Homemade 'Takeout' Vegetable Fried Rice

As a teen, I had a real passion for fried rice and, since I was a vegetarian at the time, I thought that ordering takeout Chinese vegetable fried rice at least twice a week was a fairly healthy choice.

I could literally eat an entire takeout container and call it dinner. Now that I cook at home more frequently and often have leftover rice, I find that making my favorite takeout dish at home is cheap, healthy and delicious. The trick to making the best fried rice is to use day-old rice that has been in the fridge and slightly dried out. My version is made with hearty short-grain brown rice, and gives you two servings of vegetables (which usually means about half a cup).

Find a healthier version of Chinese vegetable fried rice after the jump.

So what's the deal with monosodium glutamate (MSG)? Restaurants tend to use MSG to enhance the flavor of saucy meat and vegetable dishes. Sodium glutamate is the salt of glutamic acid, which is one of the body's 20 amino acids.

Curiously, when we eat food with MSG it creates an "excitatory" feeling on our tongues, like a little party for your taste buds that makes the food taste more savory. Health experts say that most people don't suffer any harmful effects from it (given that it already exists in your body), but excessive consumption of MSG can cause allergies, severe headaches and fatigue. However, it's easy to avoid MSG -- try cooking your Chinese favorites at home using flavorful aromatics like ginger, garlic and scallions.

Vegetable Fried Rice

Serves 4

Cooking spray

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 medium red bell pepper, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

10-ounce package frozen vegetable mix (suggestion: peas, corn and carrots), rinsed under cold water

3 cups cooked, short-grain brown rice

2 cups baby spinach

1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

4 scallions, thinly sliced

Coat a large wok or skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Pour in eggs and cook 30 seconds to 1 minute, until set, then fold in half. Transfer to a plate. Thinly slice.

Heat sesame oil in the same wok over medium-high; add the red pepper and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until the peppers begin to soften, about 2 more minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the vegetable mix, cooked rice, spinach, soy sauce and vinegar. Gently stir and cook 1 minute more, until the liquid is absorbed. Fold in the cooked eggs. Garnish with scallions and serve immediately.

Calories: 390, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 2.5g, Cholesterol: 85mg, Sodium: 740mg, Carbohydrate: 61g, Dietary Fiber: 2g, Protein: 9g

Calories: 250, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 84mg, Sodium: 212 mg, Carbohydrate: 39g, Dietary Fiber: 3g, Protein: 9g

Learn more about Jennifer at skinnychef.com, and read her exclusive Slashfood blogs every Monday and Friday.