Chicken & Vegetable Fried Rice

Ingredients:

• 6 cups cooked rice

• 2 1/2 cups cubed chicken

• 2 cup steamed or sautéed mixed vegetables

• 1 small onion, sliced

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tbsp grated ginger

• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

• 1 tsp brown sugar

• 2 tbsp water

• 1 tbsp cornstarch

• 1 tsp oil + more for stir frying (2 tbsp)

• 5 tbsp soy sauce (reduced sodium)

• salt to taste

1. In a small bowl, whisk water and cornstarch until combined. Add garlic, ginger, pepper flakes, sugar, 1 tsp oil and soy sauce. Set aside.

2. Heat wok or pan on medium high heat. Pour 1 tbsp oil to coat wok and sauté onion for 3 to 4 minutes.

3. Add chicken to wok and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from wok and keep warm.

4. Heat remaining oil in wok. Add rice and cook, stirring to allow oil to coat rice grains.

5. Drizzle half of the soy sauce mixture over the rice and stir to allow even coating. Keep cooking and stirring for 3 minutes.

6. Add chicken to wok, pour remaining sauce over chicken, cook for an additional 3 minutes. Keep stirring to allow sauce to coat chicken and rice.

7. Add vegetables to fried rice and combine.

8. Remove wok from heat. Taste, and add salt if desired.

Serves: 6 to 8.

Notes&Tips:

• Chicken and Vegetable Fried Rice is always a welcome dish in our home.

• Fried rice is best when cooked with day old rice. The moisture from the rice is dried out and so it is able to absorb the flavors more.

• For the steamed vegetables, I used Green Giant's frozen mixed vegetables and steamed in the microwave. I love the fresh, crisp taste of these vegetables.

• Feel free to swap out mixed vegetables for bell pepper or sugar snap peas. Those are also great addition to fried rice.

• If you'd like a fried rice with some heat, add some chopped wiri-wiri, sriracha or jalapeno pepper. Or your favorite hot sauce.

• I prefer using low sodium soy sauce as the regular soy sauce packs too much salt. This way, if the salt is insufficient, I can add some.