I know that for many busy families, dinner time is often thought of way after it should be and or totally forgotten. Both of which in many times leads to ordering in, or the "your on your own" method which can turn into cereal for dinner. I have experienced both and the ordering in becomes expensive and often times not healthy and the cereal for dinner is just plain boring to me. With all this in mind and as my last post specifically made for my dancers, I have come up with a dinner that only takes about 20 minutes to make. It is so easy that I think a 12 year old can make this dish with confidence. All that it requires is a bit of chopping up some vegetables, mixing a sauce and cooking some rice, which a rice cooker can do for you.
Note: If you don't have a rice cooker, I highly recommend investing in one. I promise it makes many more things than rice. However, that may have to be another post.
I have also found while I prefer the Asian version of this dish you could also go super simple and use whatever vegetables are in your refrigerator and garnish with a little salt, pepper and a squeeze of a lemon wedge. I'm also in love with this dinner because it is easily made for on the go and is lovely eaten cold or at room temperature.
Lastly, I wanted to say happy healthy eating to all my readers especially my dancers. I hope that the last few post have inspired you all to cook and eat a little bit healthier. With that said, next week you should look forward to indulging in some Super Bowl appetizers with my husband, Greg. And then back to the healthy eating!
Raw Veggie Brown Rice Bowls
Ingredients
4-6 cups brown rice, cooked
2 whole carrots, shredded
1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup sugar snap peas, trimmed and cut in half
1 cup edamame
1 cup red cabbage chopped
Sesame hoisin sauce (see recipe below)
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Sesame Hoisin Sauce
Ingredients
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 lime, juice
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 large shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds
1/4 teaspoon crushed red peppers or Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce (optional)
Combine all ingredients into a small bowl and set aside. Makes about a 1/2 cup.
Making the Rice bowl:
In a large mixing bowl combine the rice, carrots, bell pepper, sugar snap peas, edamame and red cabbage. Pour the sesame hoisin sauce over top. Stir to combine. Distribute the rice and vegetable mix evenly between bowls and garnish with the cilantro. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container with the sauce separately for on the go. Makes 4-6 servings.
Other vegetable add-ons or substitutes: green beans, cucumbers, bean sprouts, or zucchini.
Protein add-ons: Chicken, shrimp, beef or pork.
This year, I made these veggie packed, baked eggs for breakfast on Thanksgiving morning. I know, most of you think we are crazy to eat before eating some more. However, it is proven that eating breakfast before indulging in a large meal will not only prep your stomach for the amount of food you will be eating, but also may keep you from piling up your plate with some unwanted (but oh-so-delicious) calories. Also, it gave us cooks in the kitchen some energy to keep on cooking throughout the day.
Veggie Baked Eggs
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup crimini mushrooms, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 tablespoon dry white wine
1/2 cup leeks, chopped (light green and white parts only)
1 cup curly red kale, chopped
5-6 large eggs
2-3 tablespoons milk
1/3 cup feta cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a 1-1/2 quart baking dish with butter and set aside.
Crack the eggs into a small mixing bowl. Add the milk and season with salt and pepper. Whisk to combine. Add the feta and stir to combine. Set aside.
In a large pan melt the butter. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes until tender occasionally stirring. Add the thyme and stir to combine and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add the wine and cook until all the liquid has been absorbed. Add the leeks and cook for about 3 minutes, until tender. Add the kale and cook stirring continuously for about 2-3 minutes until the kale has wilted a bit. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour the vegetable mixture into the prepared baking dish. Pour the egg mixture on top and give it a good stir to combine all the ingredients. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes. Makes 4-6 servings.
Notes: My favorite thing about this recipe is that it is so versatile and lots of substitutions can be made depending on your taste. Here are some additions or substitutions you could use.
Bacon
Red or green bell peppers
Onions
Panchetta
Cheddar cheese
Breakfast sausage
Tomato
