Chinese Sausage Fried Brown Rice

Fried rice has always been one of my favorite dishes my mom made as a child. Recently, I decided I was going to try to create my own version! Surprisingly enough, it was easier than I imagined. In fact, it is probably one of the quickest meals I can whip up that's even slightly healthy since I use brown rice, I throw in lots of vegetables, and I sparingly use oils and butter.

Some of my simple fried rice tips to keep your fried rice from getting mushy:

• If time is not a factor, I like to soak my brown rice overnight, cook it in my rice cooker and leave it out to dry overnight before. However, if you are trying to create a last minute meal, you can cook and fry the rice the same day. 
• Cook meats and vegetables in a separate pan and make sure you drain it well before adding them to the rice.
• When adding the meat and vegetables, gently fold them into the rice. DO NOT over stir!

Ingredients

• 2 cups of jasmine brown rice
• Olive oil
• 1 tbsp. of butter
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 package of frozen mixed vegetables
• 1/4 sweet onion, cubed
• 5 green onions, chopped
• 1 bunch of cilantro, minced
• 4 Chinese sausages, cubed
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• Soy sauce, to taste (optional)
• Chili paste, to taste (optional)

Directions

• In a large pan over medium high heat, add a small amount of olive oil and butter.
• Once the oil is heated, add the garlic and frozen vegetables and cook till they are warm. About 5 minutes.
• Add the sweet and green onions, cilantro, Chinese sausages, salt and pepper. Cook till vegetables and meat are cooked through and hot. About 6 minutes.
• In a large pot, warm the cooked rice over medium hear. About 5 minutes.
• Add the vegetables, meat, chili paste, soy sauce and gently fold them into the rice till well mixed.

Serve and enjoy!

~Hong