Main Dish

Chaufa (Fried Rice)

This recipe adapted from about.com is very flexible—add chile paste, snow peas, water chestnuts or other veggies and use shrimp or scallops in place of meat if you wish.

3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

2 eggs, whisked with salt and pepper to taste

1 bunch scallions, trimmed and chopped

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 cup cooked chicken or pork, shredded

4 cups cooked, cold rice

3 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet. Fry the egg pancake 1 to 2 minutes, until set. Flip on to a plate and slice into strips. Add remaining oil to pan and add the scallions, ginger and pepper; stir-fry 3 minutes. Add meat, rice and soy sauce; stir-fry until hot and well mixed. Stir in egg strips. Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 420 calories (35 percent from fat), 15. 7 g fat (2.9 g saturated, 4.8 g monounsaturated), 124 mg cholesterol, 19 g protein, 49 g carbohydrates, 1.7 g fiber, 832 mg sodium.