Combo Fried Rice

Every now and then I get an insatiable craving for fried rice. Growing up, it was a comfort food. On one occasion, I was so rushed to make it backstage before a performance, my go-to fast food was an order of pork fried rice. Now that I’m watching my calories, my carbs, and my sodium I thought it’d be important to give a healthy version of fried rice a try.

Hubby still hates whole grains, so I thought this would be a great way to disguise the much loathed brown rice with a little bit of soy sauce flavor but still all the look of a heavily soyed fast food rice.  It even surprised my coworkers when I brought this in as my lunch - they couldn't tell the brown color was from the rice and not the soy sauce! 

Note:  The ham I used was really salty so I didn't need much soy in addition to this - if you manage to find an unsalted or lower sodium ham, I recommend adjusting to taste.

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked and cooled brown/white rice mix (1 ½ c brown, ½ c white)
¼ lb chicken or turkey breast, cut into strips and sautéed in olive oil until cooked
½ lb raw shrimp, deveined and unshelled and sautéed in olive oil until just opaque
¼ lb cured ham slice, cubed
2 – 3 green onions, chopped
1 medium yellow onion diced
1 ½ cup frozen peas and carrots
2 whole eggs, scrambled
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce mixed with 1 tbsp cold water



Prepare the chicken and shrimp and cook in olive oil. Set aside with cubed ham.

In a separate skillet, sauté the onion until translucent. Add the frozen peas and carrots and heat until warm. Set aside

Using the same pan, cook the scrambled eggs until firm. Dice on a cutting board and set aside with green onions.

Heat a wok with peanut oil on medium high.  Add the cooked meats and reheat. Set aside.

Add the cooked rice to the wok, adding more peanut oil if necessary. Add the low sodium soy sauce and water mixture to the rice and work quickly to toss the rice with the soy.

Add the cooked meat and mix.

Add the peas and carrots and onions and mix.

Lastly add the scrambled egg and green onions. Mix lightly and remove from heat.

Serve with sriracha or hot chili pepper oil.

Enjoy!

Roasted Veg Head: Asparagus

It’s recommended by nutritionists and doctors alike that Americans should consume more vegetables – at least five servings a day! I admit that vegetables are not my favorite produce item. Years of seeing iceberg lettuce go brown or tomatoes turn blue in my mother’s fridge created a rift between myself and that healthy section of the grocery store. I still gag at the thought of something composting in the vegetable bin.

It wasn’t until I started dating my fiancée that I discovered the other great and simple ways to prepare vegetables. Put aside steaming and poaching and gnawing like a rabbit – I have a series of roasted vegetable ideas that will fill your tummy and make you think differently about vegetables, including Brussels sprouts.

We love roasted Asparagus with almost everything.  For the best results, select firm "snappy" asparagus that are on the skinnier side (as skinny as your pinky!)  You'll know if the asparagus isn't great if it feels rubbery and wilty.  Keep asparagus fresh in your fridge for up to 5 days by cutting off parts of the ends and then standing them upright in a container of water (about 1" deep).
 
What you need from your kitchen:
 
Sharp knife, cutting board, baking or broiling pan
 
 
Ingredients:
 
1 bunch of asparagus
1/4 c olive oil
Pine Nuts (optional)
Lemon Wedge (optional)
 
Preheat oven to 400 - 425 degrees (broil also works for this, just be sure to position the rack about 4 or 5 inches below the heat sources)
 
Wash the asparagus and prep by snapping of the cut end of the stem.  It will naturally break where it is supposed to.  Line that piece up with the rest of the bunch and trip the remainder of the stems off.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Place the asparagus in a single layer on a baking sheet or broiler pan.  Drizzle the olive oil over the asparagus and toss lightly to coat.  If you have pine nuts, sprinkle them on top.  Slivered almonds also work well.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Broil/Bake for 12 - 15 minutes depending on asparagus thickness.  They're done whenever the tips are crunchy and the bodies are lightly charred and wilted. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
For extra flavor, squeeze lemon on the roasted vegetables.  Serve with virtually any meat or entree - left over asapargus are great when cut into 1 inch pieces and tossed in a pasta salad with italian dressing and herbs.
 
Enjoy!

Steel Cut Oats - Groats

If you like creamy oatmeal, cream of wheat, or good ol' corn grits give this recipe for Groats a try.  

One of my favorite articles I've run into identifies Super Foods for Women.  Always looking to align my diet to be full of power and positive impact, I'm up to try a lot of new things.  A new favorite is Steel Cut Oats.

Steel cuts are the earthier cousin of traditional rolled or quick rolled oats.  The grain is cut two or three times.  Also known as Scotch oats, steel cut oats have a porridge like consistency.  They pack a wallop of fiber and cholesterol lowering properties and are a wonderful change from the traditional oatmeal or pre-measured sweetened instant packets.

Finding steel cut oats isn't hard.  Check your cereal aisle as they're often sold in canisters.  Trader Joe's sells a frozen version that is portioned out for heat-n-serve convenience.  In organic food aisles, Bob's Red Mill offers a bag for $3 - $4 dollars.  I personally prefer the bulk food section at my local grocery store where I pay $0.99 a pound for the organic oats.  I consume about a pound a month.

Preparing the oats does take more time so this isn't an instant breakfast.  Instead, I prepare enough for the week on Sunday evening.  For every 1 cup oats, use 4 parts water.

1 cup Steel Cut Oats
Pat of butter
3 1/2 cups Water
1/2 cup Low-Fat/Fat-Free Milk
Pinch of salt
Light brown sugar, wheat germ, flax seed, dried cranberries to serve

Melt the pat of butter (optional) in a small pot on medium - high.  Add the dry oats, tossing to coat in the butter and roasting lightly until they give off a nutty aroma (roughly 5 minutes). 

Increase the stove heat to high.  Add the water and salt and bring to a boil stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. 

Reduce heat to medium and continue simmering uncovered for 25 - 30 minutes. 

Add milk and stir into the groats, cooking for another 5 minutes.

Serve 1/2 cup of groats with a sprinkle of light brown sugar (1 tsp) and wheat germ.  If you like flax or cranberries that is also a good addition. 

Store groats in a sealed container and refrigerate.  I keep mine in the break room fridge for up to 4 days, portioning out and warming it in the microwave every morning.

Oatmeal Meatballs

A few weeks ago I premade old fashioned oatmeal to eat at work, but after a few days I grew tired of the monotony and brought home the tub-o-oats and tossed it in the freezer.  I hate wasting food, so when I have leftovers I need to get creative.  And getting my fiancee to eat whole grains is like feeding a child - if he knows they're in something, he protests.  Thankfully, plain oatmeal is a great filler for a lot of things.

My fiancee, an avid runner, loves pasta.  Lately I've been watching my carb intake, but that doesn't mean I need to be pasta-less.To make the meal filling but not heavy, I've modified my meatballs to "beef " them up and stretch the ingredients.  Here is my recipe for Oatmeal Meatballs which I served with Rebekah's Sauce and Whole Foods spinach spaghetti.  I'll share Rebekah's sauce at a different time when I can fully describe it, but any homemade tomato sauce will do.  I'm using some leftover Rebekah's sauce that I froze from a month ago (still good!)  and mixing it up with some fresh ingredients.

Oatmeal Meatballs

Need:  Bowl for mixing, medium frying pan, pasta pot, oven-safe baking dish (I used a pie pan)

Ingredients:
1/2 - 1/3 lb 90% lean ground beef
1/2 cup left-over cooked plain oatmeal (bulgur wheat, groats, corn meal all work great)
1/4 cup finely shredded carrots
1/4 cup minced yellow onions
1 tbsp breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp italian herbs
1/2 tsp dried basil
olive oil
salt & pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix the ingredients above until thoroughly combined and shape into 1 1/2 inch balls.  Place the meatballs into the baking dish at least a quarter-inch apart. Drizzle olive oil over the meatballs and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.  Bake in oven for 20 - 25 minutes or until the insides are cooked thoroughly and show no pink.

While the meatballs are baking, prepare homemade sauce.  Here's a doctored version of Rebekah's sauce that uses left over sauce, 1 can of diced tomatoes, 1/4 of a yellow onion, and two cloves of garlic.  Sautee the onion and garlic, adding the tomatoes and the frozen sauce and simmer until the meatballs are ready.

I prepared 1/2 lb  of spinach spaghetti (I had cooked the other half on two other occassions) according to the package directions.

The meatballs turned out light, moist, and flavorful with a slight crunch to the outside.

I kept the presentation simple.  Create a small nest of pasta, place three meatballs, sauce.  Sprinkle some Parmesan cheese, garnish with fresh parsley or cilantro.

I love how this dish is full of bright, simple flavors.  The meatballs are delicate but filling... and you wouldn't even know that there are whole grains tucked away in there.

Enjoy!