Egg-Free Chicken Fried Rice in 15 Minutes

Wow, what a week! For those of you keeping tabs on my 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge progress, I haven't fallen off the bandwagon.

 

Two nights in a row my sweet little boys woke up around 3:30 in the morning, and decided to PARTY. (I think the thunderstorm was the cause the second night). So this mama was tired.

 

To top it off, yesterday I went downstairs, and discovered water! In my sewing dungeon! Luckily when I moved my sewing space down here I thought ahead and put my fabric in totes, off the floor. But the water was inching it's way toward my sewing machine cord and foot pedal. Thank goodness I got to it in time. All craft and sewing supplies are safe.

 

Needless to say, I have been bailing water from the basement. I plan to catch up on the cleaning challenge this weekend. In the meantime, I have a little post that has been hanging out in my draft folder waiting to be shared. (Perfect timing, because I needed a quick dinner for the family).

 



Quick, Egg-Free Chicken Fried Rice

My husband loves when I make Chicken Fried Rice. I love to have a delicious and healthy dinner ready for my family. It is even better when dinner only takes minutes to make.

This meal can be made in less than 15 minutes because of my beloved freezer.

When chicken is on sale, we buy a bunch. I cut some of it up in bite sized pieces, season with Italian seasoning, and saute in a little olive oil. I put one cup of cooked chicken in individual freezer bags, and freeze for future dinners.

I try to use brown rice whenever possible, but it takes so long to cook. So I cook the whole box/bag at once. (Because it takes just as long to cook one serving or all the servings.) After the cooked rice is cooled, I portion it out in two cup servings into freezer bags and freeze.

Add frozen mixed veggies, and you have a delicious meal in no time!

Here's a loose recipe. Personally, I don't measure- just toss what I have in the pan. It has turned out wonderfully every time. Just use what you have.
I toss everything in frozen. If I thought ahead, and thawed everything, great. If not, it works just the same.

Chicken Fried Rice

2-3 eggs (more or less, depending on preference)
      *since being egg-free we omit the eggs. Nobody has even noticed.
1 Tablespoon or so of water
     *this is used to cook the eggs
butter or oil
     *Sesame seed oil gives the most authentic flavor!
chopped onion
spoonful of minced garlic
2-4 cups cold cooked rice
2 Tablespoons of soy sauce
1 teaspoon of pepper
1-2 cups cooked chopped chicken
1-2 cups frozen mixed veggies, partially thawed

*Egg step, omit if making egg-free* Heat oil (or butter) in wok or pan, low-medium heat. Meanwhile, beat egg and water. Add to pan. Don't touch it for 1-2 minutes. Remove from pan. Shred egg with kitchen scissors (or method of your choice, I just think it's fun to use the kitchen scissors).

Heat another Tablespoon or so of oil in same pan. Sesame seed oil is great, but use whatever you have. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft. Add cold rice (frozen works great), soy sauce, pepper, frozen veggies and chicken. Mix it all together, and cook for about 5 minutes, until it looks like fried rice. Taste, add more soy sauce if you want. Add eggs, and serve.
*I like to add sesame seeds if I have them on hand.

So simple, right?

Your turn, what is your families' favorite quick meal? Please share, I need ideas!