I love using leftover rice to turn it into something completely different for another meal! Added bonus is the use of lots of different vegetables – helps if you are looking to clean out the fridge! I had half a cabbage, some assorted bell peppers and some eggs. So it all comes together in this low sodium version of Thai fried rice. The star ingredient is of course, Thai basil , which is really growing well on my deck.

Ingredients

Method

• Start with a heavy bottom large sauté pan or wok over medium heat. Add the oil to the pan.
• Once the oil is hot, add the onions and fry till they are starting to brown. Then add the garlic, and all the vegetables. Stir fry till the cabbage is just cooked.
• Separately make a thin omelette (like a crepe) with the eggs and fold it over and cut into bit sized pieces.
• Fried rice works best with cold leftover rice. Add the rice and the eggs to the pan with the vegetables.
• Let the heat from the vegetables soften up the rice.
• Now add in the Thai basil and the cilantro. Your kitchen should smell wonderful from the herbs!
• Note that we have not added any salt yet. Add a squirt or two of soy sauce substitute (you will not need a lot since the rice is already very flavorful).

Thai fried rice is amazingly full of flavor. As always, salt the plate. I like to serve mine topped with a simple omelette or sautéed shrimp (depends on who is eating and what they prefer!) This is very versatile so feel free to improvise with other combinations of vegetables, meats or chicken. Enjoy!