A bazillion years ago at the State Fair of Texas in Big D there was a local chef demonstrating how to make Stir Fried Rice.  At that point of my life, I do not believe I had ever heard of Stir Fried Rice. (This was long before Panda Express.)  I sat through the demonstration, and when all was said and done, the recipe did look and smell wonderful, divine, and doable.  The chef convinced all of us (at least me) that day that we could make Stir Fried Rice.    I remember walking away thinking, “I can make Stir Fried Rice – I want to make Stir Fried Rice.”  I did, and am I ever glad I did.

From that day to this, Stir Fried Rice has frequently been on our dinner table. (It was one way we could get the boys to eat vegetables.)

Except for a little chopping, Stir Fried Rice is so easy to do.  (You can buy pre-chopped vegetables now which would make this really, really easy.)  Use any veggies you like, and make as much or as little as you like.  It is more a method rather than a recipe.  Do not worry.  You do not have to have a wok.  Any large skillet will do.

For Stir Fried Rice, you will need cooked rice – fix as much as you want.  Left over rice works well for this. While the rice is cooking, dice the meat and chop the veggies.

In the wok/skillet fry cut up bacon.  Remove the bacon to a bowl.  Drain and save the grease.  (Alas, on this day our refrigerator was bare – there was no bacon.  So no bacon in the pictures or in the Stir Fried Rice on this day.  But I usually add the bacon, and the State Fair Chef used bacon, so you might want to use bacon.) Capiche?

Then scramble some eggs in a little bit of the bacon grease (which I didn’t have so I used EVOO) in the wok/pan.  Stir the eggs around real good so they are in little pieces (smaller than this).  Remove the eggs and put them in the bowl with the bacon.

Chop and dice any veggies you like  – green onions including the green parts (or any other onions), garlic, carrots, mushrooms, broccoli, celery, peppers, etc…  I usually use mushrooms, but no mushrooms in the fridge this day.  I really like to have mushrooms.

Add a little of the bacon grease back into the wok/pan and add the vegetables.  Stir (See why this is called Stir Fried Rice) until the vegetables are crisp tender.  Remove the vegetables to the bowl.

See these purty veggies – so bright and delicious, and full of anti-oxidants.  Veggies are good for you!

Now you are ready to cook the meat.  (This can be a meatless meal.  Just omit the meat. – Did I really have to say that?)  Use any meat you like.  We generally use chicken breast or pork chops.  Dice the meat into bite size pieces.  This day we had pork chops that needed to be used.

At this point, you might need to add a little olive oil to the wok/pan.  Just a little will do.  Stir and cook the meat until it is done.  When the meat is almost done, sprinkle soy sauce over the meat – stir and cook until the meat is well coated with soy sauce.  Remove cooked meat to the bowl.

Add a little more olive oil to the wok/pan, and add the rice.  Stir and cook until the rice is beginning to brown.  Add more soy sauce to the rice.  Stir it real good! (I know I should say well, but…)

I see.  Some of the veggies did not go into the bowl.  Don’t worry.  It is okay.  They will soon be one happy family anyway.

Add the bowl full of everything else – bacon, eggs, veggies, and meat to the rice.  Cook and stir until well blended and throughly heated.  If you think you need more soy sauce, add more.  Also taste to see if you need salt.  The soy sauce is salty, so you do not want to over salt the dish.

Add frozen peas and cook and stir until the peas are heated through.

Enjoy!

That is it.  I realize this seems like a lot of steps, but the Stir Fried Rice comes together so quickly.  It is tasty, delicious and doable.