Thai Basil Chicken Fried Rice

I found this recipe in Tosca Reno's, "The Eat-Clean Diet, Recharged." It's an especially easy meal when you have leftover brown rice or chicken from another meal. It really was SO good. Full of flavor and it made the house smell amazing! I can't wait to have it for lunch tomorrow!

INGREDIENTS:

4 tbsps. coconut butter (if that's unavailable, use olive oil)

2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped

2 scallions, whites and greens, sliced

4 cloves of garlic, passed through a garlic press

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4-inch strips

2 Thai red peppers, cut into ribbons (Or you could buy a bag of frozen mixed Asian veggies.)

2 tbsps. fish sauce

3 tbsps. oyster sauce

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/2 cup chopped fresh Thai basil

2 cups cooked brown rice

1 handful fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

A pinch of red pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the coconut butter in a large wok over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and scallions and stir-fry for a few minutes until fragrant.

Add the garlic, chicken and red peppers, and stir-fry for four or five minutes.

Add fish and oyster sauces and sea salt, and stir fry it into the mixture. If it's too hot, reduce the heat under the mixture slightly.

Add the basil and rice, and stir-fry until it's heated through.

Serve hot, garnished with cilantro and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

NOTE: You can mix it up with beef strips or shrimp instead of chicken.

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Iranian (Persian) Rice

My wonderful, patient Father-in-law (Mohamad) taught me how to make Iranian (Persian) Rice when he came to visit a few years ago. I found a copy of the exact recipe HERE. But I've published it on our humble, little blog for all of you anyway. It's not low calorie or 'healthy,' but it is some of the yummiest rice you'll ever taste! (I mean, mo butt'a is bett'a, right?)

SERVINGS: 6-8

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups long grain white rice
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 2 quarts water
• 1 cup water

DIRECTIONS:

1. Start the 2 quarts water and salt boiling in large stock pot or dutch oven.
2. Rinse rice until water runs clear (or as close to clear as you can get it)
3. Add rice to boiling water, boil about 10 minutes or until rice is about half cooked.
4. Drain rice in colander, reserve.
5. In stock pot or dutch oven, pour about 1/4 cup melted butter on bottom, tilt to cover 2 inches up sides.
6. Pour the half-cooked rice into the pot, try to make a nice mound in the middle, and avoid the sides as much as possible.
7. With the end of a wooden spoon, make holes in the mound of rice (5 or 6 places) evenly around.
8. Pour the remaining melted butter onto the rice, and drizzle 1/4 Cup of the extra water into the holes you made. Cover pot with kitchen towel to absorb the steam, place pot lid on towel.
9. Cook on very low heat, checking after about 15 minutes. If the rice is browning too fast, add the remaining extra water a little bit at a time.
10. Cook rice until it's done, about 30 minutes.
11. Try not to check it too often, as it needs to steam.

Brown Rice (its SOOOO yummy!)

My husband (Deland) grew up eating rice EVERY DAY. (He is Iranian after all.) And let me tell you I LOVE Iranian Style Rice. It is so yummy, buttery, and the crispy rice on the bottom of the pot is amazing! The problem is that I'm allergic to large amounts of butter. (It makes my butt bigger.) Plus I know brown rice is much healthier. So I did some research and came up with an amazing brown rice "recipe" that tastes different from the Iranian rice my husband and I love, but is equally yummy. (Deland eats it by itself.)

Enjoy! (And let me know what you think!)

INGREDIENTS:

• Brown Rice
• Beef Broth - Low Sodium
• Olive Oil
  
• Fresh Garlic - 3 or 4 cloves
  
• Dried, Whole Bay Leaves - 3 or 4
  
• Sea Salt - a dash
• Pepper - a dash
  

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Read the instructions on the bag.
   
2. Substitute beef broth for the water.
3. Substitute olive oil for the butter.
4. Add bay leaves, garlic, salt and pepper to the broth.
5. When it comes to a boil, add the rice.
6. Just follow the directions on the bag from here.