This Harvest or ‘Garden’ Fried Rice is the perfect way to create a delicious family meal using what you are harvesting from the garden, and backyard eggs too, if you have your own chickens. You can save time, and waste, by using up leftover cooked rice, veges and/or meat. It can be made in advance and re-heats well, and it does freeze & defrost well too. It is cheap, healthy and easy! Home made fried rice is a whole different experience from Chinese take away fried rice. The kids will definitely eat this one!

Low FODMAP harvest Fried Rice

MAKES

Enough to serve 4 people as a main

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups of cooked white rice (organic, long grain, like basmati or jasmine)
• 1/4 cup of macadamia oil, coconut oil, or ghee, for cooking
• 2 to 3 eggs, whisked with 1 tsp water or tamari
• 2 cups diced vegetables (combination of carrot, zucchini, green beans, capsicum, broccoli, brussels sprouts – you can also use leftover cooked vegetables)
• 2 tbsp. water
• 1 cup of diced greens (bok choy, chinese greens, kale)
• 1 tsp Chinese Five Spice
• 2 tsps roast onion infused oil
• 1 tsp garlic infused oil
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 to 3 tbsp gluten free tamari
• 1/4 cup chopped coriander, or Asian herbs

OPTIONAL

• 1 cup of cooked diced bacon, cooked diced chicken pieces or cooked sausages (a great way to use up leftover cooked meat, that has been stored safely in the fridge)
• 1cm x 1cm knob of fresh ginger, finely grated
• Sliced chillies, or cucumber slices to serve

PREP

1. Unless you have leftover cooked rice to use, cook 2 cups of long grain rice the night before, or at least several hours before you are going to make this dish. Cook only until just becoming tender, rinse and then drain well. Store in a covered tray or dish in the fridge.

METHOD

1. In a small bowl or jug, whisk your eggs with 1 tsp tamari (or water).
2. Finely chop your veges, and greens. Dice any cooked meat you are using. Chop your greens, and herbs.
3. Heat a small amount of oil or ghee in a wok or deep fry pan, over medium heat.
4. Cook the whisked eggs to make a small omelette, until just cooked. Set aside. Slice into small strips.
5. Add 2 tbsp. of water to the fry pan, and add the carrot & any other ‘harder’ vege’s first, cooking for 5 to 10 minutes, until starting to become tender
6. Then add the remaining uncooked veges and greens, stirring and cooking, until tender (add more water if required, but make sure all the water evaporates or is drained). If you are using leftover veges that are already cooked, add them to the pan all at once, and just heat through.
7. Add more oil to the veges, then add your cooked bacon, leftover chicken or sausage, if using. Stir to combine.
8. Add the Chinese five spice, roast onion oil, garlic oil, sesame oil, and tamari (and finely grated ginger, if using). Stir to combine.
9. Add one cup of the cooked rice, stirring it gently through until just mixed. Do not over stir!
10. Continue adding small batches of rice, until all the rice has been mixed in and covered in the oils, spice and tamari.
11. Return the omelette strips or pieces to the fry pan, and gently stir through. Heat thoroughly.
12. Taste the fried rice, and add further chinese five spice or tamari, if required.
13. Serve your Garden Fried Rice sprinkled with chopped herbs, slices of cucumber or sliced chillies, or my Sweet Chilli and Ginger Sauce.

NOTES

• The rice needs to be ‘dry’, otherwise the fried rice gets gluggy and doesn’t have the right texture. Storing it overnight, or for several hours, in a covered container, in the fridge can help it ‘dry out’. Remember food safety guidelines.
• Chinese Five Spice is a combination of spices, commonly star anise, cinnamon, cloves, Sichuan pepper, fennel seed, and can be bought in most supermarkets.
• If you do not require a Low FODMAP fried rice, other vegetable options include sliced celery, snow peas, green peas, asparagus, cabbage, and you can use 2 cloves of garlic, crushed, and 1 small onion, finely diced.