Curried Veggies & Bulgur

The best way to describe this dish is a healthy version of chicken fried rice – and all you have to do is try it once and you’ll never go back to the old way again. I came across this recipe that used bulgur – I’ve never used the stuff before but I am so glad I tried it out. It is the perfect cross between rice and quinoa and is incredibly good for you. So there really isn’t a bad thing in this dish!

Curried Veggies & Bulgur

Serves 4

Ingredients:

- 2 tablespoons olive oil

- 1 medium onion, chopped

- 2 tablespoons curry powder

- 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped

- 1 cup bulgur

- 1 and 3/4 cup vegetable or chicken broth

- 1/4 cup currants and/or raisins

- 1/3 cup frozen peas

- 1/3 cup frozen corn

- 1/2 cup button mushrooms, chopped

- 1/4 cup sliced or chopped toasted almonds (I simply chopped up some whole almonds and toasted them in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes)

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 4 eggs

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a pan on medium-low heat. Add in onions and cook until caramelized. Stir in curry powder. Toss in the bulgur and mix well so it becomes coated with some oil. Add in carrots and let sit for a minute or two.

2. Pour in the broth and currants/raisins. Cover the pan and let cook for 10 minutes.

3. Pour in the peas, corn and mushrooms and cover again. Let cook on low heat for another minute or two before turning the heat off and letting the mixture sit, covered, for 15 minutes.

4. While the mixture sits, fry the eggs in a pan until yolks achieve desired level of hardness.

5. When the bulgur mixture has cooked enough, stir in the almonds and salt. Scoop mixture into bowls and top each with a fried egg.

Note: If you are cooking the mixture to last you for lunches/dinners through the week it is probably best that you not fry all the eggs at once but rather cook them one at a time as needed.

Ethiopian Saute

I had a bunch of random vegetables on their way downhill this evening so I decided to make use of them. But I wasn’t in the mood for my usual herb topped roasted veggies or soy infused stir fry so I wasn’t sure what to do. That’s when I came across this recipe for Ethiopian saute! I switched up some of the ingredients based on what I needed to get rid of in my fridge but I stuck to the spices recommended and it turned out great. The only change I might make for next time is to lower the lemon juice a teensy bit and up the spice quantity – it was a little too much on the citrusy side for my personal tastes. But on the whole – definitely something worth trying!

Ethiopian Saute

Ingredients:

- Vegetables of your choosing (I used about 1/2 cup each of broccoli, chopped carrots and sliced red onions, 1 cup of chopped mushrooms and 2 cups of torn spinach)

- 1 tablespoon oil (I used grapeseed oil but any will do)

- 3 cloves of garlic

- 1 teaspoon lemon juice or white wine

- 2 teaspoons of itty bitty pinches of coriander, cardamom, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pepper, paprika, ginger and salt – combined in a small container

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a pan on medium-low heat. Add in vegetables according to cooking preference (I did onions and carrots, then broccoli and garlic, then mushrooms and spinach right at the end).

2. Sprinkle in lemon juice/white wine and spices. Distribute spices well.

3. There isn’t even a step 3 – it’s that easy! Eat up!

 

Trying New Foods

I am always looking for recommendations for new foods to try. Tonight my sister and I knocked Pho off the list. It’s a Vietnamese dish this is a combination of noodles, meats and vegetables in a broth. So it easily covers all the important food groups. I tried the seafood version while my sister got the beef. I can’t say it’s something  I am dying to have again but I’m still really glad I tried it. I might go back eventually just to experience some different flavors. I love Thai food, Japanese food, Chinese food and Korean food so it only seemed right that I give Vietnamese a whirl. I have absolutely no regrets. Definitely worth a try if you’re looking for something new!

Roasted Vegetables

I love roasting vegetables because there are absolutely no rules as to which ones you put in. It’s the perfect way to use up some veggies that are just about to pass their prime. For this particular batch I threw in some mushrooms that were about to go bad, baby carrots that looked too funky to eat raw and half a red onion I had no other use for. The recipe for roasted vegetables is very simple:

Ingredients:

- Chopped veggies of any kind (Carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, beans, onions, mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant, etc.)

- 1-3 tablespoons of olive oil (depending on how many people you’re serving)

- Seasonings (my favorites are salt, basil and rosemary but feel free to experiment)

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place chopped veggies on a tray and pour oil on top. Sprinkle on seasonings. Combine well with either your hands or a utensil of choice.

3. Place in oven for 20-30 minutes until veggies are at desired tenderness. Remove and serve. Perfect as a great side dish or healthy snack!