Healthy Chicken Fried Rice

Bacon is truly one of my favorite indulgences, but besides that, we are really not pork eaters. I don’t know exactly why, my Mom always made delicious pork roasts and Dad always grilled killer pork chops. Whatever the reason, I typically find myself replacing the pork called for in recipes with good ol’ boneless skinless chicken breasts. I like to poach or bake a large amount, shred, and then freeze in dinner sized portions. This process helps weeknight dinners come together much more quickly then they would without this resource. The recipe for Cooking Light’s Almost Classic Pork Fried Rice caught my eye so I made my usual substitution and we were off and rolling. This is a nice meal, not a “wow” but a filling healthy take on fried rice that I will make again. I have creatively titled it Healthy Chicken Friend Rice. Steamed broccoli and leftover grilled vegetables were tossed with some ginger and garlic and served on the side.

-Heather

Healthy Chicken Fried Rice
(Adapted from Cooking Light's Almost Classic Pork Fried Rice, January 2011)

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 2 cups)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons peanut oil or olive oil, divided

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1/2 to 1 pound cooked and shredded boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup chopped carrot

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped green onion bottoms (white part)

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger

3 cups cooked, chilled long-grain brown rice

1 large egg

3 tablespoons mirin (I subbed rice vinegar with a pinch of sugar mixed in)

3 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon dark sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 cups fresh bean sprouts

1/4 cup canned diced water chestnuts, rinsed and drained (I omitted)

1 cup chopped green onion tops

Directions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon peanut oil to pan, swirling to coat.  Add carrot and celery to pan, and sauté for 2 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Meanwhile, heat chicken in the microwave for one minute.  Add carrot mixture to the warm chicken.

2. Add remaining 1 tablespoon peanut oil to pan, swirling to coat. Stir in green onion bottoms, garlic, and ginger; cook for 15 seconds, stirring constantly. Add rice, stirring well to coat rice with oil; cook, without stirring, for 2 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Stir rice mixture, and cook, without stirring, an additional 2 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Make a well in center of rice mixture. Add egg; stir-fry for 30 seconds or until soft-scrambled, stirring constantly.

3. Return the chicken mixture to pan. Stir in mirin, and cook for 1 minute or until mirin is absorbed. Stir in the salt, soy sauce, sesame oil, and pepper. Remove from heat, and stir in bean sprouts and water chestnuts. Sprinkle with green onion tops.

CALORIES 408 ; FAT 12.4g (sat 2.6g,mono 5.4g,poly 3.6g); CHOLESTEROL 82mg; CALCIUM 79mg; CARBOHYDRATE 49.3g; SODIUM 627mg; PROTEIN 21g; FIBER 6.5g; IRON 2.4mg



Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon peanut oil to pan, swirling to coat.  Add carrot and celery to pan, and sauté for 2 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Meanwhile, heat chicken in the microwave for one minute.



Add carrot mixture to the warm chicken.



Add remaining 1 tablespoon peanut oil to pan, swirling to coat. Stir in green onion bottoms, garlic, and ginger; cook for 15 seconds, stirring constantly.



Add rice, stirring well to coat rice with oil; cook, without stirring, for 2 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Stir rice mixture, and cook, without stirring, an additional 2 minutes or until edges begin to brown.



Make a well in center of rice mixture. Add egg; stir-fry for 30 seconds or until soft-scrambled, stirring constantly.

Return the chicken mixture to pan. Stir in mirin, and cook for 1 minute or until mirin is absorbed.



Stir in the salt, soy sauce, sesame oil, and pepper. Remove from heat, and stir in bean sprouts and water chestnuts. Sprinkle with green onion tops.