Veggie Fried Rice

I love fried rice because it lends itself nicely to customization. I usually add (lots) of whatever vegetables I have on hand. Today I even added some chopped up vegan sausage. To make this dish totally vegan you can leave out the scrambled eggs. Also, it's tradition to use day-old rice because it's a little more dry and the end result will be slightly crunchy instead of mushy. However, I often make rice fresh and let it aerate to dry it out. This recipe makes quite a bit, but who wouldn't want this for lunch the next day? Yum!

2 cups brown rice, cooked
1 cup egg substitute (like Egg Beaters)
3 medium carrots, chopped
1 cup broccoli, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup frozen peas
3/4 cup mushrooms, chopped
1 vegan sausage (like Tofurky brand), chopped
1/3 cup lower sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
vegetable oil for frying

In a large wok, scramble the eggs in a small amount of vegetable oil until fluffy and done. Set aside. Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to the wok and stir fry the carrots on medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add the broccoli, onions, peas, mushrooms and sausage. Cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat to medium and add the eggs back into the pan along with the cooked rice. Add the soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar. Stir until everything is evenly distributed then let cook for another 5 minutes. Do not stir too much because you want the rice to brown and turn crispy. Add salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Yield: 6-8 servings