"Egg" Fried Rice

Someone bought me some polenta and it's been sat in the fridge waiting for me to be brave enough to try it. I've heard tales of it being bland and flavourless and that was putting me off. Then just the other day I wondered how bad it could be. It surely couldn't be blander and more flavourless than tofu. Most places recommend slicing and then frying it, but I was feeling lazy so I sliced it, coated it in olive oil and chucked it in the oven (along with a beanburger and some veggies to roast).

It was actually very nice, a little salty for my taste. But most of all it reminded me of fried egg! It has a very similar texture once it has been crisped up a bit, and the saltyness just reminded me of when I used to have a fried egg sandwich with salt on.

And so was born this recipe for "Egg" Fried Rice

I cooked the rice and polenta while I was crisping some mock duck in the oven.
Then we ate the mock duck in Chinese pancakes (from Asda) with spring onion and cucumber.
Then I stir fried some veg and seitan in a jar of satay sauce while I finished making the "egg" fried rice.

Ingredients
150g brown Basmati rice
3 slices polenta (about 1 cm thick)
1 large clove garlic
1 medium mushroom finely chopped
handful frozen peas
olive oil

Method
Cook the rice until al dente (about 30 minutes for brown Basmati).
Coat the polenta slices in oil and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes until just crisping up on the bottom.

Heat some oil in a frying pan and fry the garlic until just beginning to brown.
Add the mushroom and fry for one minute.
Add the peas, rice and heat through.
Add a little boiling water if it looks a little dry.

Roughly mash the polenta, stir into the rice, and cook for 2 minutes.

Serves 2 with a Chinese meal :o)