Flavour-packed basil fried rice

Enjoy this simple and delicious basil fried rice for under $1.70!

Ah, fried rice. It’s the best thing to come out of miscellaneous leftovers and dry old rice. We’re all guilty of cooking too much rice every now and then, but I’m guiltier of cooking too much and throwing it out. The problem with fried rice for me was that I find a lot of it is usually so bland and boring. So I decided I wanted to change that and see what I could do to make it taste better and have less food waste!

Eventually, this recipe became my go-to whenever I had leftover rice, chicken, beef, tofu, and certain veggies that were starting to go bad. I found that the best part of this recipe is that you can always alternate proteins and the veggies and it still holds the strong flavours anyone can really enjoy.

When it comes to fried rice, it’s usually best to use 1 or 2 day old rice that’s been kept in the fridge. That way its a bit more dry and can hold in more flavour without getting too mushy. If you don't have leftover rice, a handy thing to have on hand is Minute Rice^®. You can make this nutritious minuterice.com/recipes/microwave-egg-fried-rice recipe at home, or do the prep before leaving home and use the office microwave to enjoy delicious fried rice for lunch or as a snack.

Here’s the basics of the recipe, you can always add in more vegetables you have left over.

Flavour-Packed Basil Fried Rice

INGREDIENTS for 2 servings:

• 2 cups of cooked day-old rice (1 cup of uncooked rice)
• 4 Tbs canola oil 
• 1 large egg 
• 3/4 cup of chopped cooked chicken (or your choice of protein)
• 1 medium sized carrot 
• 2 scallions 
• 1/2 zucchini 
• 1/3 cup of corn 
• 1 bunch of chopped fresh basil 
• 1 Tbs Rice Vinegar
• 1 Tbs Dark Soy Sauce
• 2 Tsp Oyster Sauce 
• 1 Thai chili (optional)

Total cost for two services: $3.32*
Prep time: 20 Minutes

Stove-top Directions:

Gather & prepare your veggies and chop it all into small cubes (corn not pictured). I had a left over chicken breast from a rotisserie chicken, so I just chopped that into cubes and it worked perfectly! Next, whisk the egg in separate bowl.

Place a wok on the stove at medium-high heat. Once your pan heats, add in 1 Tbs of the oil. As soon as the oil gets hot, add in the egg and scramble.

As soon as it scrambles, remove the egg to a separate dish and pour 2 Tbs of the canola oil.

Next, add in your veggies. I used carrots, zucchini, and some corn. You can definitely add in whatever vegetable you have left over such as broccoli, bok choy, peppers, etc. as long as the flavour doesn’t overwhelm the dish.

Stir for a bit and then add back in your eggs, and then add in your protein & the rice vinegar.

Mix for about 30 seconds to wait for the vinegar to cook off, then add in the rice!

Break apart the rice and mix it in as much as possible and add in your last tablespoon of canola oil.

Once the rice, meat, and vegetables are well mixed, add in the basil, green onions, soy sauce, and oyster sauce (and the Thai chili if you want it to be spicy!).

The oyster sauce can be substituted with vegetable Hoisin if you want, but I really recommend the oyster sauce as it adds it’s unique flavour (and no it does not taste like fish if you’re worried!)

Now really start stirring and really fry the rice. Once everything is mixed well and the basil becomes aromatic, take the rice off the heat and serve.

All done within 20 minutes!

Microwave Directions:

Heat rice according to package directions.

Beat eggs; transfer to a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, poking a few holes to vent. Microwave on MEDIUM-HIGH heat for 60-90 seconds, or until eggs look cooked and puffed. Shred into bite-size pieces using fork.

Toss together the meat and vegetables in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave on HIGH for 60-90 seconds,

Remove from microwave and stir in cooked rice and scrambled eggs.

Add in the basil, green onions, soy sauce, and oyster sauce (and the Thai chili if you want it to be spicy!).