Vegetable Quinoa Faux Fried Rice + a Pinterest Workout

Last night, I had my neighbor over for wine, cheese and…Chinese food.

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Sure, that sounds like an odd trio, but really, Chinese food pairs well with anything. Beer, wine, cheese, ice cream, candy…whatever. Cold, hot, lukewarm…Chinese food always tastes delicious.

The problem is that Chinese food is incredibly unhealthy, whether it’s fried or not. There’s a reason that take-out always hits the spot, and it’s about 20 tablespoons of vegetable or sesame oil. You see, unlike when you prepare your own food, the chef in that kitchen doesn’t care so much about the health factor. It’s all about the taste, and if it takes buckets of oil and salt to get there, so be it.

That’s why I love to recreate the flavors of Chinese food in my own kitchen. Fried rice is one of my favorite Chinese takeout past-times, so last night I had plans to fine-tune a Vegetable Quinoa Faux Fried Rice dish that I had made for dinner on Wednesday. I was very excited (and surprised!) when my neighbor seemed enthusiastic about the dish as well.

The result was a flavorful dish packed with vegetables and protein power-houses, quinoa and tofu.

Vegetable Quinoa Faux Fried Rice
Serves 4
A savory, flavor-packed healthy alternative to a classic Chinese comfort food.
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Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
40 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
40 min
Ingredients
  1. 1.5 cup quinoa
  2. 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  3. 1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
  4. 10 baby carrots, finely chopped
  5. 1 small onion, chopped
  6. 1/2 cup broccoli, chopped
  7. 3 peppers (red, green and yellow), chopped (pepper colors are optional)
  8. 3/4 cup frozen edamame, thawed
  9. 3 garlic cloves, minced
  10. 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
  11. 1 package Lite Firm Tofu (14 ozs)
  12. 3 scallions, chopped (optional)
  13. 1 tablespoon olive oil
  14. non-stick cooking spray
  15. 1/4 cup soy sauce
  16. 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
  17. 1/4 cup toasted sesame marinade
  18. 1/2 cup egg substitute
Instructions
  1. In medium saucepan, bring quinoa and stock to a boil and reduce to simmer.
  2. Bring quinoa and water or chicken stock to a boil in a medium saucepan, and then reduce to a simmer.
  3. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until quinoa is cooked through; remove from heat and fluff with fork.
  4. While quinoa is cooking, chop mushrooms, carrots, onion, broccoli, peppers, ginger and garlic.
  5. Spray large sauté pan or wok with non-stick cooking spray and heat 1/2 tablespoon olive oil over high heat; add onion, carrot and peppers - cook about two minutes; add broccoli, mushrooms, edamame, garlic and ginger - cook about 5 minutes until all vegetables are softened
  6. Add in tofu and pour in soy, teriyaki and toasted sesame sauces - stir-fry for two more minutes.
  7. Add in the remainder of the olive oil and the quinoa- stir-fry for two minutes until sauce is distributed well; move mixture to one side of pan and pour in egg substitute, scramble.
  8. Toss everything together for another few minutes.
  9. Serve in bowl and add chopped scallions to top (optional).
The Sometimes Healthy Living Blog https://www.sometimeshealthylivingblog.com/
Let’s have one more close look at this “faux” masterpiece. Continue Reading →

WIAW: Shameless Reality TV

Oh, hello everyone. And happy Wednesday to all! It’s time for another edition of “What I Ate Wednesday” (WIAW), and, as a bonus, I’m serving it up with a little discussion about one of my favorite guilty pleasures: shameless reality television. I watch it. You watch it. We all watch it.

No sense in denying it. Let’s embrace it and talk about our favorite shows!

But first, let’s talk breakfast. Yesterday I threw together a delicious combination. I cut a wheat pocketless pita in half and topped it with honey, bananas and some dark chocolate chips.

Simple n' Easy

Simple n’ Easy

Sweet, savory and filling. This is the perfect breakfast for when I’m in a rush or running late.

Continue Reading →