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Sometimes things that might sound hard to make can be surprisingly easy. Such is the case with fried rice. Leftover day in our home is never boring, because I gather all the leftovers, cut the veggies with flair, and create a stir-fry dinner.

It doesn't take long to prepare - cutting the food into bite-sized pieces is the most time-consuming. It's important to have all the ingredients and spices close to hand so they can be added quickly. A wok is convenient but not necessary: any large frying pan works just as well. Key ingredients to making your fried rice taste like "the real thing" are sesame oil, 5-spice, and egg. One of the secrets for keeping the rice from becoming sticky is to use left-over rice, and to coat it with egg before cooking.

INGREDIENTS:
* 2 eggs
* cold cooked rice (about 1/3 cup per person)
* peanut or canola oil, as needed
* leftover vegetables
* leftover meat, alone or in combination (for instance, you could add both chicken and pork)
* your favorite spices (such as black pepper, 5-spice, garlic or basil)

OPTIONAL:
* 5-spice *
* sesame oil *
* diced onions
* mushrooms
frozen vegetables like broccoli or sweet pepper mix or early peas
thinly sliced green onions for garnish
* These ingredients can be found in the Ethnic aisle in most grocery stores.

METHOD:

Gather the meat and veggies from your fridge.

Slice the meat and dice the veggies into bite-sized pieces, separating meat and veggies into two different bowls.

Lightly beat one egg, then pour over cold rice, gently stirring in until rice is evenly coated. Set aside.

Heat wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add about 2 teaspoons of peanut or canola oil when pan is hot.

Beat second egg, then scramble in pan as you normally would. Remove and set aside.

Add about a tablespoon of oil to the pan and toss in the slices of meat. Stir-fry quickly over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes, enough to heat through.

Push meat to sides of pan to make space in center, and toss veggies in. Give occasional quick stirs until they are heated (about 2 minutes), then combine meat and vegetables.

Push this mixture to sides of pan to make space in center. Check to be sure there is still some oil in the pan; if not, add another teaspoon or two. Add egg-coated rice into the center a little at a time, breaking it up with the back of a wooden spoon as you go. Heat for 4 to 5 minutes, until food is steaming.

Add any spices you like: black pepper, 5-spice, garlic, basil, etc. Sprinkle (about 1 teaspoon) sesame oil over all. How much of each to add? Until it smells delicious!

Before serving, return the scrambled egg to the pan, stirring to mix one last time. Garnish with green onion, if desired.

Then enjoy! You may serve with soy sauce or hot sauce, if desired.

You'll be surprised to find how easy it is. It actually takes longer to read the recipe than it does to create a family dinner "Chinese style." Once you've made it a couple of times, you'll be throwing fried rice together like a pro, and your family will start to love leftover night.

Learn more about this author, Starr Rathburn.
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