Freekeh & Vegetable "Fried Rice"

Remove the honey from the refrigerator to bring to room temperature. Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Once boiling, add the freekeh and cook, uncovered, 24 to 26 minutes, or until tender. Turn off the heat. Drain thoroughly. 

While the freekeh cooks, wash and dry the fresh produce. Peel the carrots; grate on the large side of a box grater. Cut off and discard the bottom 1/2 inch of the broccoli stem, then roughly chop. Halve the peas crosswise. Peel and roughly chop the garlic. Peel and finely chop the ginger. Cut off and discard the root ends of the scallions; thinly slice, separating the white bottoms and green tops. In a bowl, combine the halved peas, chopped garlic and ginger, and sliced white bottoms of the scallions. Crack the eggs into a bowl; season with salt and pepper and beat until smooth. Roughly chop the peanuts.

While the freekeh continues to cook, in a medium bowl, whisk together the honey (kneading the packet before opening), sesame oil, half the vinegar, and a drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Add the grated carrots. Stir to coat. Set aside to marinate, stirring occasionally, at least 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

While the carrots marinate, in a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the chopped broccoli; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add the prepared pea mixture; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 2 to 4 minutes, or until slightly softened. Using a spoon, move the vegetables to one side of the pan. Add a drizzle of olive oil to the other side, then add the beaten eggs. Cook, constantly stirring the eggs, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until cooked through. Stir the vegetables and eggs to thoroughly combine. Transfer to a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Wipe out the pan. 

In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the cooked freekeh in an even layer. Cook, without stirring, 3 to 4 minutes, or until slightly crispy. Turn off the heat and stir in the soy sauce and remaining vinegar. Transfer to the bowl of cooked vegetables and eggs. Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the finished freekeh topped with the marinated carrots (including any marinating liquid), chopped peanuts, and sliced green tops of the scallions. Enjoy!