Fried Rice with Greens and Chicken [Cooking with Teens: Episode One]

Yes, two rice dishes in a row.  I've broken a food blogging rule, but you only become a teenager once.

After a call to action to help fight hunger in my last post, I'd like to share something hopeful:  kids are being taught to cook with Bok Choy in school.  Is that a stretch on the hopefulness scale?

I don't think so--I sure didn't learn about Bok Choy until I was an adult. When I hear about folks who desire to improve their health by including more vegetables on their plates, part of the stumbling block is just plain not knowing about different kinds of veggies.  And, if you get a CSA farm share box, chances are excellent that it will contain items you've never seen before much less know how to incorporate into your meals (sorrel, I'm talking 'bout you).  So yeah, kids being taught about Bok Choy is a hopeful sign to me.

I am now the mom of two teenagers, so in honor of that momentous occasion I made slave-drove encouraged assisted my newest teen while she fixed supper.  In school, she'd made Chicken and Bok Choy Fried Rice, and she was forced planned to duplicate that for the family.  We only had cabbage, however, so there's the first lesson in cooking:

Use what you've got.

My girlie couldn't remember the exact specifics of the recipe, so we turned to technology--specifically the How To Cook Everything iPad app by Mark Bittman.  If you're interested in encouraging kids to cook, I recommend this app--it's $10 and I don't see a dime of that--because it's very thorough, easy to use, with clear illustrations, and has that cool techno-thing going for it that all the kids like these days.  Writing that made me feel older than being the mom of two teenagers already makes me feel, so I'll just leave it as "easy to use".

One of my goals for this summer (hey, helps to have something to look forward to) is that both kids pick up at least a meal a week, and in addition to cookbooks from the library and food blogs, the Bittman apps (we also have How To Cook Everything Vegetarian) are part of my strategy.  Guess what else, kids?  Lawn care!  You're beyond old enough and have had 2 summers w/ Dad doing the work for you.  Time to step up.

If you have Bok Choy, Chinese Cabbage, Savoy Cabbage, Napa Cabbage, Plain Old Ordinary Green Cabbage*, or what my farm shares term "Asian Greens", try this recipe.  Save the kale, mustard, collard, beet or turnip greens for other uses (see my visual Recipe Index by Ingredient for ideas).

*I have a fear of radicchio after attempting to make grilled radicchio, so you'll not see it on this blog.

Because kids aren't born knowing how to cook, you've got to go over the rules first.  Here are some simple ones:  1) get everything ready first, 2) wash your hands a lot, and 3) read the recipe--often!

Geez my kitchen is cluttered colorful.  But now you've seen the tall meat freezer and the little fruit and veg freezer!

I was long on words last post, so I'll let the photos give you the scoop and finish up with the recipe below.  Cook the veggies first:

Start with garlic and ginger, then add carrots and onions, then cabbage.

Then cook the meat:

And have fun with the chicken before you scramble the egg.

Then combine it all back together with rice and liquid:

Fried Rice with Greens and Chicken (serves 6-8)

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

cooking oil of your choice

1 teaspoon minced ginger

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped carrot

1/4 cup chopped green onion (or red, or yellow, or white onion)

4 to 6 cups chopped greens (we used cabbage, but any from the list above is fine)

1 large chicken breast, cubed (about  2 cups)

1 egg, beaten

3 cups cold cooked rice

Combine chicken stock, soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil in a cup and set aside.  

Preheat a large skillet (or wok, but you don't have to use a wok if you don't have one) over medium high heat, and add a turn of oil (about 2 to 3 teaspoons).  Start sautéing the ginger and garlic briefly until fragrant, then add in carrots and green onion.  Sauté 3-5 minutes until softened, then add cabbage and sauté another 5 minutes until bright green and wilted.  Transfer to a plate and set aside.

In the same pan (add a bit more cooking oil if you like) add chicken and sauté until no longer pink, about 5-8 minutes.  Dance a bit as you wait for one side of chicken to get nicely browned. Make room in the center of the skillet for the egg, and scramble it for a minute until it's nearly set.  Add the veggies back to the skillet, add the rice, and stir to combine.  Pour the chicken stock mixture over all and stir until the seasonings are incorporated.  Pat yourself on the back for creating a meal for your family.

This post is shared with What's Cookin' Wednesday at Buns In My Oven, the Wednesday Fresh Foods Link Up at Gastronomical Sovereignty, What's In The Box at In Her Chucks, Taste and Tell Thursdays, the Farm Girl Blog Fest at Let This Mind Be In You, the Clever Chicks Blog Hop at The Chicken Chick, and Food on Friday.