Healthi-Fried Rice

I have a confession to make: I never order fried rice when eating Chinese.  I know, it's un-American.  Is that an oxymoron?  Anyway, I just always opt for the brown or white counterpart (mainly to sop up all that moo-shu and moo goo goodness).  So it is very odd that I suddenly had the urge to make some chicken fried rice for dinner the other night.

Now, I have to admit that I'm a little confused as to why this dish is called fried rice.  Afterall, the term "fried" implies "unhealthy", but this dish is chock full of veggies!  Veggies = healthy.  And it's a good thing because the two of us polished this off in one sitting.  It was THAT good.  Nathan even went back for thirds and that has never happened.  Seconds, almost always, but THIRDS??!  Thank goodness for all those vegetables.  Poor fried rice is getting a bad rap.


Chicken Fried Rice

This served the two of us.

3/4 cup uncooked white rice

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1/2 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 cup chopped cooked chicken breast

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 carrot - peeled and diced

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup green peas

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup soy sauce

Cook rice according to package directions. While rice is cooking, heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Pour in sesame oil and stir in onion. Fry until golden, then add garlic. When garlic is lightly browned, mix in chicken.

Lower heat to medium and stir in celery, carrot, green pepper, and peas. Fry until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in beaten egg and cook just until egg is scrambled and firm.

When rice is done, mix thoroughly with vegetables and stir in soy sauce. Adjust seasoning to your preference and serve immediately.

Adapted from AllRecipes.