Rice/Grains

Rice-Nut Loaf

Yes, this a vegetarian loaf – don’t freak out. It’s an oldie and a goodie. As I’ve mentioned, I was a vegetarian for 13 years and grew accustomed to making a plate at holiday meals of nothing but a bunch of sides which sounds good but ultimately isn’t satisfying. Then, one year for Thanksgiving, my aunt pulled out one of her favorite vegetarian cookbooks and made this Rice-Nut Loaf. At first glance, there really isn’t anything appetizing, interesting or appealing about the name of this dish or the list of ingredients. But once combined, these ingredients have come to make not just my favorite vegetarian dish ever but my favorite Thanksgiving dish ever. Hands down.

Brown rice is mixed with wheat germ, walnuts, sunflower seeds, cheese and onion and then binded with eggs and baked to golden brown perfection. Served alone, with gravy or a scoop of mashed potatoes, this meatless meatloaf-like dish is a perfect high protein addition to any dinner table, especially for the picky vegetarian in your family. Even better, true to Thanksgiving form, slices of this loaf sandwich perfectly between two slices of bread, spread with cranberry sauce and stuffing for the days after. Give this a try and maybe you might start to think of vegetarian loaves as a little less weird. It’s tasty enough for vegetarians and meat eaters alike. This year, I ate this instead of turkey for Thanksgiving. And I’m not even vegetarian anymore.

Rice-Nut Loaf (makes 6 servings)

From Nikki & David Goldbeck’s American Wholefoods Cuisine

1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
1/2 cup wheat germ
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup chopped sunflower seeds
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp salt
black pepper, to taste
4 eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Combine all ingredients and pack into a 9-inch loaf pan coated in oil or non-stick spray. Bake for about 50 minutes until firm. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes; unmold and slice.

The ingredients:

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Combine all ingredients and pack into a 9-inch loaf pan coated in oil or non-stick spray.

Bake for about 50 minutes until firm. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Unmold and slice.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions:

Precooked rice (I used Uncle Ben’s^® Ready Rice^® Whole Grain Brown Rice)
Reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Nikki & David Goldbeck’s American Wholefoods Cuisine

Chicken Fried Rice

August 21, 2012
Shannon
1 comment
Asian, chicken, food, ginger, peas, rice

I’ve mentioned before certain foods that I would want to have if I was stuck on a deserted island: s’mores and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are just a few. Yes, you know I have a sweet tooth. I could probably add deviled eggs to that list too. But another food that I never tire of and could eat every single day is fried rice. And I mean every. single. day. I normally eat vegetable fried rice (a habit going back to my vegetarian days) but as much as I love it, I don’t ever try to make it at home. After all, the Chinese food restaurant is right around the corner and can have my fried rice ready for me in 15 minutes, right? Well, the problem we all know is that fried rice isn’t exactly healthy and shouldn’t be eaten often, if ever. But I can’t give it up so why not give in and try to make it, when I can control the oil and the ingredients myself? This recipe for Chicken Fried Rice seems like a good place to start.

Chicken, scrambled egg, peas, and rice are combined with a mixture of soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice wine vinegar and lime juice. Fresh garlic and grated ginger provide additional layers of flavor to this rich dish. The lime juice really provides an additional unexpected freshness and the chili sauce gives it a slight kick, which I love. I used precooked chicken strips since I had them on hand but thin-cut chicken would work well here too since it cooks quickly. Since I try to eat brown rice as much as possible, I also used ready-made whole grain brown rice in place of the boil-in-bag rice but any kind of rice will work here. While this isn’t restaurant-style fried rice, this was a tasty and satisfying fried rice dish that isn’t as oily and doesn’t leave you feeling guilty after eating it. What’s also great about this is you can add adapt it to your own taste by adding other vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, baby corn, grean beans or bean sprouts. I’ll definitely make this again, maybe even leaving out the chicken, to satisfy that vegetable fried rice craving I get oh-so often.

The ingredients:

Combine 1 tablespoon soy sauce, cornstarch, and chicken in a bowl; toss well. Combine remaining 4 teaspoons soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice wine vinegar, lime juice and chili paste in a small bowl.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken mixture and stir-fry 4 minutes or until lightly browned. (If using pre-cooked chicken like I did, stir-fry just until heated through.)

Push chicken to one side of skillet and add eggs to open side of pan. Cook 45 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir eggs and chicken mixture together.

Remove chicken mixture from pan and keep warm. Return pan to medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan. Add onion, ginger, and garlic and cook 2 minutes or until fragrant. Add rice and cook 1 minute.

Add peas and cook 1 minute.

Add chicken mixture and soy sauce mixture. Cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Stir in green onions.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions

Pre-cooked chicken strips
Ready-made brown rice

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Cooking Light Magazine

Vegetarian Tex-Mex Quinoa Bowl

Have you jumped on the quinoa bandwagon yet? Well, I have. And considering my love for rice, using quinoa in place of rice is something I never thought I would agree to. But these days, I have quinoa on hand and rice is nowhere to be found in my cabinet. I still love my rice but quinoa is just so darn good for you that I can’t let myself not eat it. Mixing quinoa with bold flavors, like in this Vegetarian Tex-Mex Quinoa Bowl, is a great way to eat it.

Quinoa takes on the spicy flavors of the taco seasoning very well so even if you aren’t sure if you like quinoa, this is a good way to try it. Mixed with soy crumbles, black beans, corn, tomatoes, and jalapeño, this quinoa bowl is fresh, spicy, and filling. I love the texture and flavor of the soy crumbles in this dish. I started eating soy crumbles when I was a vegetarian but still eat it now in place of meat all the time. Sometimes I even prefer it in certain dishes over meat (like taco salad and Cheeseburger Macaroni Hamburger Helper – seriously!). It’s full of protein and lower in fat, making it a great pairing with quinoa. But if you don’t want to venture into soyland, feel free to use ground turkey, chicken, or beef in place of the soy crumbles. Also, if you keep a fully stocked spice cabinet like I do, consider making your own taco seasoning which allows you to control the salt and spiciness of this dish.

Vegetarian Tex-Mex Quinoa Bowl (makes 4 servings)

Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine‘s Tex-Mex Rice Bowl

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water or vegetable broth
non-stick spray
1 12-ounce package soy crumbles (such as MorningStar Farms® Meal Starters® Grillers® Recipe Crumbles™)
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons packaged taco seasoning (see note)
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 plum tomatoes, seeded
1 jalapeño pepper, minced
4 teaspoons chopped cilantro

Note: To make your own taco seasoning, mix together 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin, 1 teaspoon sea salt (optional), and 1 teaspoon black pepper.

In a medium sauce pan, add 2 cups water or broth and quinoa. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 20-22 minutes. Spray non-stick spray into a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add soy crumbles and cook 3 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup water and taco seasoning and stir for 1 minute. Stir in corn and black beans, cook for 1 minute or until heated. Stir in quinoa, chopped tomato and jalapeño. Top each serving with 1 teaspoon cilantro.