Tag: vegetarian

Gluten-Free Fried Rice

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I love Asian inspired flavors. I wanted to take on a gluten-free option of one of my favorite dishes, fried rice. Before I found out I was gluten intolerant, I always thought the high sodium and oil content was what made me sick. However, since gluten-free is a little challenging from many Asian food establishments, I decided to take on my own healthier version to meet my dietary and weight loss goals. Every time I make this dish, I feel like I’m cheating on my diet. I fulfill my bad food cravings without impacting my waist line!

I created this recipe as a plant based meal. However, your favorite protein can be switched out for the garbanzo beans as an alternative for my carnivore friends. Additionally, you’ll see egg is added to this recipe. To make it vegan, simply remove the egg.

Here’s what you’ll need to get started.

Ingredients

2 eggs
1.5 cups of cooked white rice
1 cup of chopped white onion
1 can of garbanzo beans
1 bag of your favorite frozen stir fry veggies (I used Season’s Choice)
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1/4 cup gluten-free tamari soy sauce (low sodium if possible)
1/8 cup rice vinegar
1 tbsp of sesame oil

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a wok or large fry pan over medium heat.
2. Scramble two eggs in a bowl and add them to the wok. The eggs will cook very quickly, so be sure to stir the eggs so they don’t burn.
3. Once the egg is solidified, add your chopped onions, garlic and cooked white rice to the wok. You want the rice to heat up to prevent it from getting soggy from the sauce. The oil will help to stiffen the rice slightly.
4. After a few minutes, add in 1/8 of the gluten-free tamari soy sauce along with the rice vinegar and sesame oil. Stir and evenly coat the rice mixture.
5. After a minute or so cooking, add the frozen stir fry veggie mix and the garbanzo beans to the wok. Stir occasionally.
6. Once the veggies are cooked through, add the remaining 1/8 cup of gluten-free tamari soy sauce to the wok. Stir. Let cook for an additional 1-2 minutes and remove from heat. Serve immediately.

This recipe makes 3 servings.

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Cajun and Jalapeño Potato Hash

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Yum! This dish was created out of pure creative necessity. I opened my fridge and saw that my spinach and mushrooms really needed to be depleted, otherwise I would risk them going bad. I also had some jalapeños that were left over from a previous recipe. I hate food waste, so I immediately thought, “How could I put these together?” I love breakfast “bowls.” I’m not someone that needs my food separated. If anything, I feel each ingredient enhances the flavor of every bite. I decided to grab a potato and go to work. This recipe was made for myself, so it can be doubled and so on for more people.

I’m all about simple recipes. This hash is very easy to make if you have a little time in the morning or on the weekend. What you’ll need to get started:

Ingredients:

1 potato cubed (I used a red potato)
2-3 cups of spinach
2/3 cup chopped mushrooms (I used white mushrooms)
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1/2 jalapeño chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Cajun seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
optional: 1 egg or 1/3 cup chopped bacon

There are so many variations to this recipe to suit your dietary needs. It’s important to highlight that this dish can be made vegan, vegetarian or for our carnivores out there. Heck, if there aren’t enough veggies to suit your liking, you could even add fresh peppers or broccoli to this dish. Spice isn’t for everyone either. You could easily remove the jalapeños to tone down the heat level or substitute the Cajun seasoning with herbs. Whatever you chose, this dish is hands down amazing!

Directions:

1. Add oil to fry pan and heat over medium.
2. Add cubed potatoes to the pan with 1tsp of Cajun seasoning and salt/pepper to taste. Stir occasionally to ensure the oil and seasonings are evenly spread throughout the potatoes. If you’re going to add bacon, I recommend adding it during this step.
3. Once the potatoes are browned, add the red onions, jalapeño and spinach to the pan. Stir occasionally to ensure the seasoning and oil coat your veggies!
4. When the spinach starts cooking down (you’ll see it shrinking) add the mushrooms.
5. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl to serve. Top with egg if desired.

This recipe serves 1.

 

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Cajun Sweet Potato Medley

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If you like a little kick with your veggies, then this dish is a must try! This hardy vegan recipe is delicious with room for moderation. If vegan isn’t your thing, a meat protein (I’d recommend chicken or shrimp) can easy be added to meet your dietary preference.

What I love about this recipe is truly how simple it is to make. Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

Ingredients

2 sweet potatoes cubed
1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
1 red onion sliced or chopped
1 can of black beans
2 tbsp of olive oil
2 tsp of cajun seasoning
Salt and Black Pepper to Taste (I use 2 pinches)

Directions

  1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
  2. While the oven is preheating, place the cubed sweet potatoes on a sheet pan.
  3. Pour 1 tbsp of olive oil over the cubed sweet potatoes. Add a pinch of salt and black pepper. Then add 1 tsp of cajun seasoning. Hand mix the sweet potatoes to evenly spread the oil and seasoning. As an alternative, this step can also be completed in a bowl prior to adding the sweet potatoes to the sheet pan.
  4. Bake at 425 degrees for 8 minutes.
  5. Remove the pan from the oven and reduce the temperature to 400 degrees.
  6.  Add broccoli florets and sliced red onion to the sheet pan. Caution! The pan will be hot, so be careful. Pour the other tbsp of olive oil onto the veggie mixture. Add 1 tsp of cajun seasoning. If desired, add more salt and pepper to taste. Mix the veggies with a spatula to evenly spread the oil and seasoning.
  7. Place the sheet pan back in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes. The cook time will depend on how you like your broccoli cooked.
  8. When the timer goes off, remove the pan from the oven and add your black beans. Mix the black beans with the veggies using your spatula. Place back in the oven for 5 minutes.
  9. Once the timer rings, remove from the oven and serve.

I like this dish over white rice or quinoa. Please pair with any side you enjoy.

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