Hello all!

If you’ve followed my blog a little, you already know that my husband is rarely nostalgic about food he had as a child. Its not that he doesn’t like the food he ate growing up, its just that he doesn’t attach emotion to food like I do. Having said that though, he is not without ANY food-feelings at all. He does love his mom’s Soupe Rouge (Tomato soup) and her Chicken Fried Rice.

He had a real man’s cold this week. No… I’d say it was a Sasquatch-sized cold and he decided that he should not diet right now (because we are always on a “diet”). He said that he should eat what he likes and enough of it for energy and to recuperate. YAY! It was a nice change to be able to make what we really like, comfort foods like pasta and such. Anyway, he had stopped by his parents’ house the other evening and upon returning home he said that his parents had Chicken Fried Rice and egg rolls for supper and asked me if I’d make him some. I was surprised! He NEVER requests meals. He is usually content with whatever is on the menu. I could not possibly refuse! I was actually delighted that he asked and said, “it probably won’t be exactly like your mom’s though but I’ll try”. I needed to prepare him because try as you might to copy someone’s recipe, it never turns out exactly the same.

So here we are. I made it and he gave it his super-stamp of approval stating that although it wasn’t exactly like his mother’s, he loved it!! Honestly, it tasted a lot like take-out albeit a little healthier. 

My parents and I have a brief conversation every day that always includes, “What are you eating tonight? Oh yeah, you?…” So I told my father that I was going to make this and he said what he always says when he hears the words “chicken fried rice”, “What?! Chicken fried lice??” lol , every-single-time.

Ingredients:

2 Cups of cooked rice ( I used basmati and it worked out great )

1 cooked chicken breast cut into small cubes (leftovers from a rotisserie chicken will do just fine)

1/2 cup of frozen peas and carrots

1 clove of garlic, minced

3 large green onions or 4 small. White and green parts finely chopped (half is for sautéing and the other half for garnish)

3 tsp of sesame oil +1 tsp of sesame oil – divided.

2 tbsp of soy sauce (or Tamari if you want it to be gluten-free)

Directions:

Beat egg with a teaspoon of sesame oil and set aside.

Pre-heat and spray a small non-stick frying pan with a little cooking spray. Add beaten egg mixture and swish around in a circular motion so that egg sets in a thin layer  like a crepe. Cover to cook the top or flip if needed. When it’s fully cooked, remove the egg from the pan cut it up into very small pieces and set aside.

Heat 3 teaspoons of sesame oil in a large pan or wok over medium (sesame oil should never be heated on high). Add peas and carrots, then half of the green onion.

When vegetables have begun to soften after 2 min, add your garlic and sauté for 30 seconds more.

Next, add your chicken, cooked rice, Soy or Tamari sauce and the egg. Toss to combine.

Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. If you like more soy or sesame oil, just add a few drops at a time and taste again. Just a little of those ingredients go a long way flavour-wise.

Note: If your rice is too dry as can sometimes happen cough, cough, stir in a couple of tablespoons of water, letting the rice absorb it.

Garnish with the rest of the green onion and serve like I did with Wing Wong Egg rolls and plum sauce and steamed broccoli.

Enjoy!

Recipe inspired by my mother-in-law, Claudette of course and by Iowa Girl Eats – http://iowagirleats.com/2012/08/23/take-out-fake-out-easy-chicken-fried-rice/