Recipe Weekend - Brown Fried Rice

Each week Carrie and I want to post a recipe of something we have been cooking while trying to lose the weight. We're going to try to include some of the nutritional info too but can't guarantee it's 100% accurate. Should be close though.

We both really like Chinese food. Stir fry, fried rice, etc. It turns out that fried rice can be really easy to make. This recipe is a bit more involved, but it sure tastes good. It also reheats nicely.

Approx nutrition:
Servings/batch: 9 (1½ C each)
Calories: 325
Fat: 13 g
Dietary Fiber: 3.3 g
Weight Watcher Points (old method): 7

I'm a bit dubious about the amount of fat (and related calories) since we trim pretty much all visible fat from the roast, but maybe it's right. To reduce the calories from fat, use less beef, use chicken or substitute firm tofu for some/all of the beef. You can cut way back on the oil too.

Ingredients:

• 4½ C Brown Rice (1½C before cooking)
• 1 lb beef chuck roast, trimmed
• 2 large eggs
• 12 oz frozen vegetables (California mix - broccoli, cauliflower, carrots)
• 2 C chopped celery
• 1 medium yellow onion - chopped
  
• ½ of an 8 oz can LaChoy bamboo shoots
• 8 oz can LaChoy water chestnuts
• ¼ C light Kikoman soy sauce
• 3 Tbs minced garlic
  
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• ¾ C water
  
• 1 Tbs peanut or sesame oil

This made a pretty big batch (over 3½ quarts.) If you want less, cut amounts in half. You'll need a pretty large frying pan (with a lid) or a bowl big enough to mix everything together in at the end.

Cut roast into cubes. Start cooking rice according to directions on bag. In med-high pan, add the oil and beef, 1 Tbs garlic, onions and pinch of salt. Fry until well browned. Set beef mixture aside.

In same pan all of the remaining ingredients except the eggs. Cover and simmer on med-high, stirring occasionally until vegetables are tender. Whisk the eggs and keep them handy. Remove cover and boil (stirring occaionally) until most of the water is gone. When you can push the vegetables out of the center of the pan without it filling back up with liquid right away, scramble the eggs in the center.

Remove from heat and mix in beef and rice when it is done cooking (which is usually about the same time everything else is done when we make it.)