By Bianca Tamburello, Dietetics Student, Sargent College

When I think of Fried rice, the first image that flutters into my head is ordering out for Chinese food on a rainy and cold day. But the second memory that immediately follows the meal is the terrible feeling in my stomach that usually arises after take-out food.

We’ve all gotten a stomach-ache after take-out, but for some reason we continue to order out even though we know it may not be the best choice. This week at Karen Jacob’s Test Kitchen we made fried rice with our usual Sargent Choice twist. I was a tad skeptical that this recipe would not compare to the less healthy versions of fried rice, but once again I left KJ’s Test Kitchen with a new recipe to add to my cook book and a happy belly instead of a sick one.

Karen Jacobs kindly cooked the brown rice ahead of time, allowing us to plunge into the recipe as soon as we arrived. If you’re trying this recipe at home, cooking the rice ahead of time cuts down the cook time to about 20 minutes, which leaves you more time to get back to your busy schedule.

We cooked the ginger, scallions and garlic until soft. Then we added the brown rice, red pepper, edamame, corn, broccoli, and tofu and cooked for about 5 minutes. We decided to hollow out a 3 inch well, cooked the tofu in the middle of the well until slightly golden and mixed it through the rice.

This is where the recipe involves a little imagination and creativity! Remember when you enjoyed making a volcano out of mashed potatoes and created molten lava with gravy? Well, these skills are very important for today’s recipe.

Make a volcano shaped structure out of the fried rice. Next add the oil and crack the eggs into the center. Voila, fried rice volcano with egg molten lava!

Allow the eggs to cook until fully scrambled. Stir the eggs into the rice, add 3 tablespoons of soy sauce and mix until the brown rice has acquired a rich brown color.

The brown rice soaked up the delicious flavor of the ginger, garlic and soy sauce that tasted delicious with the broccoli, corn and edamame. Karen even made her own Miso soup recipe to partner the fried rice.

The ginger, scallions and garlic combined to create a wonderful aroma that not only filled the room but trickled all the way out the door, down the hall and reached the StuVi 2 elevators. As we sat on the carpet around Karen’s coffee table with our fried rice, miso soup and the smell of gingery delight in the air, Karen Jacob’s apartment transformed into an intimate Hibachi restaurant.

This SC fried rice recipe is no comparison to the rice served in take-out containers. It is loaded with wonderful vegetables and tofu that even the least enthusiastic vegetable eater will love. Most importantly, it is absolutely delicious and doesn’t leave you with a belly-ache. I promise, you will be burning your take-out menus once you try this SC creation!

Fried Rice with Scallions, Edamame, and Tofu

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon canola oil
2 large cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
4 scallions (white and green parts), thinly sliced
1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
4 cups cooked brown rice
2 cups broccoli florets
¾ cup frozen shelled edamame, cooked according to package directions and drained
½ cup fresh or frozen (thawed corn kernels)
6 ounces firm tofu, cut into ¼-inch cubes
2 large eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

Directions:

1. Heat 1 tbsp. of oil in a wok or large skillet until hot.

2. Add garlic, scallions and ginger and cook, stirring, about 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Add the rice, broccoli, edamame, corn and tofu and cook, stirring, about 5 minutes.

4. Make a 3-inch well in the center of the rice mixture. Add 1 teaspoon of canola oil, then add the eggs and cook until nearly fully scrambled.

5. Stir the eggs into the rice mixture, then mix in the soy sauce.

6. Enjoy hot.