veggie-full fried rice

prep: 15 MINUTES | cook: 15 MINUTES | total: 30 MINUTES | serves 6

This is one of my favorite ways to eat my veggies, and it doesn’t hurt that the rest of the family agrees. It’s almost unbelievable how you’re able to stuff this dish full of all kinds of vegetables—mushrooms, carrots, bell peppers, peas—and yet it doesn’t feel like you’re just eating a bowl full of them thanks to perfectly crisped-up rice. My little secret is mixing together brown rice with cauliflower rice. (Shhh, don’t tell the boys!) It’s a cinch to cook up for a healthy weeknight meal, and trust me when I say that you won’t miss the take-out version.

2 tablespoons canola oil or other neutral-tasting oil

4 large eggs, whisked

1 small white or yellow onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped

8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup frozen shelled edamame

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

2 cups chilled cooked brown or white rice, any clumps broken up (see Notes)

1 cup cauliflower rice (see Notes)

2 scallions (white and green parts), sliced

3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce or tamari soy sauce

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Heat ½ tablespoon of the canola oil in a large sauté pan or wok over medium-low heat. Swirl the pan so the bottom is completely coated. Pour the whisked eggs into the middle of the pan; as the eggs begin to set, gently pull the eggs across the pan with a spatula, forming large soft curds. Continue cooking, pulling, lifting, and folding the eggs until they are thickened but barely set, about 3 minutes. Transfer the scrambled eggs to a plate and set aside.

2 Add the remaining 1½ tablespoons oil to the pan and heat over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, bell pepper, and mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Stir in the peas, edamame, and garlic and cook for an additional 3 minutes.

3 Stir in the sesame oil, brown rice, cauliflower rice, scallions, soy sauce, and pepper flakes (if using). Continue stirring for 3 minutes to fry the rice. Add the scrambled eggs and stir until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

NOTES: The crispy fried rice really is the star of this dish. Whenever we make rice for another dish, we always toss in extra so we have leftovers to make this. In order to get yours super crispy, make sure you use cooked rice that’s been chilled. Fresh, warm rice won’t work because it’ll stick together in the pan, resulting in soggy, clumpy rice. If you don’t have time to chill the rice overnight, make a fresh batch, spread it over a large baking sheet, and chill it in the fridge until it’s completely cooled, about 30 minutes. We like long-grain brown rice, but white rice works too. I mix it with cauliflower rice, which you can buy at the store—or make it yourself by just pulsing raw cauliflower florets in a food processor until it resembles rice.