Meatless Monday: Healthy (Baked) Egg Fried Rice

That's right, I'm bringing back Meatless Monday! Whenever I want to drop a few pounds quickly, or if I want to be lazy about counting calories, I go vegetarian. Leaving meat out of a recipe is such an easy way to cut back on calories. In my efforts to remove all of those holiday cookies from my behind, I'm going meatless at least once a week and will share each recipe with you.

While it's already made vegetarian sometimes, egg-fried rice isn't generally healthy as it's often prepared with lots of butter. That's why it tastes so damn good. However, it occurred to me that I could easily make this in the oven and without all the fat, thus was born my recipe for Baked Egg-Fried Rice.

You Need:

*4 eggs

*3-4 cups steamed rice (go for brown for some extra goodness)

*few tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

*1-2 cups mixed veggies (you could use fresh or frozen; peas, chopped carrots, onions, broccoli, snow peas, peppers, mushrooms, the possibilities here are nearly endless)

*black pepper and salt to taste

*grated ginger root or garlic (optional)

Instructions:

1. Prep the rice in a steamer or boiling pot according to directions on the package. Use 1 to 2 cups dried rice. Whether you're using fresh or frozen veggies, toss them in the same pot when the rice is just about done and mix thoroughly. *If you're using fresh onions or mushrooms, you'll want to saute them first by browning them in a shallow pan with oil or butter for a few minutes. When the rice is finished, add in the spices and soy sauce and stir.

2. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spread the rice and veggies evenly into a shallow casserole dish.

3. Beat 4 eggs and pour over the rice. Use a spoon to spread it and help it work it's way into the rice.

4. Bake about 12-15 minutes or until the egg is thoroughly cooked. Before serving fluff the rice with a fork.

*Serve my Baked Egg-Fried Rice with steamed dumplings or spring rolls. To make it a more filling main dish, simply add in cooked chicken breast, pork, or tofu.

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