Wednesday, April 10, 2013

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

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2013/04/fried-rice-with-greens-and-chicken.html
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!
http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2013/04/fried-rice-with-greens-and-chicken.html
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:
http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2013/04/fried-rice-with-greens-and-chicken.html
Start with garlic and ginger, then add carrots and onions, then cabbage.

Then cook the meat:
http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2013/04/fried-rice-with-greens-and-chicken.html
And have fun with the chicken before you scramble the egg.

Then combine it all back together with rice and liquid:
http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2013/04/fried-rice-with-greens-and-chicken.html

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.
http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2013/04/fried-rice-with-greens-and-chicken.html

29 comments:

  1. Cute! And how cool that they are learning to cook :)

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    Replies
    1. Alyssa,
      Thanks. The more cooks available, the better off we all are.

      Delete
  2. I love that your teenager used bok choy in class and wanted to re-create the magic at home! That is a good sign. :)

    My 12 year old is just starting Home Ec. this week and is excited to get in the kitchen at school. I do have some concerns, as my son had the same teacher and she was a bit controlling on how she wanted things done. My daughter has enough experience in the kitchen and is also hardheaded enough, that I can see some clashes coming down the pike.

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    Replies
    1. I hope this quarter goes smoother than you think. It's bad enough having a conflict in a core class, but in an elective? That should be fun, not stressful.
      Thanks!

      Delete
  3. Love making dishes like this with kids -- I used to teach it in my cooking classes. (And PS -- nice to see you in the Penzeys catalog!!!)

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    Replies
    1. Lydia,
      My mom used to teach cooking classes, and I've got her hand outs from an old Girl Scout cooking badge--I think they will become another lesson here.

      Thanks--it's pretty neat to see me in the Penzey's catalog ;)

      Delete
  4. I like the dance at the end, and your plan to have the kids cook one night a week during the summer. Once you're through training them (are you ever really through? I think not), send them my way so they an see how it feels to cook in different environment. It'll be good experience. :)
    I've never made fried rice, but this seems pretty easy and feasible. I don't have cabbage but I've got snap peas. I bet I could make it work.
    P.S. I signed up for a the single share (not the puny half share) last night and committed myself to a dozen eggs and a pound of ground beef a week. I can't wait to start collecting it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Meghan,
      What the what? Ground beef? 'Splain?
      I can't wait either. A month until our CSA starts up!

      Delete
    2. The Hubby likes his beef. We did the ground beef last year for the first time, and he was thrilled with it. It took him forever to use it all, but that's what freezers are for right?

      Delete
  5. Looks good! I will have to keep this in mind for when we have an over-abundance of cabbage later on this summer. :)

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    Replies
    1. Beth,
      See, it's an experienced CSA member that can anticipate the overabundance of cabbage. Or carrots. Or even tomatoes--the first weeks they are gone in hours, gobbled up fresh and delicious when you're starved for a flavorful tomato. Then, later on, it's more like "oh. tomatoes. again. great." I'm working on an Asian chicken slaw right now for impending cabbage overload.

      Thanks!

      Delete
  6. I love that you are getting both your teens in the kitchen...and with a goal of having them pick up a meal each!! This is so wonderful, for them and for you, they will always remember it and have a skill to cook for themselves thanks to their mama!
    And the "use what you have" rule is so important, I carried that one from my mom, she is the queen of putting together meals from whatever we had in the fridge.
    The stir fry looks fantastic! (and I love that app - thanks or reminding me to put it on my ipad, have always had it on my phone!)

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    Replies
    1. Aggie,
      I have the iPhone app since I won it in a giveaway a few years ago, but I was pleasantly surprised how great the iPad app is--you can do a lot more with the larger screen, and to me at least it looks like they tweaked the iPad version to make the most of the platform.

      Thanks!

      Delete
  7. Love this post! That's so cool that you're teaching your teens how to cook. It's great that they're learning about the different types of produce so early in life. I was past 25 when I learned what bok choy was!

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    Replies
    1. Julie,
      Mrs Blythe and Mark Bittman are also doing the teaching duties with me. Takes a village and all that.
      Thanks!

      Delete
  8. My oldest is only 4, but she already loves to help out in the kitchen. I'm hoping that she'll grow up with a love and appreciation for food like I did. This sounds delicious, too!

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    Replies
    1. Deborah,
      I think you've starting your daughter off the right way--and with gorgeous food like you make, she will definitely appreciate your efforts.
      Thanks for hosting!

      Delete
  9. Great to see kids getting into cooking early. Ours go back and forth- but at least they enjoy their veggies (not as much as dessert). But they still like us to cook them.

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    Replies
    1. The kids clearly prefer having mom cook *for* them, but I'm glad to see them capable of fending for themselves when I am just not that into it. And pretty stoked when they do the cooking and I can just take photos!
      Thanks!

      Delete
  10. So similar to my rice and beans with bok choy. This week we're working with dandelion greens, spinach and chard.

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    Replies
    1. Tammy,
      Dandelion greens--I think the composting guinea pigs would revolt if I tried to eat the greens and not share with them. What do you do with them?
      Thanks!

      Delete
  11. Nice! I love to cook with my kids and "wash your hands often" is one of my mantras.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Close the cupboard behind you is one of my mantras.
      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  12. I love fried rice. It is a staple around here to a quick and easy meal. Not sure why I never thought of putting cabbage in it, but look forward to giving it a try. Always looking for ways to use up the cabbage.

    Thanks for sharing and linking up!

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    Replies
    1. Heather,
      Fried rice should be a staple here--perhaps now that there are 2 chefs who make it, it will be.
      Thanks for hosting!

      Delete
  13. Your fried rice sounds really good........Thank you for sharing with the Clever Chicks Blog Hop this week; I hope you’ll join us again!


    Cheers,
    Kathy Shea Mormino

    The Chicken Chick

    http://www.The-Chicken-Chick.com


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  14. My son is getting into cooking again. He is 13 and was in the kitchen with me from the time he could sit up on his own on the counter. Then he went through a stage where he wasn't interested. He's back next to me now, and more interested in doing things on his own. I can't wait for summer when we will have the time to do more cooking lessons. Cooking with mom just isn't a valid excuse for not doing his homework or violin practice!

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    Replies
    1. Sarah,
      One of the best things about being a parent is knowing that whatever stage you don't particularly enjoy will pass.
      I'm guessing your 13 yr old is a bit too big to sit on the counter, though!
      Thanks!

      Delete