Healthy Fried Rice Recipe

Fried rice is great for turning leftovers and kitchen scraps into a quick meal that’s as delicious as it is frugal. Timing and organization are key. This healthy fried rice recipe, slightly adapted from one in Atlanta Michelin-starred chef Ron Hsu’s new cookbook, “Down South +East: A Chinese American Cookbook,” written with Hugh Amano, is a prime example.

Make sure you have all the ingredients prepped and ready to go near the stove before you start. Collards and kimchi (available ready-made in the produce sections of most supermarkets) are the stars. Both are nutritional powerhouses and flavor-loaded, but even better together and with the other ingredients. Serves 1-2. -- Susan Puckett

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons canola or other neutral-tasting oil

• 2 slices thick-sliced bacon, diced (optional)

• 1 large egg

2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions

• ¼ to ½ cup chopped carrot

• ¼ to ½ cup chopped red, yellow, or white onion

• ¼ to ½ cup frozen peas, thawed

• 2 cups leftover jasmine or other long-grain rice, cold

• ½ cup chopped kimchi

• 1 cup stemmed, chopped fresh collard greens

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil

• Salt and white (or black) pepper to taste

• Soy sauce to taste (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon (if using) and stir to brown it for about 30 seconds.

2. Crack the egg into the pan and quickly scramble for about 10 seconds, until curds just begin to form, then add the garlic, green onion, carrot, onion, and peas, stirring for another 15 seconds, or until the eggs look like slightly undercooked scrambled eggs.

3. Add the rice and cook, gently smashing it so that any clumps are broken up, and stirring for 2 more minutes.

4. Add the kimchi, collard greens, and sesame oil and cook for another minute, or until the rice is heated through.

5. Season with salt, pepper and, if desired, a shot of soy sauce and serve immediately.

6. Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat, place the rice in a microwave-safe dish and sprinkle with a few drops of water to help re-steam it, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and microwave a minute or two, until hot.

Susan Puckett is an Atlanta-based food writer and cookbook author.