Meatless Mondays: Fried Rice with Kale, Scallions & Shiitake Mushrooms

In Hawaii, fried rice is usually made with diced spam, sausage or shrimp.  It's not the healthiest thing in the world but it sure does taste good!  The fried rice I grew up with isn't something I eat very often now as I'm wary of "meat" that doesn't need to be refrigerated.  So think of this fried rice as the healthy vegetarian cousin.

 A book that changed the way I view food is Anticancer by Dr. David Servan-Schrieber.  After reading the book, I am always on the lookout for new recipes that incorporate super foods like kale into my diet.  It's chock full of vitamins.  Here is the nutritional breakdown for one cup of cooked kale.

Per 1 cup cooked, chopped:

Calories: 36 kcal
Fiber: 2.6 g = 10 percent of DRI*+
Vitamin A: 885 mcg** = 126 percent of DRI
Vitamin C: 53.3 mg = 71 percent of DRI
Vitamin K: 1,062.1 mcg = 1,180 percent of DRI
Calcium: 94 mg = 9 percent of DRI
Iron: 1.1 7 mg = 7 percent of DRI

Source: Whole Living

Fried Rice with Kale, Scallions & Shiitake Mushrooms

Ingredients: 

1.5 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 cloves of garlic, minced

3 large scallions cut into 1/8 inch diagonal slices or 1/2 onion diced

1/2 pound kale, stems discarded

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms rehydrated and diced

2.5 cups cooked brown rice (I do a mixture of Kashi whole grain pilaf and brown rice)

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce

Directions:

1.  Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add garlic and onions.  Cook, stirring for 2 minutes, being careful not to brown the garlic.  

2. Raise heat to medium.  Add kale, water and shiitake mushrooms.  As soon as the kale wilts and brightens in color add cooked rice and stir for another 2 minutes.  Add the soy sauce and cook for 30 seconds more.  

Recipe Adapted From: My Father's Daughter by Gwyneth Paltrow