When my doctor asked me to give up gluten, all I could think about was warm bread and Cinnabon. Little did I know avoiding soy sauce would be one of my toughest challenges. Sure, Tamari is gluten-free soy sauce, and I always keep a supply at home, but regular soy sauce is a standard ingredient in so much Asian food, going out is an obstacle course. It’s in teriyaki and just about every sauce at my favorite local sushi bar. And forget about Chinese food except for PF Changs. They have a nice gluten-free menu, but it’s a bummer that I can’t share dishes with everyone else.  Before I share my recipe for homemade fried rice, I want to mention that San-J makes travel packs of Organic Tamari. I try to always keep a couple in my purse. You can find where to buy them on their website but I get mine at Sprouts.

This recipe is great for using up left overs and veggies that are questionable. Here are some of the things I typically use.

Ingredients

cooked cold rice (I like to keep a box of cooked frozen brown rice on hand. The Trader Joe’s version has about 3 cups per package and I use two bags. I cook it for about a minute in the microwave then put it in the fridge while I chop the vegetables.)

2 tablespoons of oil

1 red bell pepper chopped

chopped garlic

1 pkg sliced mushrooms

broccoli florets

carrots (I sometimes buy shredded carrots in the package and use those.)

pea pods (If I happen to buy them but they’re not crucial.)

cooked shrimp or pork or both (I use frozen cooked shrimp or a left over pork chop. It’s best with both.)

gluten-free soy sauce

2 eggs

green onions chopped

Heat oil and sauté the chopped vegetables in a large skillet (except for the green onions) until soft, add the thawed cooked shrimp and or cooked meat. Add the rice then season with soy sauce. Add the eggs. I stir the eggs in a bowl before I pour it into the skillet. Stir in the eggs until they’re cooked. I throw in the green onions last. It’s easy to over cook and make the rice mushy. This is pretty hard to screw up so feel free to experiment.

Here is a song that kept catching my attention on one of my Pandora stations. The group, Electric Guest, was not what I expected when I saw the video. They do a great job and the songs quite catchy. It’s hard not to move to This Head I Hold.