SWEET THAI FRIED RICE

Servings: 4-6

2-3 medium carrots
1 green bell pepper
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 red bell pepper
1 1/2 cups broccoli
20 ounces canned pineapple chunks
2-3 stalks celery
2 cups long grain brown rice
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1 large onion

Begin by putting the rice on to cook, either in a pan or rice cooker.

Cut carrots in half, then cut into matchstick pieces, about 2 inches long and ¼ to 1/8 inch thick. Cut bell peppers into ½ inch squares. Chop onion into ¼ inch pieces. Slice celery lengthwise, then into 1/8 inch thick slices. Chop broccoli into bite sized pieces, like mini trees. Set all the vegetables aside in one bowl.

Drain the pineapple and reserve the liquid.

Combine ¼ cup of the reserved pineapple juice with the soy sauce and the vegetable broth. Set aside.

When the rice is within 5-10 minutes of finishing cooking, preheat a large sauté pan or wok until very hot. Add the liquid mixture (it should instantly steam and boil). Pour all of the vegetables into the pan and sauté on high, stirring frequently. When onion starts to become clear and less pungent, the vegetables are done. Add the hot cooked rice to the vegetables and mix well. Stir in the drained pineapple chunks. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook for about 5-10 minutes, adding a bit more soy sauce and/or pineapple juice to taste as desired. Serve hot from the pan.

Hints: The rice should be hot when added to the pan, so it needs to cook while you are preparing the vegetables. Tamari may be used in place of the soy sauce. Mushroom broth or water may be used instead of the vegetable broth. The vegetables need to be cut into pieces that will all cook in about the same amount of time, since they are all added to the pan at once. You may want to experiment with your own best sized pieces to use in this dish.