I have a very large wok. It’s a little too big for me to handle. It’s a great wok though and I feel sad for it that it doesn’t get much use, so last week I dusted off the top, heated it up, and without breaking my wrist or needing much assistance, I took it for a stroll to make fried rice.

I feel that perhaps real fried rice makers might cringe at how I made this, but I enjoyed it and so did my peeps. I hope this isn’t like the time I was on the elliptical at the gym and was forced to watch Rachel Ray make “Korean pancakes,” which really were just tortilla strips, egg, and green onion. Perhaps if you are a fried rice aficionado, you should look away now.

I had an overflowing fridge of leftover rice and tons of veggies about to turn bad, so fried rice seemed logical. This is what I had, but I think this recipe could use a variety of ingredients as well.

Fried Rice (served 5 for dinner)
3 eggs
1/2 c shredded carrots (leftover from carrot cake)
2 celery stocks, sliced on the diagonal into 1/4 in slices
1/2 cup frozen peas
dried mushrooms, set in boiling water for 5 minutes
1 small head of cabbage
1 green onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
small (1-2 in) chunk of ginger, peeled and minced
wheat-free tamari
sesame oil
garlic chili paste
grapeseed or peanut oil
4 cups cooked white rice

Heat up the wok over medium heat, add 1 TBSP of grapeseed or peanut oil and coat the sides. Crack 2 eggs directly into the bottom. When the bottoms look opaque, barely (gently) scramble until just cooked. Remove from wok and set aside.

Add another T of grapeseed oil and toss in celery, carrots, and green onion and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. Drain and add mushrooms, garlic, chile paste, and ginger and stir-fry for another 2 minutes. Add the tamari, sesami oil and rice and stir-fry over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes. I let it sit for a minute at a time so it gets slightly crunchy. Add the third egg. I crack it on top and mix it in all together- this makes things nice and creamy. Add cabbage, turn heat down to medium, and cover, stirring occasionally for about 3-5 minutes, or until cabbage is totally cooked. Add peas and taste for more soy sauce or sesame oil. Add the cooked eggs and serve right away.