FRIED RICE IN A RUSH

Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes

Okay, there are some days when I have very little time to try and come up with a "culinary masterpiece" or "gastronomic bliss" after rushing to school for pick up, then off to ballet, piano or swimming only to notice that we are arriving back at home-sweet-home at nearly the same time hubby arrives home exhausted and nutrition-deprived from a hard ay at work, where I imagine most of his nutritious lunch kilojoules (or calories) were obliterated by copious amounts of caffeine from coffee, tea, or his Achilles heel - chocolate.

These are the nights when I try to come up with something that tastes good but doesn't take an hour or more to prepare. I also strive to keep it healthy and offer some form of vegetable, starch and protein...so here's a good one I came up with. It also happens to be the only rice preparation I can usually get my daughter to eat.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Basmati Rice (yes, it actually tastes better than the cheap stuff)
2 Cups Cold Water
2 Tsp Salt
1 Diced Onion
1 Lb (approx 400-500 Gm) Diced Meat of your choice
(This could be chicken, beef, pork, ham, whatever - leftovers are good here too)
1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
3 Cloves Crushed Garlic
2 Tbsp Asian Rice Wine
3 Cups Frozen Mixed Vegetables (Peas, Corn & Carrot or even Green Beans will do in a pinch)
1 Can Sliced Water Chestnuts


DIRECTIONS:

Rinse rice and place in a saucepan with cold water and salt. Bring to a boil then lower heat to simmer approximately 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed completely. Remove from heat.

Whilst rice is cooking, in separate large chef's pan or wok, heat the sesame oil and cook onion about 2 minutes on medium heat, just until it begins to go transparent.

Now add meat, soy sauce, garlic and wine and either cook until all previously cooked meat is sufficiently hot or until raw meat is starts to brown.

Once meat is cooked well, add in the frozen veggies and chestnuts to warm up.

Once rice has cooked thoroughly, add it to the meat & veg pan and mix everything together well. Cover this pan and leave to steam/simmer for 10 minutes and it's dinnertime! Remember to check seasoning and add more soy sauce if needed.

One other variation I make, includes beating an egg with soy sauce & garlic and scrambling it into the rice at the end. I sometimes also top this one off with baby corn and chopped green onions (spring onions to those in the southern hemisphere).