Chicken Fried Rice

so last night, we were in a scramble to make something that tasted fresh, but was still within our rather limiting macros - high protein, high complex carbs, no added fats, no added sugars.  we've loosened up a bit at parties the last few weekends (still looking for protein and carbs and limiting but not eliminating fats/sugars... a couple glasses of wine won't undo all this hard work single-handedly), so we're really trying to clean it up during the week.  that said, i absolutely refuse to give up fresh fruits and vegetables, even though they have fructose - so we just choose the ones that are naturally lower in fats.

that was way too much intro.

anyway, we had chicken, broccoli and some bell peppers to use up, so fried rice fit the bill.  and it actually turned out pretty amazing if you consider the amount of guess-work that went into it.

brown rice can pretty much take care of itself and takes a while to cook, so start that first.

chicken
2-3 medium chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into bite-size chunks
olive oil to spray pan lightly
a splash or two of rice vinegar
orange extract + a sprinkle of Truvia to really make the citrus flavor pop
soy sauce to taste

because we drain the fat from our meat after cooking it, i like to replace the moisture with a few tablespoons low-fat or fat-free chicken broth and keep a lid on the meat except when i'm stirring something in.  just turn the heat down when it's done to keep everything warm.

veggies
chopped bell peppers in assorted colors
edamame (shelled, frozen) - adds a nice crunch, but is also a great source of protein
chopped broccoli

if i had planned a little further ahead, there would probably be carrots, too.

add the veggies in with the chicken and replace the lid.  this steam will help cook the frozen edamame.  when the rice is done, add it in with the chicken and veggies.  raise the temperature and remove the lid, but stir frequently - we want to brown everything evenly without burning anything.  add more soy sauce to flavor.

ordinarily i would also add an egg or two after the rice and scramble it in, but i wasn't sure egg whites would give it the same flavor i was expecting.  meh.  live and learn.... i'll probably try it with some of the leftovers.

it took a little bit of time, but it turned out great and kept us on track.  pretty easy, too.  just a lot of standing around, waiting for rice to cook!