Pork fried rice

When it comes to savory dishes, if I'm not having something with pasta, brown rice is probably involved. I love the versatility of rice and how filling it can be. I love incorporating sweet potatoes or regular old potatoes too as a starch, but there is just something about rice that hits the spot when pasta isn't calling my name.

I didn't used to cook much with pork, but there is a ramen spot nearby us (Ganko Ittetsu) and the dish I get from there has this incredible ground pork that has a sweet flavor to it which inspired this fried rice dish! It's sweet and savory all at the same time, and you get bites of onion and ground pork in every bite.

This non-traditional recipe for pork fried rice comes together quite quickly, and pairs great with green beans or anything similar - we recently made a teriyaki broccoli and the pairing was great. We usually split this recipe for dinner, but if paired with another protein or a soup it could also stretch three servings.

This dish comes together quite quickly, and I've made it with fresh cooked brown rice, microwaved frozen brown rice, and brown rice that I had made a day or two prior - it all works great! I also sometimes make this recipe with shrimp instead of pork (I just cook the shrimp first and set aside, cook everything else in the same pan, start with one tablespoon of soy sauce and add to taste, then add the shrimp back in at the end) and it tastes great as well if you're in more of a seafood mood.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked brown rice

• 1 tablespoon oil (I use canola oil, olive oil works great as well)

• 1/2 chopped yellow onion

• 1/2 pound ground pork

• 2 teaspoons brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 2 eggs

• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Cooking time: 15-20 minutes (plus time to cook your rice!)

Cooking instructions:

Heat your stove to high heat, and warm up your oil in a large pan. Chop the 1/2 onion and add it to the heated oil. Cook until the onions are near transparent.

Add in your ground pork. Continue to mix around with your spatula, and once the pork is about halfway cooked, add in your brown sugar and continue mixing.

Once your pork is fully cooked, crack both eggs into your pan. Reduce to a medium high heat. Allow your eggs to cook slightly, and when you see white beginning to set, mix sparingly. The goal isn't to scramble your eggs completely, but rather to get pieces of egg and to combine it a bit with your pork and onions.

Just before the eggs have cooked completely through, add in your precooked brown rice and mix to combine. Then pour in your soy sauce, mix to combine again. Continue to mix around until the eggs are fully cooked and all ingredients are fully combined.

Turn off your heat and pour on the toasted sesame oil. You're ready to serve and eat!

Carb and serving info:

Servings: 2-3

Carbs per serving (split in half): 52.7

Carbs per serving (split in thirds): 35.1

Carbs per full batch: 105.3

Note: Carb information is calculated based on the specific ingredients I used to cook with to help guide my own insulin to carb ratio when dosing before I eat my home cooked recipes.