Hi Savvys!

I love a good fried rice because it’s so versatile, full of nutrients and super easy to make.  My Thai Basil Fried Rice with Pineapple uses ingredients that I usually have on hand or in the freezer.  In this version, I used regular Italian basil because that’s all I had on hand, but you can use any type of basil and it will be just as delicious.

Feel free to switch out some of the veggies so you can use up what you have in the fridge.  Comment below on your favourite variation.

Now set for and be savvy!

Makes 4 full meal portions

Sauce Ingredients

• 2 tbsp tamari (you can use soy sauce or liquid aminos, your choice)
• 1 tbsp vegan oyster sauce (also known as mushroom sauce)
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar (substitute white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar)
• Juice of 1 lime

Fried Rice Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked jasmine rice, preferably left over and cooled (1 cup from dried)
• ½ cup cashews, roughly chopped
• ½ extra brick of firm tofu, drained and crumbled by hand (I used half of a 350g package)
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ¼ black salt/kala namak (optional)
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 3-5 Thai green chilies (optional)
• 4 pieces of king oyster mushroom, sliced (or use brown mushrooms if you can’t find king oyster mushrooms)
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 handful of baby spinach or chopped kale, about 1 cup packed (whatever you have on hand works)
• 1 cup diced pineapple, drained
• ½ cup packed basil (I used regular basil from my plant), roughly chopped
• 1 spring onion, sliced

Directions

1. Mix all of the sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
2. Cook your rice ahead of time, even the night before and leave it in the fridge until you’re ready to make this dish.

*Savvy Tip* fried rice is always best with cold, left over rice.  So the next time you have left over rice, save it in the freezer in a container until you’re ready to make some fried rice!

3. In a bowl, add the tofu and turmeric and kala namak (optional). Mix until the tofu is coated in the mixture (you will know when it’s all bright and yellow).  Set aside.
4. Heat a wok or a deep frying pan over medium heat. Add the roughly chopped cashews to the dry pan let roast for 2 minutes, tossing constantly so that the nuts are evenly roasted.  Keep an eye on it so you don’t burn it!  Once the cashews are all toasted to your liking (color and scent, you can even try a piece to see if you like it), remove it from the pan and set aside in a bowl to cool.
5. Place the wok/pan back on the burner and add the oil over medium to high heat (no need to clean the pan). Cook onions, garlic and chilies until fragrant and slightly transparent, about 2 minutes.  Add sliced king oyster mushrooms and arrange them so they’re evenly spread out to maximize surface area for caramelization.  Leave the mushrooms to cook undisturbed over medium heat for about 1 minute; after a minute, flip them so they get color on the other side.  Cook for about 30 minutes.  Add the carrots and celery to the pan and sauté for about 5 minutes until the carrots and celery are fragrant, have nice brown marks and are tender when you press down with a spoon.  If you notice during the 5 minutes that the pan is getting dry, just add a splash of water to prevent sticking.
6. Add the tofu mixture and stir till the tofu mixture and the spinach/kale and mix through, cook for about 2 minutes.
7. Turn the heat down to medium low. Add the rice, sautéing it with the veggie mixture until coated and mixed.  Cook for 5 minutes until the rice is heated through.
8. At this point, turn off the head, add the pineapple, basil, green onion and sauce mixture and mix through. Enjoy!

Check out below on how I prep these bento boxes for plane rides!