Eat More Veg!

Get everyone eating their five-a-day all week long with these vibrant veg-packed, easy-to-make meals

- Melissa Thompson

Back when I had to smuggle vegetables into my greens-averse daughter, I concocted ways to secretly pack meals with good stuff. My ragu (p59) contains more veg than meat, but it’s chopped small and cooked down, so no one will ever know. I double the recipe and freeze it for quick midweek dinners. And, my fridge-raid fried rice, below, is really quick and versatile – you can use most veg from the fridge, and it’s a surefire winner.

Fridge-raid fried rice

SERVES 4 PREP 15 mins COOK 15 mins EASY

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 white onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

100g green beans, chopped

1 red or yellow pepper, finely chopped

½ medium broccoli, chopped into small florets

150g cooked chicken (or any other meat), roughly chopped

300g cold cooked rice

2 eggs, beaten

1 tbsp each sesame oil and oyster sauce

1 spring onion, finely sliced

1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

1 Heat half the vegetable oil in a wok or a frying pan over medium-high heat, and stir-fry the onions, carrots, and green beans for 5 mins. Add the peppers, broccoli and chicken, and stir-fry for 3 mins more.