Tofu 'n Greens Quinoa Bowl

I don’t know about you, but fried rice is one of my favorite comfort foods. Tonight, I decided I wanted to healthify my old favorite with a fun twist by using quinoa and making it into a bowl of sorts. If you don’t feel like using quinoa, any rice or grain would work here. I used steamed Brussels sprouts because I had leftovers from last night’s dinner. Feel free to use up any leftover veggies you might have. Same goes for the protein. I had some tofu that I needed to use up, but if you have chicken or pork, use that! Be sure to not add the sesame oil until after the food is no longer on the burner, as it is only safe to use with medium heat (under 350*). Top each bowl with additional hot sauce and green onions.

What You Need:

1 serving quinoa (1/4 cup dry), cooked in chicken stock or broth
1 serving extra firm tofu, cubed and deeply browned in a pan or oven
½ cup snow peas, chopped
½ cup steamed edemame
6 small Brussels sprouts, halved and partially steamed in microwave (frozen or fresh)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 green onion, green parts only - thinly sliced
1 tsp oyster sauce (optional)
½ tsp low sodium soy sauce
½ tsp sesame oil
Non-stick cooking spray
Hot sauce to taste

What To Do:

Heat a medium skillet over medium high heat and coat with cooking spray. Add egg and cook for about 2 minutes or until lightly browned.

Add edemame, snow peas, Brussels sprouts, quinoa, soy sauce, hot sauce and oyster sauce. Stir fry for 3-4 minutes.

Top with sesame oil, hot sauce and onion once off the heat. Serve immediately.













Serves 2



Bon Appétit!
Mary



Gingery Maple Stir Fry with Snow Peas, Broccoli and Kelp Noodles

My gingery maple stir fry has the same basic components found in all of my stir frys: vegetables, protein and sauce. This spin off is sweet, savory and spicy. The kelp noodles are a fun way to bulk up this quick and easy dish. They are low calorie and add a nice, somewhat crunchy texture to this meal. For those that cannot find these, I would substitute Thai rice noodles. Although the texture is quite different, they’re still very noodley. Not only are kelp noodles a great low carb substitution for rice noodles, but they are nutritional power houses! In a Natural News.com article by Matt Monarch (http://www.naturalnews.com/025816_kelp_food_health.html), it spells out why on earth we’d want to eat these seaweed noodles. Turns out they’re not just a low cal noodle solution.

“Kelp grows in oceans and so is rich in all the nutrients which the ocean contains, most of which are needed also by the human body in various amounts. These include over 70 minerals, trace elements, enzymes, iodine, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron and 21 amino acids. The complex range of nutrients makes it an essential promoter of glandular health. Kelp is also a natural antibiotic because of its iodine content, which helps the body fight bad bacteria and infections. “

What You Need:

16 oz firm tofu, cut into 1” cubes

12 oz kelp noodles, cut into bite sized lengths

4 carrots, peeled and sliced
5 cups broccoli pieces
9 oz snow peas
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
5 cloves garlic, minced
4 tsp ginger
3 Tbs maple syrup
1 ½ Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs sesame oil
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
Hot sauce to taste



What To Do:

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, brown tofu for 10 minutes and set aside.

Combine broccoli, peas, carrots and mushrooms in the same skillet and sauté for 5 minutes with the lid on, stirring occasionally.

After vegetables have been partially cooked, add kelp noodles, tofu, garlic, ginger, green onions (reserving some for garnish), syrup, soy sauce, sesame oil and hot sauce. Stir fry for an additional 5 minutes. Serve with soy sauce and hot sauce, garnished with green onions.

Serves 6

Bon Appétit!
Mary