Veggie-Packed Spicy Shrimp Fried Rice

 INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups leftover brown rice cooked (or buy the frozen, microwavable kind like I did)
• 2 lbs small shrimp, peeled and deveined, tail off
• 1 tsp each of chili powder, paprika and garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or more to taste
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• fresh black pepper, to taste
• 4 large eggs
• 4 slices thick cut bacon
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 bunch scallions, chopped, whites and greens separated
• 4 cloves garlic, diced
• 2 tbsp grated or minced ginger
• 1/3 bag of frozen peas and carrots
• 1 cup riced cauliflower and broccoli
• 8 oz sliced mushrooms
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste
• 4 tsp soy sauce, or more to taste
• 1 tsp Asian fish sauce, (or more soy sauce)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, cover a cookie sheet with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Combine shrimp, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, salt and pepper and spread into a single layer on cookie sheet.
3. Bake for 6 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, scramble eggs.
5. Chop raw bacon into small pieces and add to a wok or large skillet. Sautee until crispy and remove the bacon onto a plate lined with paper towels.
6. To the bacon grease in the wok, add onion, scallion whites, mushrooms, garlic and ginger. Sautee until onions are soft.
7. Add frozen carrots, peas and riced cauliflower and broccoli and sautee until heated through.
8. Add reserved shrimp, eggs and bacon
9. Add sesame oil, red pepper flakes, soy sauce and fish sauce.
10. Serve. 

Crock Pot Cashew Chicken

 Ingredients:

• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (About 4 pieces), cut into bite size pieces
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 Tbsp canola oil
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 3 Tbsp ketchup
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar (I use Swerve brand brown sugar substitute)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (less if you don't like it spicy)
• 1/2 cup unsalted cashews
• fresh veggies of your choice: peppers, broccoli, snap peas, peas, carrots, water chestnuts, etc. (I used half a head of broccoli, two handfuls of snap peas, a handful and a half of baby carrots, about 4 oz mushrooms and an onion cut into large chunks)

Directions:

1. Combine flour and pepper in resealable food storage bag. Add chicken. Shake to coat with flour mixture.
2. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken on each side. Important! Do not crowd the pan, do it in batches. Leave the chicken alone until it gets a little brown before flipping.
3. Place chicken in slow cooker. 
4. Combine soy sauce, vinegar, ketchup, sugar, garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes in small bowl; pour over chicken. Or, you can be alike a normal person who hates doing extra dishes and just add those ingredients to the crock pot and stir. 
5. Cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours.
6. With 30 minutes to an hour left, add veggies.
7. Once done, stir in cashews.
8. Serve over brown rice.