Chicken Fried Rice

Chicken Fried Rice
Adapted from the "Classic Fried Rice" advertised by incredibleegg.org, minuterice.com and kikkomanusa.com.
Makes 4 servings

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 cups Minute White Rice, uncooked
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup frozen stir fry vegetables, thawed
3 Tbsp. Kikkoman Soy Sauce

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Add Minute Rice, brown slightly (about 3 minutes).
3. Add eggs; scramble until cooked thoroughly.
4. Add broth, vegetables and Kikkoman Soy Sauce to skillet.
5. Bring to a boil.
6. Remove from heat.
7. Let stand 5 minutes.

I can't take credit for cooking this meal. After a long day with my toddler, I didn't have the umph to cook but my husband took the reigns and did a wonderful job. Thanks hubby!

Recipe Adaptations

We added 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast strips to this recipe as we both love Chicken Fried Rice rather than just a Vegetable Fried Rice. Hubby sauteed the chicken in a bit of vegetable oil, drained it and set it aside before starting the above recipe. True to our one pan style, he reused the same wok style pan after draining the used oil.

Instead of using stir fry vegetables, I purchased a bag of mixed vegetables that included peas, corn, green beans and carrots. I was hoping to find the cubed carrots and peas mix that you generally find in restaurant fried rice but couldn't find it at our local grocery store. The mixed vegetables worked fine. Just be sure to defrost them before throwing them in the pan. I ended up popping them in the microwave on rapid defrost because I didn't realize they were suppose to be defrosted until we were about to throw them in the pan. This worked but I wouldn't recommend doing it routinely as the veggies were a little rubbery.

I had intended to add a chopped sweet onion to the recipe and forgot until it was too late. I always love the little bits of sweet onion in the restaurant fried rice and wanted to try to attempt to copy that flavor.

The Results

Because we were rushing to get dinner cooked so hubby could go to his softball game, we didn't let the rice cook in the chicken broth as long as we should have and it came out a little crunchy. Other than that, everything cooked as it should without mistake.

So how did it taste? Awesome! It tasted just like the fried rice you would get in a restaurant. We found that it could use a bit more soy sauce for our taste and will make that adjustment next time. The kiddo LOVED it and it was so cheap to make that it will be put on our short "go-to" list along with grilled cheese, hotdogs and hamburgers.

One word of warning: It cools very quick and true to restaurant fried rice, gets crunchy. I would not allow it to sit/stand for 5 minutes as the recipe calls for or it dries out.

Balsamic Chicken Salad

Balsamic Chicken Salad

Found in Taste of Home's Simple & Delicious Magazine, September/October 2006

Serves 6

6 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast halves (4 oz each), cut into 3-inch strips

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

4 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes

1 tablespoon minced fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

6 cups torn mixed salad greens

1. In large skillet, saute chicken and garlic in 1 tablespoon oil until chicken juices run clear; remove from pan.

2. In the same skillet, bring vinegar to a boil.

3. Add chicken, tomatoes, basil, salt, pepper and olive oil.

4. Cook and stir until heated through.

5. Divide salad greens among six plates and top with chicken mixture.

I had one small mess up, I misread a small part of the directions. I completely missed the 4 tablespoons of olive oil. It would have made everything a little less dry but I can't imagine it would have changed the taste all that much.

I added cucumbers to the mixture, which was probably the tastiest part of the salad. They absorbed the balsamic vinegar and had lots of flavor. I would highly recommend doing this otherwise, the salad is just greens, tomatoes and lettuce. Also, I used a prepackaged butter lettuce rather than the mixed greens the recipe called for. I prefer the butter lettuce because it is a tad bit sweet, which worked well with balancing the vinegary flavor of this dish.

I cut the chicken breast as called for but felt the pieces were a bit tasteless. I think the chicken strips would have had more flavor if they were thinner. I would recommend cutting them as if you would be using them in fajitas; long and thin.

Overall, I think this turned out pretty good and I would make it again as a side to something else. For a pregnant lady, I didn't find it as fulfilling as a entree salad should be.

Grilled Lemon-Sage Chicken

Grilled Lemon-Sage Chicken

Found in The New American Heart Association Cookbook, 2001

Serves 6

Marinade:

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (1 to 2 medium lemons)

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried, crushed

2 or 3medium cloves garlic minced, or 1 1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic

1 teaspoon, whole black peppercorns, cracked

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, all visible fat removed

6 lemon slices, cut in half (optional)

Fresh sage leaves (optional)

1. In an airtight plastic bag, combine marinade ingredients.

2. Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels.

3. Put chicken smooth side up between two sheets of plastic wrap. Using a tortilla press or the smooth side of a meat mallet, lighten flatten chicken to 1/8-inch thickness.

4. Add to marinade and turn to coat evenly. Seal and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight, turn bag occasionally .

5. Discard marinade.

6. Preheat grill to medium-high.

7.Grill chicken for 6 to 7 minutes on each side until done.

8. Serve garnished with fresh sage leaves and lemon slices.

When preparing the marinade, I was very concerned because there was very little liquid called for. The marinade was very paste-like. Despite the small amount of liquid, all pieces of chicken appeared sufficiently coated in the marinade.

I think this turned out pretty good... the chicken had a very "woodsy" taste because of the sage and rosemary. It was a bit overwhelming. I would recommend brushing most of the seasoning off before grilling to avoid this problem. The chicken grilled up very juicy and wasn't overly acidic. It paired really well with a buttery rice dish and a sweet vegetable (I made sweet peas).

Crock-pot Curry Chicken

Crock-pot Curry Chicken
Found in Kraft Food & Family Magazine, Holiday 2003
Makes 6 servings

1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs, quartered
3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 apple, chopped
2 Tbsp. curry powder
1 can (14 oz.) chicken broth
2 cups frozen peas, thawed
2 cups uncooked Minute Rice

1. Place all ingredients (EXCEPT Minute Rice and peas) in slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hrs on low or 5 hrs on high.
3. Stir in uncooked Minute Rice and peas. Cover and cook an additional 20 min.

This went horribly wrong. Lessons I learned were 1) read all the directions FIRST and 2) learn how to count. Seriously don't laugh... I put the peas in at the beginning still frozen and they turned into mush, and I miscalculated the whole 8-10 hours on low. In the end, I think it cooked for 11 hours. The chicken was of the jerky quality and the curry seasoning cooked down so much that it had no flavor, which is hard to do to curry. It smelled so good while cooking that I will be trying this again :D