Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Simple Yet Nutritious And Delicious!

Tonight's dinner for my family was something I  enjoyed as a child.It is an easy dish to make and it doesn't take too much time. After a weekend of having great company to entertain and cook for,I decided to take it easy with the cooking.This is my 30 minute meal for you.


Thai Fried Rice(Khao Pad)


You'll need:

1 1/2 cup Cooked rice of your choice(refrigerated overnight for dryness)*I like brown basmati rice
1/4 cup Onions (chopped)
1 1/2 tsp Garlic (finely chopped)
2 tbsp Scallion (chopped,both white and green parts)
1/3 cup Tomato (diced)
1/2 cup Frozen peas (thawed)
1/2 cup Chicken breast (cut into small bite sized pieces)
10-12 Shrimp (medium sized,easy peel or shelled)
1 tsp Light soy sauce
1/4 tsp Agave nectar(if not available,use other natural sweeteners)
2 Eggs
1/2 tsp Salt
1/3 tsp White pepper powder(if unavailable,substitute with black pepper)
1 tbsp Lime juice(lemon juice can be used as well)
1 1/2 tbsp Oil (save the 1/2 tbsp for later)

Garnish:


A handful Cilantro
Lime wedges


Method:

Heat oil in a wok(or skillet).Saute onions and garlic till they turn golden brown.Add chicken breast and saute till the meats' cook.Add in the shrimp and saute for another 5 minutes.You'll notice the shrimp turning orange in color to show that its cooked.Add the rice and stir well.Make sure you break up chunks of rice before adding it into the wok.Stir in the tomatoes and thawed frozen peas and mix well with the rice.Move the rice to a side and add the 1/2 tbsp of oil.





Crack the eggs into the oil and scramble it till you see small clumps of egg.With a little moisture in the eggs,mix in the rice and stir well.The little bit of moisture will help flavor the rice.Once everything is mixed in well for about 5 minutes,add in the soy sauce,agave nectar and salt.Mix well.Sprinkle the pepper powder in and taste to make sure there's enough salt.You may want to add more salt according to your preference.
Turn the heat off and add in the scallions.Mix the rice and make sure to scrape the bottom to avoid any burning.Garnish and to add more spice,you could serve the fried rice with some sliced chili in either fish sauce or a mixture of 1/2 tsp soy sauce and 1/2 tsp white vinegar as a condiment.





So there you have it.Its really simple and you don't have to slave in the kitchen for hours.There's always been a misconception that Thai foods are not easy to be made and the only place you'd get some is if you went to a Thai restaurant.Well,I'd like to put that to rest because  Thai foods as I have learned,is not as complicated to make.My 3 year old loves fried rice and whenever I make it,its always nice to see him enjoying it.You can always substitute the chicken and shrimp for other meats and if you're not a fan of seafood,you can always leave out the shrimp.Don't be afraid to try it.Enjoy the recipe!


With love for food and you,
 Renu


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