Broccoli Fried Rice

Fried rice is one of those delightful treats that somehow ends up completely saturated with oils and salts when it's really not needed. The ingredients - crispy rice, vegetables, egg, and sometimes meat - are more than enough to stand on their own. So my version below is based on that assumption. I use just enough oil to cook the rice and veggies for a stir-fry texture and reduce the sodium wherever possible.

Perhaps not the most traditional accompaniment to fried rice, but I served this with some crab-stuff sole from Wegman's. It was tasty, but honestly not as good as I expected. Serve this rice with a protein of your own choosing, or else just eat it on its own for a very satisfying vegetarian dinner.

Difficulty: medium
Time: 30 min
Cost: $25.05

Nutrition and recipe after the jump!



Broccoli Fried Rice
Ingredients:
4 c boil in bag brown rice (4 c cooked)
3 tbsp peanut oil
3 c broccolini, chopped in 1" pieces
1/4 c low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 c dark brown sugar, packed
4 free-range eggs, beaten
1/4 c green onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 c radishes, thinly sliced
1/4 c basil leaves, chopped
1/4 c cilantro leaves, chopped
1/4 c mint leaves, chopped

Get your rice cooking according to the directions on the bag. You'll toss it in later, so you'll need it to be ready.

Heat a wok or large fry pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp of peanut oil, swirling to coat. Add the broccoli and stir-fry for 5-7 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked. Remove it from the pan and set-aside for now.

However, as the broccolini is cooking, get your sweet soy sauce going. Heat a small pan over medium to medium-high heat. Pour in the soy sauce and brown sugar. Bring to a light boil, stir, and then turn down to a simmer. Simmer for about 2 minutes or until reduced to about 1/4 cup. Set aside until needed.

Your broccolini should now be done and removed from the pan. Return the pan to the heat and add another tbsp of peanut oil. When it's hot, add the beaten eggs. Cook for 2 minutes, scrambling lightly. You only want them lightly cooked - no longer raw, but just out of that stage - since they'll be added again later and eggs cook so quickly. Remove the eggs from the pan and add them to the broccolini.

Return the now-empty pan to the heat and add the remaining tbsp of peanut oil. Increase the heat to high. Toss in the green onions, garlic, and black pepper. Stir fry for two minutes. Add the rice. Stir-fry for 3-4 minutes. The rice should just be starting to brown/crisp. Add the broccolini, eggs, and soy sauce. Make sure everything is evenly mixed and stir-fry for another minute or so.

Remove from heat and add the radishes, basil, cilantro, and mint. Toss well to combine and serve immediately.

Servings: 4
Serving size: about 1 1/4 c rice
Nutrition: calories 399; carbs 54g; fat 16g; protein 14g; sodium 670mg; iron 18mg