1. Select and prepare your vegetables. We like a good mix of colours. You can use frozen peas and corn, green beans, edamame, red pepper, carrots, broccoli, onions, etc. Ideally you want pieces that you can pick up with chopsticks. Coin-sized is a good rule of thumb.
2. It helps to par-cook your vegetables, particularly harder ones such as carrots, broccoli, peppers, beans. You can quickly blanch the chopped pieces in boiling water, or use the microwave.
3. Heat wok or similar shaped pan on high heat. Add 1 Tbsp of neutral oil such as canola.
4. Add egg and stir until dry, breaking up into small pieces. Remove from pan and set aside.
5. Add 1 Tbsp oil to pan and let heat. If you are using pre-cooked meat, then start with adding onions, garlic and the ginger. Stir-fry for approximately 3 minutes, then add your pre-cooked protein. Note, if you are using raw meat, start with cooking that first—you need to cook to complete doneness. Remove from wok and set aside and cook onions, garlic and ginger.
6. Depending on your choice of protein, you may need to add a bit more oil. Bacon will have rendered its fat and you should not need more oil.
7. Add the rest of your vegetables and your cold rice to the pan and stir/mix to break up the rice and blend with the other ingredients. You may need to add some oil if the rice remains clumped.
8. Season with salt and pepper to taste plus your choice of soy sauce, Maggi, toasted sesame oil, oyster sauce, chilli oil or sriracha (not too much for the kids).
9. Once combined and heated through, transfer to serving bowl and garnish with sliced green onions and any other toppings you like such as sesame seeds.

Here are Lila’s secrets to making good fried rice:

1. Use day old rice from the fridge. It’s drier and will remain intact when frying.

2. Prepare everything in advance—this is your mis en place. Then cook items separately first, bringing it all together at the end.

Go ahead and have fun, mix things up and enjoy this fun, family-friendly meal.