‘Primavera’ fried rice

When I was growing up, all Italian restaurants had something called ‘pasta primavera’ on their menu. It was invented in New York in the late 1970s, presumably utilising seasonal spring ingredients, but by the time it made it to Wisconsin, it was a catch-all name for any pasta featuring green veg, even if they were just broccoli and frozen peas. But, it’s still a nice name, so I’ve used it for this light and fresh fried rice that I make in spring, when some of my all-time favourite veg is in season – asparagus, peas and wild garlic.

SERVES 4 PREP 10 mins COOK 20 mins EASY V

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, inely chopped

4 garlic cloves, inely chopped 2cm piece ginger, peeled and grated

1 bunch (about 150g) of asparagus, woody ends removed, cut into lengths about 21/2cm 150 200g peas (frozen or fresh) 850g cooked rice

1 tbsp mirin

1 tsp dashi powder

1 lemon, zested and juiced, plus extra zest to serve

4 spring onions, roughly chopped white pepper, to taste

1 tsp white sesame seeds, toasted large handful of wild garlic leaves, coarsely chopped, plus some wild garlic lowers to serve (if you can’t ind wild garlic, add more chopped garlic and use spinach instead)

1 Heat the oil in a frying pan or wok over a high heat and stir-fry the onion until translucent and beginning to brown. Add the garlic, ginger, asparagus and peas, and stir-fry for about 5 mins more until the veg is tender. Tip in the rice, a big pinch of salt, the mirin, dashi powder and lemon zest and juice, breaking up any lumps with a wooden spoon or spatula.

2 When the rice has absorbed all the liquid, add the spring onions, pepper and sesame seeds. Cook for a few more minutes, then remove from the heat and stir in the garlic leaves until wilted. Serve in bowls with some lemon zest and garlic flowers scattered over, if you like.

GOOD TO KNOW vegan • healthy • low fat • low cal • folate • ibre • 1 of 5-a-day

PER SERVING 421 kcals • fat 8g • saturates 1g • carbs 74g • sugars 7g • ibre 6g • protein 11g • salt 0.1g