super vegetable fried rice

Posted by marne on February 28, 2008 in cook | 6 comments

This picture has nothing to do with anything, I just walked out this weekend and saw this sight, and it cracked me up. Why were the chickens lined up on the steps? I have no idea. They were just hanging out.

I don’t know if anyone really wants to read about my healthy eating
quest, but there were a lot of comments on the vegetable post the other
day. I’m not sure what that means, however, as the comments, mostly by
my family members, quickly degenerated into talk of um, er, bodily
functions. I’m also not sure what that says about my family. Anyway,
I’m going to continue to talk about the healthy eating thing, because
it’s my blog and I want to.

I’ve found myself at that awkward stage, where I’ve lost a few
pounds, and my pants are getting too big, but I don’t quite fit in the
next size down. It’s a dilemma, a couple pair of my favorite pants fall
down a little too much for comfort, and I may be risking plumber’s
butt. I think I’ll put in some waist darts in the meantime. Sadly, I
haven’t lost enough that people have commented or asked if I’m losing
weight. That will be a happy day when that happens.

All that was to say that I’ve been trying to find ways to add more
vegetables to my diet. I actually like vegetables, but you can only eat
so much steamed broccoli. It’s nice to have a little variety. One of my
favorite vegetable inventions is this version of fried rice. It’s very
satisfying, and packed with vegetables, and doesn’t actually have a lot
of rice. It’s also really versatile, you can substitute whatever
vegetables you have in the fridge (or even in the freezer), the main
thing is to finely chop or shred whatever you decide to use.

Super Vegetable Fried Rice
This is about 3 servings
All measurements are approximate

One large carrot, shredded
One medium zucchini, shredded
One small onion, diced
4-5 mushrooms, thinly sliced
A couple baby sweet peppers, thinly sliced (I used yellow and red)
A handful of snow peas, sliced on the diagonal
A small broccoli floret, finely chopped
A handful of frozen peas
A couple handfuls of fresh baby spinach leaves
2 eggs
A cup of cooked brown rice
A drizzle of canola oil
A
few tablespoons of ponzu sauce (a kind of citrus-y soy sauce, found in
the Asian foods aisle), if you can’t find ponzu sauce, soy sauce will
do, maybe add a dash of rice vinegar and lemon juice
Chili Sauce to taste (I like a little spiciness, but you don’t have to add it if you are not spicy like me)

Heat the oil in a wok or skillet, and start adding the vegetables,
the hardest ones first (carrots, onions, peppers). Stir occasionally.
Keep adding until all the vegetables, except the spinach are in there.
Meanwhile, beat the eggs and scramble them in a separate pan. Once the
vegetables are cooked and softened, but not soggy, add the rice,
spinach, and then some ponzu sauce and chili sauce. Heat through (I
prefer my spinach just barely wilted, which is why I add it last). Once
it’s seasoned to your liking, add the eggs. Stir it all up one more
time, and eat. You can also garnish it with some thinly sliced green
onions and/or fresh cilantro. I sometimes make it with sauteed chicken
or shrimp, but you can add whatever kind of protein you have at the
moment. It’s also pretty filling just the way it is. I like this
because the ratio of vegetables to rice is really high, probably about
3 to 1, but shredding and chopping everything makes it all very similar
in texture, so you still feel like you’re eating lots of rice, even
though you’re not really.

I’ve been looking around for food blogs that focus on healthy foods,
but I haven’t had a lot of luck. I really like Noshtopia, which I found
the other day. Does anyone have any other suggestions?