fried rice

By Katie Mae Stanley of Nourishing Simplicity

Savory grains of rice are mixed with fresh summer vegetables, tender chicken, and spicy basil.

Thai chicken fried rice is the perfect dish to enjoy anytime, especially in the summer when gardens are bursting with zucchini, bell peppers, string beans, and basil, all of which make up this dish.

I am a huge rice fan. Part of that comes from living in Mexico for ten years where I ate it almost every day. The other part is simply because rice is pretty tasty. It helps that rice is an excellent way to stretch pricier items like meat. Even now that I have been State-side for over two years I crave rice if I go more than a few days without eating it.

Rice is the humble staple of many cultures. Whether it is Arabic rice, Chinese egg fried rice, Jamaican rice and peas, or a savory miso rice congee, rice is an integral part of life. It is the substance that keeps many people going.

Unless it is necessary for me to go grain-free I don’t see my kitchen ever going without rice.

Thai is one of my weakness when it comes to picking a restaurant to eat at. If I could, I would eat it out at least once a week but that is not exactly budget friendly.

Thankfully over time I have started to learn how to recreate some of my favorite dishes, like yellow curry or Kimi’s simple Thai broth. It was only a matter of time that I finally broke down to create a Thai chicken fried rice that satisfied my cravings.

This Thai chicken fried rice is a combination of three of my favorite restaurants in various parts of California.

I mentioning making velvet chicken in this recipe. It is a process of poaching the chicken to make it more tender. It is a beneficial step but not necessary. There are times when I skip it, so don’t pressure yourself to do it. If you have a little extra time then it is worth it in my book.

If you are confused about why we are okay with white rice read more about it here.

Thai Chicken Fried Rice

Ingredients:

• 2 cups steamed white rice (Jasmine preferred), made at least a few hours before and chilled
• 1 pound chicken breast, thinly sliced and velveted (optional)
• 1 cup Thai basil*
• 1 cup zucchini, quartered and thinly sliced
• 1 cup string beans or long beans, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 4 tablespoons coconut oil
• 2 teaspoons coconut/palm sugar
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce/tamari for gluten free
• 1/2 teaspoon unrefined salt

* If Thai basil can not be found, feel free to substitute with sweet basil. To cut the basil roll a few leaves at a time into a cigar shape and thinly slice.

Directions:

1. Cook the rice a few hours to a day or two in advance. Allow to cool.

2. Thinly slice the chicken breast. Use the velveting method to par-cook the chicken or set the raw chicken aside to cook in the skillet.

3. Quarter the zucchini, cutting it 1/4 of an inch thick. Remove the end from the string or long beans, cutting them into 1/4 inch pieces. Cut the bell pepper in half, removing the seeds. Thinly slice the bell pepper. Roll a few basil leaves at a time like a cigar. Thinly slice the rolls of basil. Crush the garlic.

4. Mix the soy sauce, palm sugar, and salt in a small dish.

5. In a wok or cast iron skillet heat the oil for two minutes.  Add the green beans and bell pepper. Cook on high heat for 5 minutes, allowing them to blister, stirring frequently.

6. Add the chicken and crushed garlic. Stir until the chicken is almost cooked.

7. Add the rice, zucchini, the soy sauce mixture. Stir for 3-5 minutes until thoroughly mixed and heated through. Add the basil and stir again.

Top with extra basil if desired.

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