Believe it or not, this recipe for fried rice is good for you. The key is getting your pan super-hot so that you use as little oil as possible, and canola oil is actually a healthy fat, so you can feel good about serving this to your kids. I like using turkey and cranberry, two very “Fall” ingredients, because they’re unexpected yet familiar enough for kids to happily chow down on.

 

Cranberry-Turkey Fried Rice

Serves 4

• 4 tablespoons canola oil
• 3 eggs, beaten lightly
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 bunch scallions, white and green parts sliced thinly, separated
• 5 cups leftover cooked rice*
• 1/3 cup chopped dried cranberries
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• Kosher salt, if needed

 

Heat a wok or large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil and swirl to coat the pan. When the oil shimmers, add the eggs, which will puff up. Allow to set, about 5 seconds, and using a wok spatula or similar tool, push the sides of the egg mass toward the center to allow uncooked egg to reach the pan and solidify. Flip the mass, allow it to set, about 5 seconds, and slide onto a paper towel-lined plate; do not overcook. With the edge of the spatula, break the eggs into small pieces. Set aside. Dump out any remaining oil. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of the oil to the wok and swirl to coat the pan. When the oil shimmers, add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the turkey and the white parts of the scallions and cook through, breaking up any large chunks, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and cranberries and toss thoroughly until heated through. Add the soy sauce, white pepper and reserved eggs and toss. Correct the seasonings, add salt if necessary, transfer to a platter, and garnish with the scallion greens. Serve immediately.

 

If you don’t have leftover rice, try this trick to get it to the correct consistency: cook your rice as usual, then lay it out on cookie sheets and place in the freezer to dry out — it takes about 30 minutes.