Vegetarian / Vegan Fried Rice

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups cooked rice (cold is fine, but rice should be moist)
  
• 4 cloves garlic - finely chopped or minced (cooking tip: when chopping garlic, add some salt to your cutting board, it reduces sticking to your knife)
• 1 Medium Onion (1 1/2 small onions) - diced about 1 cup
• 3/4 cup diced carrots (about 8 baby carrots chopped)
• 2 Medium mushrooms - chopped (generic white mushrooms)
  
• 1 Cup frozen pettite peas (tip: I recommend organic or IPM - less pesticides)
• 1/4 cup Textured Vegtable Protein (TVP) - OR for non-vegans 2 medium eggs (tip: if you do use eggs, be sure to by only organic cage free)
  
• 5 TBSP Olive Oil
• Spices including: Tarragon, Thyme, Turmeric, Sage, Caynne and black pepper
• about 1/2 TSP salt
• about 4 TBSP Soy Sauce
  
• about 1/4 cup water
  

Directions:

1. Be sure you have all of the ingredients ready - Rice should be cooked before you start
2. If using TVP instead of eggs, take 1/4 dried TVP in a small dish add 1/4 cup water, 1 TSP Soy Sauce and a large pinch of Sage - TVP will soften up
   
3. Cut up vegtables - mince/dice garlic, dice onions, chop carrots, chop mushrooms
4. Put about 4 TBSP Olive oil in a 12" skillet - medium heat
5. Add garlic and 1/4 tsp salt (unless you used salt when cutting the garlic)
6. Let garlic soften, then add onions and carrots - fry for about 1 minute mix occasionally
7. Add mushrooms and 2 TBSP Soy Sauce and continue to cook for about 2 minute until vegatables have softened and the onions begin to turn translucent
8. Move vegatbles to one side of the skillet. If using eggs instead of TVP, fry two eggs on the empty half of the pan - when eggs are cooked using a soft spatula cut eggs into tiny pieces and mix in with vegtables, then again clear off one half of the skillet as shown on the lower right. If using TVP, add now and mix in with vegtables and then clear off one half of the skillet
   
9. Add rice to empty part of the skillet. Add 1 TBSP soy sauce and 1 TBSP olive oil onto the rice. Flatten out rice to fill empty half of skillet and let fry.
10. Add spices: about 1/2 tsp of Tarragon and 1/2 tsp of Thyme. A dash of turmeric, dash of caynne pepper and black pepper as desired
11. Occasionally turn rice to ensure even cooking - don't let the vegtables burn. If needed add water to soften
12. Add frozen peas and 1/4 cup water
13. Toss until peas are done and water is absorbed