So in order to be vegan, you have to essentially marry your tastebuds to rice and beans and all that good stuff. In order to remain BFFs and to not get annoyed when your rice or bean counterpart chews too loudly or eats the last blondie square, you have to keep things interesting. This recipe for fried rice really did that for me. It introduced me to some new flavors with the sesame oil and brown rice vinegar, and it's an excellent way to use up produce in the fridge. More importantly, it kept Mr. Rice off the couch for another night.
This comes from Alicia's "The Kind Diet," and the original recipe calls for lotus root rounds. Now, I have found lotus root rounds at an Asian food market, and I still shudder when I think about the experience. Let's just say I'm going to have to find a place that sells lotus root without the weird butcher guy in the back with the dirty apron or the hanging carcass in the front display. So given the.. umm.. adventure.. I did not have lotus root for this recipe, but just know, she calls for it. Oh, and I also threw in some sugar snap peas!
1-2 T dark sesame oil
1 tsp. finely chopped garlic
2 pinches of fine sea salt
1/4 c. thinly sliced daikon rounds
1/4 c. thinly sliced carrot
1 c. cooked short-grain brown rice
1/2 c. chopped bok choy or small broccoli florets
Shoyu to taste
Brown rice vinegar to taste
1/4 finely chopped scallions
Heat the oil in a large skillet (or wok if you have one) over md-high heat. Add the garlic and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, about 10 seconds. Add the daikon and another pinch of salt and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the carrots and cook for 2 minutes longer.
Add the rice to the skillet with 3 T. of water. Season the rice with your shoyu and vinegar, add the bok choy, and stir-fry 2-4 minutes - or until the rice is hot, and the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in the scallions last before serving.
