Fried Rice with Bacon and Peas

Pictured: Fried Rice with Bacon and Peas

My children adore this dish, it is one of the few meals they all eat together from 2yrs to 8yrs!

I think it is because they all love bacon. 

I plump it up with lots of peas and corn, and is a great way to sneak some garlic into them which is so good for their immunity. Plus the added egg for healthy protein rounds it all off.

I use brown rice when I can – it is so much better for them and I find they even prefer it now, plus it doesn’t have as much starch in it so it doesn’t stick to the pan like white rice does, so less oil needed to prevent this.

I now love having rice left over from a meal, a small tub is perfect for this and cooks better cold the next day.

I now also try to dice up a whole packet of bacon and freeze portions in zip lock bags to make this meal even faster.

3 – 4 rashers bacon, diced - sustitute with a good smoked ham

1 garlic clove, finely diced or minced

½ cup frozen peas and corn each – use fresh where possible and which ever vegetables your children prefer

2 cups cold pre-cooked rice, preferable brown

2 eggs

This is a quick dish so have all ingredients ready and prepped first.

In a non-stick pan on medium heat, fry the bacon til browned. Add a little light olive oil if there isn’t enough fat to render and cook the bacon in. 

Add the garlic and stir well while it cooks 1 minute so it doesn’t burn, quickly adding the peas and corn if it looks like it is about to turn. Cook 5 minutes, stirring regularly.

Add the rice, and stir well, let toast a little in the pan and warm through for a few minutes.

Pictured: Cooking Fried Rice

Make two holes in the mix – add a drizzle of oil in each and crack an egg into each hole. Break up the eggs with your spoon/spatula and coat over all the rice mix - it cooks like an omelette coating the whole dish – once all the egg is cooked serve into bowls.

I recommend flat and wide bowls as the dish will be hot, especially for kids, and this will help avoid hot pockets in the middle.

Serves 3 – 4 kids

To note - for a vegetarian meal, You can omit  the bacon. It will still be delicious with the omelette and vegetables, but knowing you will miss the smoky flavour it imparts try adding a splah of kecap manis the end. of cooking.