bowl and garnish with fresh chopped basil.

Serves


Bring the water and salt to a rolling boil. Add the rice and stir it to prevent it from sticking to the bottom. Cook the rice in the boiling water for 10 minutes.

Drain the rice into a strainer and then fill the bottom of the saucepan that you just used with about 2 - 3 inches of water. Place the strainer on the saucepan (ensure that the rice is not sitting in water. Cover the strainer and bring the water to a boil (steaming the rice). Cook for at least 20 minutes, but can continue to steam it until it is ready to be eaten. To increase the number of servings, just add more rice to the boiling water and follow the other steps.
Variation 1

I will often cook some onions and mushrooms in a small frying pan and add them to to the cooked rice before serving. Sometimes I just add a tablespoon of butter to the rice and stir it in.
Variation 2

If you would like to cook brown rice, increase the initial cook time in the water from 10 to 14 minutes and then steam it until it is tender.
Variation 3

Cook the rice in chicken, beef or vegetable broth instead of water for the first 10 minutes and then steam over water as described above.