Lunchtime for me is one of the most boring meal times. I don’t know what it is about the humble sandwich, but it doesn’t cut it for me. I really like having a warm meal at lunch, and vegetable fried rice ticks that box. The great thing about this recipe is that it can be done in less than 30 minutes, and it can be meal prepped!
I’m forever trying to reduce food waste, it happens to all of us! This recipe is fantastic for using up any veggies in the fridge that might be going past their prime, toss them in and don’t let them go to waste! In the recipe below I’ve shown which vegetables I would typically use, this allows you to have a rough guideline of quantity. I really encourage you to add anything in and use it all up. I really like this recipe when I don’t have very much in the fridge as well. It works so well with some frozen vegetables, olives and canned fruit. The possibilities here are endless so please just use this vegetable fried rice recipe as a guideline and let your imagination take you away. As you can see below, I’ve got a selection of different ingredients to the recipe below and it worked perfectly.
The most important element to this dish is the spices. They really elevate this dish to one that has a good range of flavours. Turmeric helps give it a vibrant colour as well as adding that unique taste. Coupled with the smoked paprika and garlic, these spices really help liven up the vegetables and make the rice look fantastic!
Don’t forget to add in your protein. In the recipe below I have added Richmond meat-free sausages. These are my absolute favourite vegan sausage alternatives, but you can use any protein you have to hand. I have used seitan which I have cooked previously that week, either chicken or normal, or any protein! This meal is all about combining what you have to create a quick and nutritious meal.
Let me know what you thought of this recipe and what combination you used! I hope you enjoy it.
Vegetable fried rice
Ingredients
- 250 g Microwave Rice or cook your own before hand
- 4 Richmond Sausages or any protein!
- 100 g Sweetcorn
- 200 g Butternut Squash
- 1 medium Red Onion
- 1 medium Red Pepper
- 40 g Dried Fruit I like using sultanas
- 4 tsp Garlic Powder
- 2 tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1 tbsp Smoked Paprika
- 3 tsp Salt Add or reduce to taste
- 3 tbsp Water
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
Instructions
- Peel and chop the butternut squash and the onion. Make sure the butternut squash is small chunks to aid cooking faster
- In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil over a low heat and add the onion
- After 2 minutes add the butternut squash and cook for 5 minutes
- Chop the sausages, or other protein, add them to the frying pan for a further 5 minutes
- Chop the pepper and add that to the mix with the sweetcorn. Cook for another 5 minutes
- Add the rice, fruit and spices. Stir well to combine it all
- Cook for 5 more minutes to allow the flavours to develop. Add the water one table spoon at a time if there is any sticking or the dish starts to dry out
- Dish up and enjoy!
