Quinoa & Pineapple Fried Rice

So my pineapple filled dishes lives on in this quinoa fried rice! I love fried rice ( and most fatty, greasy Chinese food for that matter.) I've been making healthier versions of Chinese food at home for some time now like sticky orange chicken. Fried rice is something I have not tackled before, so what better time than the present?I used a recipe from Cooking Light. My favorite go to for light recipes!



I used quinoa instead of rice for this dish, but feel free to use any kind of rice that you have on hand. Just make sure that it is left over. That is the whole point of fried rice! That you use day old, cold rice. I'm sure fried rice was made so Chinese restaurants could find a use for their leftover white rice from the night before. Honestly, who cares? It tastes good, so I am going with it! I used some veggies I had on hand to bulk up the dish since I ate it for dinner. I also had some leftover chicken so I threw that in. Feel free to add whatever protein you have on hand. You can make this a kind of "Everything But the Kitchen Sink" fried rice. I even added pineapple, which was a nice contrast to the salty and spicy flavor of the rice.



The verdict: This was delicious! It took no time to prepare ( which is always a plus for me) and you can easily make it different every time by adding in whatever you have on hand. Go ahead, try this make your own takeout dish today. You will probably save yourself a boat load of calories!!

Quinoa & Pineapple Fried Rice

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon lower-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 
• 1 teaspoon sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste), divided
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 
• 1 bunch green onions 
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
• 2 1/2 cups cooked and cooled brown quinoa ( or use rice of your choice)
• 1/4 cup vertically sliced shallots
• 2 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 
• 1 cup julienne-cut red bell pepper or whatever veggies you have on hand
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• Cooking spray 
• 4 lime wedges 
•  1/2 cup chopped pineapple
• 
  
•  Directions
• 1. Combine first 4 ingredients, 1/2 teaspoon sambal oelek,  in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine eggs and remaining 1/2 teaspoon sambal oelek in a bowl. Separate green tops from green onions, and diagonally chop; set aside. Cut green onion bottoms into 1-inch pieces; set aside.
• 2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons oil to pan, swirling pan to coat evenly. Add rice; stir-fry 1 1/2 minutes, stirring constantly. Transfer rice mixture to a large bowl. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in pan.  Add chicken; stir-fry 1 1/2 minutes or until lightly browned. Add brown sugar mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 minute or until liquid thickens slightly, stirring occasionally. Add chicken mixture to rice mixture.
• 3. Wipe pan clean with a paper towel; return pan to medium-high heat. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add broccoli and bell pepper; stir-fry 3 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, green onion bottoms, and garlic; stir-fry 1 minute or until fragrant. Add chicken mixture to pan, cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated; return chicken mixture to large bowl.
• 4. Return pan to medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add egg mixture to pan, swirling to coat pan; cook 30 seconds or just until egg is set. Transfer egg to a cutting board; chop. Top with green onion tops; garnish with lime wedges.