Fried Rice



Photo from Google Images, not my recipe

 People have been asking me for recipes as we've changed our eating style over the last month.  I'm really not much of a recipe kinda girl, I just know what ingredients I can use to build my meals.  I'll try to pay a bit more attention to what I'm making and post recipes here that I think are worth sharing. 

Last week, I made fried rice as a side dish.  I've never made this before as it's one of those items we eat when we're eating take out Chinese.  The Mr. went nuts, much to my surprise!  In fact, he requested a repeat and in a bigger portion so he'd have left overs for lunch. 

Fried Rice

Ingredients:

• Brown rice (I used 3 cups prepared)
• 2 eggs (we now use organic)
• Olive oil
• Add-ins-whatever veggies or meat you'd like to include. I made veggie as a side dish and used fresh cauliflower, sprouts, green onions, garlic chives, green peppers and peas.  This is a great dish to make if you want to use up fresh veggies that are going a little soft. 

Method:

• Drizzle olive oil into pan and heat over medium heat.  Add cooked rice to pan and brown, stirring and using as high heat as possible without burning. 
• Push rice to sides to create a well in center of pan and add veggies.  Stir fry until they are as crisp or soft as you like.
• Mix vegetables and rice together and continue to stir fry to combine.  Push to sides again to create well in center.
• Beat 2 eggs lightly and pour into center of pan.  Scramble and mix into rice and vegetables to combine.
• Season to your taste with soy sauce (low sodium is better,) salt, pepper, garlic, cayenne, chili powder or basically whatever flavors you like.

Tips:

• The brown rice works better if it is cold so I like to make my brown rice in large batches at once, refrigerate and use it as I need it.  Also a great time saver for after work meals. 
• I also used a deep frying pan with a lid, don't have a wok.
• If you're adding meat, stir fry in pan or pre cook. 
• Other than brown rice and eggs, the rest is up to your tastes and what's on hand.  Don't get caught up in making traditional restaurant style Chinese fried rice, unless that's specifically what you're looking for.  This is one of those can't-go-wrong recipes

For those of you trying to clean eat, this is a complete meal.  Complex carb (brown rice)/protein (egg)/veggies.  That's why it's a great option to make in larger batches and use as lunch the next day.