The Hungry Swimmer: Fried Rice

Fried rice, a staple in my household. I want to say I have this dish at least once or twice every two weeks, because of how easy it is to throw together. I also like to use this meal as a ‘clean out my refrigerator’ dish. As long as you have rice, some sort of protein and coconut aminos, you’re set to get cookin’.

I like to have at least carrots, peas, and white onion as my preferred vegetables of choice for this dish. But if you have any other vegetables in the fridge that are about to go bad or you don’t know what to use them for, this is the perfect time to incorporate those. Vegetables such as snow peas, broccoli, corn, asparagus, bell pepper, cabbage. . . the more vegetables, the merrier! By adding vegetables, the more nutrient dense you make your dish.

As far as protein, I used Trader Joe’s sweet Italian chicken sausage. This and one fried egg for extra protein! This was the easiest and quickest option for me. TJ’s chicken sausage comes pre-cooked, so I just throw them in a pan over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes. Depending on the mood you are in, they have a variety of flavors like jalapeño mango, spicy jalapeño, sweet apple, smoked andouille, sweet Italian, smoked apple chardonnay, sun-dried tomato, spicy Italian, and garlic herb. I highly recommend having these in your fridge as a quick, easy, and convenient option for lunch and dinner. Other sources of protein that go well in this dish that I have given a try are chicken and ground beef.

Lastly, I used coconut aminos in place of soy sauce. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some soy sauce. But I had coconut aminos in my pantry and I wanted to switch it up and give it a try. If you’re interested in doing the same, I will warn you that coconut aminos are more on the sweet side as compared to soy sauce. So, if you’re in more of a salty mood, I would stick with soy sauce 😊.

This meal takes about 20 minutes to prepare if I have precooked rice in the fridge. If I need to whip up some rice, it takes me more around 30 minutes. Either way, a quick and a super tasty weeknight lunch/dinner option!

Toppings you can include to garnish your dish are green onion, sesame seeds, or wontons for an extra crunch.

By incorporating a source of carbohydrates (white rice), a protein (chicken sausage) and a fat (butter) you’ll have yourself a nice balanced meal to help fuel and recover your body properly and keep your tummy happy and satisfied.

Here’s what you’ll need to make this dish:

Ingredients: (yield 2 people)

• 1 cup uncooked white rice
• 2-3 sweet Italian chicken sausage links from Trader Joe’s
• 1 carrot, chopped into bite size pieces
• ½ cup frozen peas
• ½ white onion, diced
• 1 egg, fried
• ¼ cup coconut aminos
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter

Instructions:

1. Bring two cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Once the water is boiling, add the white rice and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover with a lid. Check back in about 15 minutes.
2. Slice the chicken sausage links into bite size pieces. In a large pan over medium high heat, add the chicken sausage. While this is starting to cook, start dicing the white onion and chopping the carrot. Have peas on the side and ready to go.
3. Once the veggies are chopped up, add the butter to the pan with the chicken sausage and add all your veggies. Sauté everything until the carrot and white onion are browned and soft.
4. Check to see if the rice is done. If so, add all the rice to the large pan with the chicken sausage and vegetables.
5. Using a spatula, create a divot and find the bottom of the pan for your fried egg. Crack the egg and let cook for 1 minute. After 1 minute, mix everything together accordingly.
6. Add your coconut aminos and mix again.
7. Enjoy!

As always, if you decide to give this recipe a try, please tag me @rubyfaye99. I would love to see your creation and what you think of the dish!