If there is one lesson we all should be learning from this COVID 19 pandemic is this: waste not, want not. Do not waste anything, especially food. Utilize everything you can to minimalize waste. Like the other day, when I was making wontons, I had about 3 cups of stem ends of napa cabbage left. I used it to make kimchi. The recipe below uses leftover rice to make a delicious chicken fried rice. Don’t have leftover rice? No problem – see Recipe Note for ideas.
CHICKEN FRIED RICE
INGREDIENTS
2 eggs, beaten until blended
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
700 grams (1.5 pounds) boneless skinless chicken tights, cut into bite-size pieces
2 medium carrots, julienned
1 bunch of scallions, cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
1 ½ cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons grated ginger
3 large garlic cloves, grated
6 cups cooked jasmine or basmati rice (preferably leftover from at least a day before, see Recipe Notes)
3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons sesame oil
DIRECTIONS
Coat a medium, nonstick skillet with a favorite cooking spray and set over medium-high heat. When skillet is hot, add eggs and swirl them around until they cover the entire bottom of the pan. Cook, without stirring, until firm and cooked through. Remove from the skillet into a cutting board. Cut eggs into small pieces once they have cooled. Transfer to the plate and set aside.
Heat one tablespoon of canola oil in a wok or a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook for about 5-8 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside, stirring occasionally. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate.
Add another tablespoon of oil in the wok or pan. Add carrots and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the frozen peas and cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until defrosted. Add the green onion and cook for about 30 seconds. Mix in the minced garlic and ginger and cook for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
Stir in cooked chicken and scrambled eggs. Add the rice to the wok or pan and stir to combine. Make sure to break apart any big chunks of rice.
Drizzle soy sauce and sesame oil over the rice and stir to incorporate. Cook for another 1-2 minutes. Taste and add more soy sauce if needed.
NOTE: If you don’t have any leftover rice, cook rice as you would normally do; however, slightly undercook it. Rinse it under the cold running water. Spread the rice on a large baking sheet and let it cool down to room temperature, and then refrigerate it for about 2 hours.
