Your shelf holds one excellent frozen vegetable medley, and tonight it becomes the center of a fast weeknight dinner. The vegetables are already tender, so you just need heat, seasoning, and rice to make something that tastes like you cooked all day.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 8 at the stove.

About 680 calories a serving, 12 g protein, 114 g carbohydrate, 19 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Bring 2 cups salted water to a boil in a pot, add 1 cup rice, stir once, and lower heat to a bare simmer covered for 15 minutes.15 min
2. While rice cooks, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add 2 minced garlic cloves and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
3. Pour the entire 12 oz bag of frozen mixed vegetables into the pan and stir for 3 to 4 minutes until heated through and the edges begin to char slightly.4 min
4. Add 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Toss to coat and taste, adjusting seasoning as needed.
5. When rice is tender and water is absorbed, fluff with a fork and divide between two bowls, then spoon the vegetables and their pan juices over the top.

Note Swap soy sauce for fish sauce if you like more depth. Leftover vegetables keep three days refrigerated and make a good cold lunch with a fried egg on top. Serve with hot sauce on the side or add chili flakes to the pan if you want heat.