Fried Wild Rice

If you love traditional fried rice, you will love this Fried Wild Rice even more. It’s got all the feels of take-out, but it’s grain-free.

I love traditional take-out Chinese food but it doesn’t love me. I still order it a few times a year… just to make sure… but even though I love it while I’m eating it, I am always sorry afterward. And yes, I guess I could order some selections that would be kinder to my digestive system, but I always rationalize that if I’m going to have it, I might as well order what I love.

I really do feel better when I eat a grain-free diet. For me, it’s not so much about the gluten as it is about the grain itself. And, there are a lot of people like me out there… everyone thinks it’s the gluten… but if you are digestively challenged, try eliminating all grains and see how you feel.

Anyway, I learned a long time ago that eliminating grains does not mean that I have to suffer or sacrifice when it comes to most of my favorite foods. I even wrote The Chinese Medicine Cookbook, which really highlights some great Chinese recipes that can be made without grains.

But, I digress… back to this recipe for Fried Wild Rice. I wanted fried rice. And, if you know me, while I have a boatload of patience when it comes to a lot of things, I am not quite so patient when it comes to a food that I’m craving. So…. one day last week I really wanted fried rice. But, I also needed to be on the ball and to feel good to do a bunch of work. Enter, this Fried Wild Rice creation. And, let me tell you, it is awesome.

This recipe has all the feels of traditional Chinese fried rice. And it can be easily customized with whatever you want. Really, what’s perfect about it is that all you need to have on hand is a bag of wild rice, some eggs, and a few condiments. Everything else can be figured out depending on what you’ve got going on in your fridge. I went through my fridge and my freezer and pulled out everything I thought might taste good in here. And then, I filtered. The veggies were perfect… the fruit, not so much…

If you are looking to heal your digestion, please download my free ebook all about digestive health here.

Okay… back to the Fried Wild Rice…  I use a lot of scallions in this rice. You can also add an onion if you have one. But, if you are like me and you always have scallions on hand, use them BUT, and this is a big BUT… DO NOT DISCARD THE SCALLION ROOTS! We are going to add the roots to the fried rice. Scallion roots are an amazing Chinese herb that can help knock a cold right out of your body.

You can see from the photo above that what I had in my fridge and freezer was a variety of green veggies. But, if you’ve got peppers, and onions, and carrots, etc… please add those too. And don’t forget to take a pic and tag me on Instagram, because that always makes my day.

Here are some of the amazing healing ingredients in this Fried Wild Rice recipe:

Wild Rice is actually a grass, not a grain. It’s not even related to traditional rice. What this means is that there is much less chance for inflammation occurring in your body after you eat it. It is higher in both protein and fiber than rice and it contains some good minerals and is high in antioxidants. There are some research studies that are now showing that wild rice is also good for your cardiovascular system.

Garlic is amazing in its antiviral and antibacterial capabilities. Garlic is actually a Chinese herb (Da Suan). It’s used to kill toxins and parasites and also to reduce swelling in the body. It’s what I call a great “A” herb: anesthetic, antibacterial, anti fungal, antioxidant, antiviral, etc….

Scallions, as I tell you often, are one of my favorites. In Chinese medicine, the root of the scallion is a healing herb (Cong Bai). I always keep scallions on hand in my refrigerator so that I can whip up a batch of cold and flu fighting tea (scallion roots and ginger) the second anyone feels that scratchy throat coming on. It helps the body sweat out toxins. Scallions are antiviral and antibacterial; they are good for the common cold and general nasal congestion — just don’t eat too many if you have a fever.

GingerChinese herb (Sheng Jiang). It’s especially good during cold weather and also during seasonal changes. So, when winter is trying to turn into spring, and we (those of us on the east coast) get some of those cold, raw, damp days, ginger will make you feel better and will help boost your immune system. Old folklore shows that ginger was rubbed on scalps to stop baldness. And, in some circles, a ginger paste is still rubbed on arthritic joints to stop pain (don’t try this at home unless you are diagnosed with a cold-condition by an acupuncturist).

It is true that spinach contains iron, but it’s this vegetable’s lesser-known qualities that really hold my admiration. Spinach contains a substance that helps eliminate prostate cancer. It’s also great for your bones and also for memory loss. Diabetic patients may find that eating spinach helps combat excessive thirst and can even be good for night blindness. Spinach can inhibit the body’s ability to absorb calcium, so calcium-rich foods should be avoided when eating this leafy green.

Green peas are good for the digestion, especially if you are feeling constipated. In the olden days, people used to drink pea juice with their meals to avoid indigestion.