Kid Fried Rice (KFR)

This is one of those recipes I invented just for my kids many many years ago, to try to get them to try something “out of the ordinary”. It’s quick and easy to make, and it’s even pretty healthy. We have made it countless times–I believe it is this dish that got my daughter to try Chinese food. She will eat several different varieties of fried rice, she loves egg rolls, has tried things like “sesame chicken”, and she loves egg drop soup.

We taught my sister how to make Kid Fried Rice, and she thought of the idea of adding chopped up hot dog, which I thought was absolutely disgusting, but the kids loved it. If you use the nitrate-and-preservative-free hot dogs, it’s really not TOO bad.

My son will actually eat this sometimes too, which is really saying something. He has got to be the pickiest eater on the planet. Perhaps even the pickiest eater in the multiverse.

When I used to have two adults in the house, I would stir fry some other vegies and meat on the side for the adults to add to the fried rice.

Kid Fried Rice (KFR)

You could also try adding some peas or chopped celery or maybe even some bell pepper or spinach with the carrots for a little more color and flavor.

• 2 eggs
• 1 – 2 teaspoons or so of canola or other vegetable oil
• About 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped (so you have about 1/3 cup of chopped carrot)
• 2 cups of hot cooked rice (my daughter prefers the Bismati rice)
• 1 hot dog, chopped (optional–I didn’t use any hot dog this time! — you can substitute other meat of course, whatever your kids like!)
• A bit of soy sauce

Directions:

1. Start the rice cooking. While it’s cooking, chop the garlic and carrot.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs with a teaspoon of water till fluffy, seasoning with a good sprinkling of Red Robin Seasoning (or other seasoned salt) and a bit of pepper.
3. Heat a frying pan to medium-hot. Add the eggs and scramble briefly, but remove them from the pan while they are still very wet. Do NOT cook the eggs fully. When you add them to the hot rice later, they will finish cooking then.
4. Clear the pan of any residual eggs, then heat again over medium hot heat. Add the oil and swirl around the pan, then sautee the carrots and garlic in the hot oil for just about 3 – 5 minutes, or until the carrot is crisp tender.
5. Add the rice (and meat if you are using it) and sautee for just 2 or 3 minutes longer, stirring as you cook to mix up all the rice and vegies evenly.
6. Remove the rice mixture from the heat and add the eggs, chopping with a spatula to break them into small pieces. Mix the eggs into the hot rice.
7. Serve to your hungry kiddos! Make sure you tell them it’s KID fried rice — it’s not for grownups!

Oh I wish the sun didn’t go down so early now! It’s so hard to get a good picture in the evening …

This recipe was shared at Fit and Fabulous Fridays.