The one where I actually cook something for once

After yesterday's treatise on the wonders (and, dare I say, convenience) of convenience food, I felt like maybe it was time I actually cooked something.  Pawing through my fridge, I came up with a lot of random vegetables; normally, this would translate to stir-fry, but tonight I threw caution to the wind and went for fried rice ;)

* This is totally different from stir-fry. Totally. *

I can hardly say this wasn't convenient, though.  From pulling things out of my fridge to eating dinner was probably only about 45 minutes. Double-plus bonus, I have enough for three or four meals.  So if you look at it on an effort per meal basis, we're really only talking about ~15 minutes of prep.  That math definitely makes sense.

There's no recipe for fried rice, because who am I to tell you how to fry your rice?  Here's how I did it:

• First, start pressing some tofu. 
• Start cooking rice. I used brown jasmine here.
• Prepare all your vegetables. Here, I diced some onions, garlic, peppers, hot chiles, and carrots; halved some brussels sprouts; and scooped out some frozen corn, edamame, and asparagus. Last, but not least - cube your tofu.
• Heat your wok (or very large pan) over medium heat.  When it's hot, add some oil and let that heat briefly.
• Quickly fry the tofu cubes.  When they're done, remove them to rest while you cook the rest of the food.
• Add onions, garlic, hot chiles, and grated ginger to the oil.  Cook for a few minutes.
• Now throw in the brussels sprouts.  Cook for a few minutes, until they turn bright green. 
• Add carrots and peppers, and (you guessed it!) cook for a few more minutes.
• Add in the frozen veggies and fried tofu.  If you're feeling crazy, throw in some cashews or peanuts.  Add a splash of soy sauce and some black pepper, to taste.  Let everything cook through.
• Finally, stir in the cooked rice and mix everything up! Let it all heat for a few minutes.  
• Devour and enjoy! 

It's lucky that such tasty food can be so quick and easy.  Zucchini and other summer squashes are also great in fried rice, along with basil or cilantro.  Honestly, most vegetables seem to be good in fried rice.  And that's why we love it.