Twist On Take Out: Chicken Fried Rice

Written while listening to Jackie and Wilson by Hozier on repeat.

Last week I was having a major craving for some Chinese food.  I love it just as much as the next person.  I tend to have it for special events, oddly enough. For example, my senior year of homecoming, we ordered a ton of Chinese and ate that instead of going out for a fancy dinner, which is what high schoolers typically do before a dance.  We had it after my college graduation (Leiah makes fun of me, but all the restaurants were packed!).  Lastly, my friends and I had it for our New Years Eve feast, and then ate the leftovers when we got home just after midnight. :s  

I was seeing lots of posts on Pinterest, which is where I get a lot of my inspiration for cooking from, and it made me realize I had practically all the ingredients I needed to make a lightened up version. 

Who actually knows what a Chinese restaurant puts in their food?! It worries me, but of course I still eat it because it's delicious.  When I made my own version, I have to say it was equally good and I knew everything going into it.  

One of my favorite parts of this meal is the soy sauce substitute.  If you haven't had Bragg's Liquid Aminos before, I HIGHLY recommend it.  My lovely boss, Kathryn, told me about it, and I immediately went to the grocery store to buy it. It has the salty taste of soy sauce without all the bad parts (0 calories and low sodium!).  There is a ton of flavor so you don't need a lot when cooking with it.  

Here it is (iPhoneography at its finest):

OoOoOo you can see the steam! 

Chicken Fried Rice
(single serving)

• 4 oz. chicken (I buy them as tenders)
• 1/4 cup chopped white onion
• 1/4 cup chopped carrots 
• 1/4 cup frozen peas
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• Green onions
• 1/4 cup uncooked brown rice
• 1-2 Tbsp liquid aminos
• garlic powder

Directions:

I cook the rice according to the directions on the box, so 2:1 ratio of water to rice.  I cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and then boil them until cooked.  While the rice and chicken are cooking, I sauté the onions, carrots and peas in the olive oil until they become tender.  **When cutting the veggies, try to make them similar in size so they cook at the same time** When the veggies are just finishing, I add the egg and chives and cook them up until the egg is cooked.  When everything is cooked, I mix the chicken and veggies into the pot the rice is in and add the garlic and liquid aminos.  I let them absorb the flavor for a few minutes, then EAT.  

**I don't really measure out my veggies exact, I just eyeball how much I think I'll want, so they are approximate measures!

I hope you love this as much as I do! :)