I still crave Chinese takeout. There, I said it. I promised you this blog would be a brutally honest account of a person’s journey into eating and feeling well. But the Chinese food craving continues to hold true; at least for the most part. I am often strolling around Toronto’s busy streets; home to some world-class, authentic Chinese food joints. Real deal places folks, no gimmicks. I am overcome by the unforgivable, inviting smell. That’s the culprit; THAT smell. It’s like my brain telling me: “Remember that one, Aleyda? It’s so good. Stop. Go get some.” I won’t stop, but I openly admit I want to.
When those cravings hit, I’ve been experimenting with my own fried rice at home. I figured if I use brown rice instead of white rice, it’s much healthier for you and helps you in keeping blood sugar levels stable & in check throughout the day. White rice (while naturally gluten free as are all rice forms), is not as healthy as I once thought it was. By subbing in brown rice wherever I would otherwise eat white rice- I feel a big difference in how I feel after the meal. Not as tired. My pants are also a little loser.
This rice is healthier for 3 reasons: (1) This rice is “fried” in coconut oil, and there’s deodorized coconut oil for those who want to escape the taste and smell. Coconut oils is one of the healthiest naturally occurring oils in nature. Your hair and skin will thank you! (2) I ditched traditional, boring green peas for… edamame! Which is an excellent source of dietary protein on this veggie dish. (3) Instead of using soya sauce which by the way, is laden with gluten, I used Tamari sauce which is wheat-free and much healthier.
All rice bowls need a form of protein for them to be a full meal, unless of course- you’re just eating it as a side dish to go along with some protein. Protein is brain food; it’s also what helps keep you fuller, longer. You can easily customize this dish to select the veggies you love. I picked red peppers, edamame, onions, mushrooms and carrots. You can pick as many as you like & make this dish “yours”. Mushrooms make this dish feel “meaty”‘sans the meat.
To make a killer fried rice, its best not to use freshly cooked rice, as it can often get clumpy. But if you do, make sure it cools of completely. I like to meal prep on Sunday night & make two very large batches of brown rice & quinoa. It’s my “reheat & eat” during the week and “pair with a main” strategy. One of the best quotes I ever read was “Failing to prepare, is like preparing to fail”. Made me think twice about planning my meals ahead on Sundays 🙂
Veggie Fried Brown Rice
If you’re eating this as a main, this will only provide 2 servings.
Ingredients
- 1/2 large red or green bell pepper
- 1 cup of sliced, pre-washed mushrooms (I recommend crimini or shiitake)
- 1/2 cup of diced red onion
- 2 green onions (chives), chopped
- 1 cup of cooked edamame, I boil them w/ a little sea salt
- 2 tbsp of coconut oil
- 1 tbsp of tamari sauce
- 1 egg (optional)
- 3 cups cooked brown rice *for fried rice, refrigerated 1 day old rice works much better
For the Peanut Sauce:
- 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger
- 2+ 1/2 tbsp of tamari sauce
- 1 tbsp of of all-natural peanut butter
- 1/2 tbsp of rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp of coconut sugar or raw brown sugar
- 1 tsp of sriracha (optional, I like mine spicy)
- 2 cloves of garlic
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of coconut oil (or peanut oil) in a large, non-stick pan. Throw in the diced onions, red or green peppers, & mushrooms. You may add a little sea salt & pepper to taste, if you wish. Fry for about 2-3 minutes, or until the onions soften. If you want to add an egg & scramble it, this is the time. Always add the egg to the pan with the veggies before you’ve added the rice.
- Then throw in another tbsp of coconut oil and add the cooked edamame, the green onions, the 1 tbsp of tamari & the 3 cups of cooked brown rice. Mix it all up & sauté for another 3 or so minutes while stirring often, or until nicely warm.
- For the sauce, throw all the ingredients in your blender & blend until smooth. Drizzle on top of the rice, as desired. Or you can mix into the rice as it cooks, totally up to you! It also looks nice if your leave a few green onions aside for garnish. Enjoy this super easy yet delicious & healthy meal! Feel free to top it off with tofu, chicken, or beef- whatever you fancy!
Arroz Cantones con Vegetales
Nota: 4 porciones como plato para acompañar o 2 porciones como plato principal.
Ingredientes
- 1/2 taza de chile verde o chile rojo picado (pimentones, no picantes)
- 1/2 taza de cebolla morada en trocitos
- 1 taza de hongos (ya lavados) me gustan los crimini y shiitake
- 2 cebollines, en trocitos
- 1 taza de edamame ya cocido (me encanta porque viene lleno de proteína!)
- 2 cucharadas de aceite de coco ( o aceite de tu opción)
- 1 huevo (opcional, yo si se lo pongo!)
- 1-2 cucharadas de salsa tamari
- 3 tazas de arroz integral ya cocinado (es siempre mejor usar arroz que ya ha estado refrigerado y fue cocinado anteriormente. Si el arroz es cocinado al momento de preparar este plato, muchas veces se hace una masa y no queda igual de bueno! Hay que dejarlo enfriar completamente.)
Para la Salsa de Maní:
- 1 trocito de la mitad del tamaño de tu dedo chiquito de jengibre
- 2 cucharadas y media de salsa tamari
- 1 cucharada de mantequilla de mani natural
- 1/2 cucharadita de vinagre blanco de cocina o vinagre de arroz
- 2 cucharadas de azúcar de coco o azúcar morena
- 2 dientes de ajo picados
- 1/2 cucharadita de salsa sriracha o tu salsa picante favorita (opcional)
Instrucciones
- En una sartén grande, calentar 1 cucharada de aceite de coco. Dejar caer la cebolla picada, el chile verde o rojo (pimientos), y los hongos. Dejar freír a fuego medio por 2-3 minutos, siempre moviéndolo, hasta que la cebolla ablande un poco y se haga trasluciente. Si van a ponerle un huevo, este es el momento. Dejarlo caer y mezclar bien!
- Dejar caer los cebollines, el edamame ya cocido, otra cucharada de aceite de coco, la cucharada de salsa tamari y las 3 tazas de arroz integral ya cocido. Mezclar bien hasta que todo se caliente de manera uniforme.
- Para prepara la salsa de maní , tirar todo a la licuadora y mezclar bien hasta que todo se disuelva. La salsa se le puede dejar caer encima al arroz cuando ya este servido, o se le puede dejar caer a la cacerola con el arroz y mezclar todo mientras todavía se este cocinando. Que la disfruten!
Este arroz cantones es mas saludable por las siguientes 3 razones:
- Va frito en aceite de coco en vez de aceite vegetal.
- En vez de petit pos o guisantes, lleva edamame que van cargados de proteina!
- En vez de salsa de soya, lleva salsa tamari que es mucho mas saludable y libre de gluten!
