Vegetable Fried Rice

Vegetable Fried Rice

A dish that is always popular in our house is any kind of fried rice.

I had a lot of vegetables on hand so made up a big dish of Vegetable Fried Rice with Brennan yesterday.

It was really good.

I started by heating a little sesame oil in the frying pan and chopping up some Daikon radish and garlic to cook for 3 minutes.

I used a mandolin to slice 3 carrots and cook them as well.

Then I added a pinch of salt and let the vegetables saute for a few minutes.

I like brown rice, but my family doesn't, so I cooked 1 c of white rice (it makes 3 cups of rice) and then added it to the vegetables.

I drizzled 3 Tbsp of water on top, along with soy sauce and rice wine vinegar.

I tossed it and let it cook for 10 minutes or so.



Just before moving to a serving bowl I added some chopped broccoli and let it cook for a couple of minutes.

It was good re-heated for dinner as well!

Other great ingredients could be:

**Shrimp or Chicken

**Water chesnuts

**Bamboo shoots

**Scrambled egg

**Edamame

**Scallions

**Cabbage

**Peas

Double click to print as a 5x7 recipe card.

食飯

sihk faahn

Cantonese for Bon Appetit!



8 Side Dishes in a Pinch

I usually plan ahead each week so that I have recipes and ingredients for several Main Dishes for our evening meals. 

That works well for me and I'm rarely at a loss for what to make each evening.

But I don't always plan for the Side Dish to go along with it.

Many of my main dishes have vegetables built in like this dish, this one, and this one, but I usually want to add another vegetable to our meal, and sometimes a starch.

So below are options I try to always keep on hand that are quick to prepare and make delicious, rather healthy Side Dishes in a pinch.

1. Garden Salad

source

If I don't serve it every single day, then everyone in the house likes a good garden salad.

2. Frozen or Canned Vegetables

David and the boys like canned vegetables, but I prefer fresh or frozen. 

I always have Steamfresh vegetables in the freezer, and lots of canned in the pantry.

3. Fresh Vegetables to Steam

I almost always have a head of broccoli and/or cauliflower in the fridge for a fast steamed side dish.

4. Fresh Vegetables to Flavor and Bake

Or a flavored variety of steamed vegetables if I have a few extra minutes.

5. Fresh Vegetables to Season and Roast

Or a fresh vegetable to roast while the main dish is baking.

6. Fast Rice

We like rice and it goes with everything. 

While not huge brown rice eaters, everyone likes this Long Grain and Wild 90 second rice with almost as much fiber per serving as brown rice.

 

7. Couscous

Everyone in my family loves couscous. 

I make the plain one with chicken broth instead of water, and we like the flavored varieties as well.

8. Quinoa

The boys' school cafeteria serves quinoa (pronounced "keen-wa") and they love it.

It's a very healthy, protein-packed grain.

I recently found this packaged variety that we all like. 

So far we've only tried the Black Bean version and it was really spicy.

On the lookout for other versions as well.

I'm sure there are other side dishes that are just as fast that I'm not thinking of, but these are the main ones that I keep on hand to make meal preparation simpler for myself.

Mashed Potatoes and Broccoli

Real Simple's Mashed Potatoes and Broccoli

This recipe I found in the September 2011 edition of Real Simple magazine.

I love that magazine!

I thought it sounded like a good alternative for a vegetable side dish.

We all liked it but I will tell you it may need a little extra salt.

Steam finely chopped broccoli for 3 minutes.

Peel and cube the potatoes and boil or steam them for 12 minutes.

Mash the vegetables together and combine with sour cream and butter or margarine.

I made this dish ahead of time then heated it after swimming.

It worked well!

Season well and serve warm.

Double click to print as a 5x7 recipe card.

Eat Your Veggies!



Steamed Broccoli

Steamed Broccoli

This is one of the easiest side dishes I make, and one I make pretty often.

Sometimes I focus on the main dish, and then realize I don't have a side dish planned.

This one can be done in under 5 minutes, and it's so, so healthy.

I usually keep fresh broccoli on hand.

David and Thomas don't like the stalks, so I take a moment to chop up the broccoli and remove most of the stalks. 

Then I place it in this microwaveable steamer that I've had for YEARS from Pampered Chef.

Cover the broccoli with water, latch the top and cook for 3 minutes in the microwave.

Drain and serve.

Sometimes I toss it with a little olive oil or salt or Parmesan cheese.

More often than not, I just serve it plain.

This is my family's favorite way to eat broccoli!

Double click the card to print as a 5x7 recipe card.



Pasta and Broccoli

Gina's Easiest Pasta and Broccoli

Earlier this year I discovered Gina's Skinny Taste blog with the most fantastic recipes. 

I have so many bookmarked.  Can't wait to try them all out and modify them for my family.

This recipe I didn't modify at all though.  You can find the original recipe here.

I love any dish that you make all in one pot. 

I've made this as a side dish before with fish, and last night I made it as the main dish.

Everyone eats it up and there's usually just a little leftover for my lunch the next day.  Perfect!

You cook pasta and broccoli in the same pot together and drain when the pasta is done.

You reserve 1 cup of the pasta liquid though.

If you look closely you can tell these photos are from different days.

Then you cook garlic in olive oil in the same pot, and return the pasta and broccoli to the pot.

You add the pasta water back in along with Parmesan and mix well and you're ready to season and serve.



Today's lunch

Double click to print as a 5x7 card.

Bon Apetit!