For a healthy way to get rid of leftovers, nothing beats fried rice. A delicious blend of protein, veggies and of course rice, this dish is a tasty go-to weeknight staple. To make the perfect and healthy fried rice, follow these tips:

• Think Quick: Fried rice is such a great dish because it cooks up in minutes, so long as you plan ahead. Use a large open cooking surface like a wok or a griddle. A large cooking surface ensures that more of the food is exposed to the heat. Also, make sure to cut your ingredients especially thin. This creates lots of surface area per amount of food, and more surface area equals more heat equals faster cooking time.
• Dig through that fridge: This is a great way to re-purpose those leftovers sitting idly in your fridge. Asparagus, Brussels sprouts, spinach, peppers, beef, chicken, you name it – any leftover tastes great in fried rice. Let your imagination soar into the wok when cooking.
• Healthy ingredients = healthy fried rice: Just because it’s called fried rice doesn’t mean it has to be dripping in oil, salt and calories. Be sparing with your cooking oil, or better yet use low sodium broth instead. Use high fiber brown rice over white rice. Instead of flavoring with lots of soy sauce, use herbs and spices. Choose lean protein sources and include lots of veggies.

Think you have the skills to make a quick and healthy fried rice? Then try your hands with this recipe:

Thai Basil Fried Rice

Spicy and sweet, crunchy and filling, this low fat recipe is a quick and easy recipe perfect for leftovers. You can even customize this healthy recipe and add your favorite veggies and lean protein.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

– 2 tablespoons light oil
– 1 clove garlic, minced
– 3 small red or green chilies, minced
– 1 cup button mushrooms, halved
– 1 small onion, minced
– 2 cups cooked brown rice
– 2 ounces green beans, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
– 1 small sweet red or green pepper, sliced
– 1/2 teaspoon sugar substitute
– 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
– 15 sweet basil leaves, sliced

Instructions:

1. Pour oil into a heated pan or wok.
2. When the oil is hot, add garlic and chilies
3. After about a minute, add the mushrooms, onion, rice, beans and pepper.
4. When the vegetables are softened and slightly crispy, add sugar, soy sauce and basil. Cook until vegetables reach desired doneness.