Serves 2 8 Better Balance Bites/Blue Points / 7 Bites/Points without “velveted” chicken
2 Bites/ Points if not using rice / 1 Bite/Point without rice or “velveted” chicken
Calories 547 Fat 12.7g Carbs 61.2g Protein 41.5g
Ingredients
For the Velveted Chicken
· 1 Tbsp beaten egg white (see notes)
· 2 teaspoons soy sauce
· 2 teaspoons cornstarch
· 1/2 pound chicken breast, sliced 1/8 inch thick (see notes)
· 6 cups water
· 1 teaspoon vegetable, canola, or peanut oil
For the Fried Rice
· Cooking spray
· 1 tsp sesame oil
· 1 small white onion, diced
· 1 cup frozen peas and carrots, thawed
· 2 tsp minced garlic (2 cloves)
· 2-3 Tablespoons soy sauce, to taste
· 2 eggs, lightly beaten, plus any remaining from the egg used for “velveting”
· 2 scallions chopped, whites and greens separated, optional (see notes)
Directions
1. For the Velveted Chicken: In a medium bowl, combine egg white, cornstarch, soy sauce, and salt. Place chicken in the bowl and toss to combine. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
2. Fill a pot with the water, bring to a boil, then add the oil. Add chicken and cook until chicken is white outside but still raw within, about 1 minute, separating the chicken pieces as they cook. Drain chicken in a colander, shaking off excess water.
3. For Fried Rice: Set a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Coat the pan with cooking spray, then pour in the sesame oil. Once the pan is hot, add the onion, scallion whites (if using), and the peas and carrots. Fry until tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
4. Push the veggies to the side of the pan, spray the open space with more cooking spray, and add the rice. Stir the rice only to warm through and break up any clumps. Once the rice is warmed through, about 4 minutes, mix with the veggies and push to the side of the pan.
5. Spray the open space with more cooking spray, and add the velveted chicken. Let it sit on the heat for 1 minute to get a little color, then stir the chicken only and cook another minute. Stir into the rice and veggies and add the soy sauce, stirring to coat. Push everything to the side of the pan.
6. Spray the open space with more cooking spray, and add the eggs. Stir the eggs only to scramble them. Once cooked almost fully through, stir everything in the pan together. Add chopped scallion greens, if desired.
Notes
· To make the egg white easy to measure, beat it with a fork until it is thinner.
· You can velvet other meats and fish in this same manner.
· You can use velveted meat in other dishes as well, such as stir-fries, but even add it to other, non-Chinese dishes.
· You can cook the chicken in this dish without velveting it. Add it when the recipe says to, but allow it to cook a minute or two longer. I would marinate it in soy sauce first, but this is optional.
· You can use cauliflower rice or konjac rice in place of the regular rice.
· This is best with leftover rice that has been refrigerated a day or so, but it can be done with freshly cooked rice. You will need to cook the rice, then spread it out to cool on a sheet pan so that the grains are separated as much as possible and will not become sticky.
· The white part of the scallion (toward the root) needs to be cooked so, if using, be sure to add it with the onion. The green section can be added at the end, just before serving.
