Chicken & Rice Stir Fry

Have I mentioned that my family is picky? Everyone will eat chicken & everyone will eat rice, but some will not eat it if I mix them together. To avoid dinner time melt down, I set aside a portion of the chicken and a portion of the rice before mixing in the rest of the ingredients for the stir fry.


Ingredients
2 lbs chicken breast (boneless thighs work too)
1/2 cup butter
2 cups long grain rice
frozen sliced carrots (not the cubes)
frozen sugar snap peas
can of sliced water chestnuts
soy sauce
minced garlic
black pepper

In a large frying pan or wok on medium heat, melt the 1/2 cup butter. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of minced garlic, more if you really like garlic, less if you aren't a garlic fan.

Start the rice in a medium sauce pan....I use 3 cups of boiling water for 2 cups of long grain white rice, reduce the heat to low once the rice comes to a boil & cover with a tight fitting lid. Let the rice cook for 15 minutes, then remove it from the heat & set aside. Don't remove the lid yet.

While the rice is cooking, slice the chicken breast into cubes and add it to the pan with the garlic, sprinkle with black pepper. Use a spatula to push the chicken around until all sides have turned white or slighty golden, then cover the pan or wok with a lid. Let the chicken simmer approximately 20 minutes.

When the chicken & the rice are both done(if you have picky eaters some chicken can be set aside for them at this point), remove the lid from the chicken and add the frozen vegetables, then put the lid back on. Open the can of sliced water chestnuts, drain them & rinse in cold water. Add to the pan with the chicken & vegetables. Add 1 cup soy sauce. Remove lid from rice & fluff it with a fork. (Set aside a portion for any picky eaters). Add rice to the frying pan or wok & stir gently to combine all ingredients. If there is not enough liquid in the pan to coat all the rice, add more soy sauce. Cover with lid & allow to simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

This is a very hearty meal, left overs reheat well & make a great lunch for the next day. Variations: you can use fresh carrots, sugar snap peas, green onions, bell peppers, etc, however they should be added to the chicken before the start of the 20 minute simmering period. This also works great with small cubes of beef instead of chicken.