Fried Rice with Green Onions and Water Chestnuts

(This side was served with the meal in the post below - marinated beef kabobs and bok choy with fried shallots)

I have never made fried rice, but have eaten it plenty of times (every Saturday in college - Chinese food is the perfect hangover food!). I knew that it was basically rice sauteed in oil with soy sauce with egg, peas and carrots.

I don't like egg in my fried rice, so I came up with my own recipe for fried rice with green onions and water chestnuts. That just reminded me of something funny - when I was little, I loved going to Chinatown in Philadelphia with my parents. I loved water chestnuts, but would always call them water walnuts. My dad still teases me to this day...

Back to cooking - I have no idea if this is authentic or if it's the right way to make fried rice, but it worked for us!! I just wish I could have gotten that nice color and crispiness that you see in restaurants - any tips?

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked rice, chilled for several hours
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 can water chestnuts, chopped
• 3 tbsp cooking oil; I used olive oil
• 4 tbsp soy sauce

Directions

• Heat oil in a large pan or wok over high heat
• Add green onions and water chestnuts and saute for 4-5 minutes
• Add the rice and and stir constantly so it doesn't stick
• Add the soy sauce and continue to stir until everything is nicely mixed

So this is definitely not authentic, but was a nice change from white rice which is what I'd normally serve with meals that have Asian flavors.

I love rice with beef kabobs, so adding a few ingredients - the soy flavor and crunch of the water chestnuts - was perfect for this meal.

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