Weeknight Kimchi Fried Rice with Leftover Vegetables
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Kimchi Fried Rice is super easy to whip up on a weeknight for dinner, and it’s a great way to use up leftover ingredients hanging around in the fridge.
The spicy, umami flavor of kimchi tossed in fried rice elevates the dish and perks it up, while being good for your gut health at the same time!
And using VeeTee Rice is a super easy way to get make fried rice, which is always best when made with slightly old, dried out rice. Since VeeTee is a parcooked, microwaveable rice, it’s cooked just enough and is dry just enough to toast and caramelize the rice, making this dish a perfect “I’m in the mood for fried rice” option that you don’t have to think ahead for.
I’ll also confess that I have a major soft spot for kimchi, which is a Korean style of spicy pickle.
Koreans add kimchi to tons of different dishes, and it’s so good for you. If you’re thinking about hopping on the fermented foods bandwagon, kimchi is a great place to start.
Where we live in New York City, kimchi is really easy to find. You can even grab a jar in our local bodega/deli!
However, if it’s not something that’s found in your neck of the woods and you’d like to try it, I’ve used this recipe from The Kitchn to make my own before, and it’s crazy simple. You can purchase gochugaru, a Korean style of chili flakes, on Amazon.
If you’re used to getting your fermented goodness from things like sauerkraut or kombucha but you haven’t given kimchi a try, I really recommend it. It’s a cool, pickle-y, spicy flavor that adds so much to any recipe. My favorite way is on the side of my scrambled eggs in the morning!
Remember the secret I just told you, about how the perfect fried rice, kimchi fried rice or otherwise, starts with slightly old and dried out rice?
It’s by losing its moisture that puts rice in its best position to be fried, so VeeTee’s pre-cooked Heat and Eat Single Flavor packages are a great pantry option to keep on hand for nights when you’re in the mood to whip up a batch of fried rice.
In this particular recipe, I used roasted broccoli I had made earlier in the week as part of my power hour meal prep sesh.
I didn’t know how I would use it that when I was prepping, but chopped broccoli florets were on sale at Fresh Direct this week, so I bought two packages and roasted them up on Sunday.
I love the way roasted broccoli takes on almost a popcorn-y flavor, and it’s so good to have on hand as an addition to meals, or just as a side dish.
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 small onion diced (about 1 cup diced)
- 2 carrots peeled and diced
- 1 package VeeTee Heat and Eat Long Grain Rice 10 ounces
- 1/2 cup chopped prepared kimchi
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1/3 cup green peas
- 1 cup roasted broccoli see note if using fresh
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Combine vegetable oil and sesame oil and heat until shimmering in a large pan over medium heat.
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Add the onions and carrots and cook until the onions have gone translucent and the carrots have softened, about 3-5 minutes.
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Add the rice and break apart with a wooden spoon. Toast the rice, stirring occasionally, about 3-5 minutes or until it has started to brown.
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Add the kimchi,, garlic, ginger powder, peas and broccoli and cook, stirring to combine, another 3-5 minutes or until the vegetables have heated through.
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Remove from heat and serve,
if using fresh broccoli: about 1 1/2 cups fresh florets, chopped fine.
