Fried Rice with Fried Chicken

Many of our meals are out of the freezer and this is one of them.  When ever fresh vegetables start to soften, I thoroughly wash, cut out any spots, chop, and freeze When cooking rice, I make more, then freeze in containers. Chickens are  cut up and frozen by types of meat, dark or light.  If specific pieces were purchased, such a legs or wings, I try to portion those out in serving sizes large enough for 1 meal.  I really do not like to eat left overs.
So when Chris took out frozen chicken breast and frozen rice for dinner, I had everything I needed for this delicious meal.
I cubed the chicken while it was still a little icy. That makes it easier to cut.  The chicken was cut into 1/2 inch cubes, to cook quickly. I took frozen chopped onion and frozen chopped red and green bell peppers from the freezer and rinsed off the ice that accumulates on fresh rinsed vegetables.  Leaving the moisture on the vegetables, when freezing, helps to prevent freezer burn.  If you freeze foods, be sure to check for any freezer burn before cooking.  It appears as dried out food.  Simply cut it off and use the rest of the item, as long as the freezer burned is only on the surface.  The remaining part is still good, if the freezer burn is not deep. If the freezer burn is more than superficial, throw away the entire package of food..  Try to use any food frozen within 2 months.
This meal involves several layers of cooking but it only takes one very large skillet or wok.  I have given up on woks, myself.  I have tried several and all have turned out to be unsatisfactory.  So I use a very large cast iron skillet that belonged to my mom.
The first thing to cook is the chicken.   Crusted in a light flour and egg mixture, and due the size of the cubes, this will cook quickly. After removing the  chicken, you saute the vegetables until the bright colors return.  Then the vegetables are removed to keep from over cooking.  The chicken is returned with a splash of wine and a small amount of water to steam; then removed again.  The water is evaporated, more oil is added, the egg is scrambled, and then the rice is added.  Once the rice has reheated and started to brown, everything is returned to the pan, seasonings are added then, gently stir so that the crust on the chicken stays in tact.  Put a lid on the pan and allow to heat through.  Yum!
Are you ready cook Fried Rice with Fried Chicken? It sounds involved but it really was not.  This only took about 25 to cook because I had almost everything in the freezer.

2 Chicken Breasts, cut into 1/2 cubes
1/2 teaspoon of Salt
1/2 teaspoon of Pepper
1/2 teaspoon of Garlic Powder
Flour for dredging, seasoned with a sprinkle of salt and pepper
Sepay Groves Olive Oil
1 cup of Vegetables, medium chopped (I used onion, green and red bell pepper)
splash of Wine
Water
2 Eggs, used at separate times
2 cups of Cooked Rice
2 Tablespoons of Soy Sauce
1 teaspoon of Sesame Oil
1/2 teaspoon of Ground Ginger

Season cubed chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Whisk 1 egg with 1/2 cup of water in a separate bowl.  Dredge chicken cubes in flour, then dip in egg mixture, then dredge in flour, again.  Repeat until all of the chicken cubes are coated.
Heat 1/4 inch of olive oil in the bottom of the skillet, to 350 degrees.  Add chicken, refrain from crowding, and brown on all sides.  Cook in batches, if necessary.  Remove from skillet and add vegetables.  cook until tender and bright. Remove the vegetables, return chicken, and add wine and 1/4  of cup water. Steam until crust is tender, then remove.  Let any water cook away..  Add egg to pan and scramble.  This will not take but a moment.  Add a small amount of oil and rice.  Let the rice heat through, stirring in the egg.  Once the rice is hot.  Add soy sauce, sesame oil, and ground ginger.  Then add the vegetables, stir, and adjust seasonings.  Add cooked chicken and carefully stir.  Place the lid on the pan and cook for 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

Deloris