Turkey Fried Rice

Making your own fried rice will spoil you ... it is so easy to put in more of what you like and less of what you don't. It's fresher than what you get in most Asian eateries and it's really not that hard to make if you just sharpen your knife and get chopping! Get yourself a good wok and some wooden or silicon spoons for stir frying and away you go!

An easy lunch that is nutritious and not too over the top ... turkey fried rice and a pot of tea ...

Turkey Fried Rice - printer friendly

Turkey Fried Rice

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

½ lb. turkey cutlets, sliced into ½ inch bite-sized slices

¼ tsp. cornstarch

¼ tsp. salt

Dash white pepper

¼ tsp sesame oil

1 large egg, slightly beaten

½ c. slivered purple onion

1 ½ c. sliced Shitake mushroom caps

1 c. peapods, tipped and sliced into bite-sized pieces

1 c. water chestnuts, coarsely chopped

½ c. leeks, white/green section, thinly sliced

2 ½ tbsp. peanut oil

2 c. cooked white rice (I use Basmati rice.)

dash Asian five-spice powder

¼ c. reduced-sodium soy sauce

Making the Dish:

1. Slice the turkey cutlets and place the pieces in a bowl with the cornstarch, salt, white pepper, and sesame oil. Massage the mixture with your fingers to coat all the pieces with the slather. Set aside for 30 minutes.
2. Prepare all the vegetables and have everything ready at a wok station.
3. Wash and steam the rice. When it is done, take the lid off the pan and let the rice cool and ‘dry’ a bit.
4. When the turkey has marinated for 30 minutes, heat a dry wok over high heat until it is very hot.
5. Place 2 tsp. peanut oil into the wok and swirl the wok to coat the cooking surface.
6. Turn the turkey into the wok and let it stir-fry until it is white on all sides, tossing every ten seconds or so. When the meat has whitened up, slide it into a large serving dish.
7. Return the wok to the heat and add 1 tsp. peanut oil … swirl to coat the pan and add the beaten egg, stir frying to cook and break it up. Slide it into the serving dish with the turkey.
8. Return the wok to the heat. Add 1 tsp. peanut oil and swirl it. Toss in the onions and peapods and stir fry until the onions are shiny and the peapods are a brilliant green … but still very crunchy. Turn the veg into the serving dish  and return the wok to the heat.
9. Add 2 tsp. of peanut oil and toss in the Shitakes and the water chestnuts, stir frying until the mushrooms begin to give up their moisture and wilt. The water chestnuts will brown up a bit at the edges. Turn them into the serving dish and return the wok to the heat.
10. Add 2 tsp. peanut oil to the wok and the leeks and cooked rice. Toss the mix to distribute the leeks throughout the rice. Stir fry until the rice begins to toast a bit. Pour in the soy sauce and toss to distribute throughout. Sprinkle on the five-spice powder and toss.
11. Turn all the cooked vegetables and meat back into the wok with the rice and toss to distribute.
12. Cover the wok and lower the heat a bit. Let everything get steaming hot (it only takes a minute or two) and serve in deep bowls with a hot pot of black tea.

 This dish can be re-heated the next day … leftovers are terrific. After one day, though, the peapods get funky looking … no more pleasant green. Still tastes fine, but the aesthetic is gone. Just sayin’…