Well, it's day four of the GTLF vegetarian week challenge, day 6 of not eating meat. WOW! I never thought I could go 6 whole days without eating any kind of meat and then not even missing it. I've really enjoyed the GTLF meatless recipes and this one is to die for. It's a Sweet and Sour vegetarian dish that doesn't even taste like it's missing anything and there's nothing fake about it either. You know how there are things out there like fake meat burger patties, etc. I've learned that vegetarians are that way because they're committed and I'm sure they don't go around making it a habit of doing fake meat stuff. The big key must be variety. I've been doing research on this lifestyle, and it looks like vegetarians must have to introduce a lot of different types of foods to get the nutrients they need... but this is the same with meat eaters. Often people get into ruts and make the same old foods over and over and don't get the necessary nutrients. This is by far the most valuable lesson I've learned since starting GTLF. Brian and I have done 323 recipes in 19 months and that's a big variety. I don't know what I would have done without GTLF... Brian would still be eating grill cheese sandwiches or baked chicken everyday. Enjoy this amazing recipe!
Sweet and Sour Vegetables
Serves 4, working time 25 min., total time 30 min.
1 C long grain rice
3/4 tsp salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 pound mushrooms, halved
2 green bell peppers, cut into 1/2 in. wide strips
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2 in. wide strips
4 scallions, cut into 1 in. lengths
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 C canned baby corn, cut into 1 in. lengths if large
1 C cherry tomatoes
1/2 C canned sliced water chestnuts
20 oz. can juice packed pineapple chunks, drained, juice reserved
1/3 C chili sauce
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 C chopped peanuts
1. In a medium saucepan, bring 2 1/4 C of water to a boil. Add the rice and 1/4 tsp. salt, reduce to simmer, cover, and cook until the rice is tender, about 17 min.
2. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil until hot but not smoking over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and bell peppers and cook, stirring frequently, until the peppers are crisp tender, about 5 min. Add the scallions, ginger, and garlic and cook until the scallions are softened, about 2 min.
3. Add the corn, tomatoes, water chestnuts, and pineapple chunks to the pan and cook until heated through, about 4 min. In a small bowl, combine the chili sauce, 1/2 C of the reserved pineapple juice, the cornstarch, and the remaining 1/2 tsp salt. Stir into the vegetable mixture, bring to a boil, and cook, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, about 1 min. Divide the rice among 4 plates. Spoon the vegetable mixture over, sprinkle with the peanuts, and serve.
Nutritional Information: 10 g fat, 440 calories, 1.2 g sat. fat, 83 g carbohydrate, 11 g protein, 0 mg cholesterol, 742 mg sodium.
TIPS:
1. Brian is always looking for a recipe he can pour soy sauce on... this is one of them. Just be careful because soy sauce has a lot of sodium.
2. I love a little spicy kick. If you make this one as directed feel free to add a free sprinkles of ground red chili flakes.
3. One ingredient necessary in this recipe is the 1/3 C chili sauce, I used Hernandez brand chili sauce which is more ethnically Hispanic than Asian. But I'm curious about Sriracha sauce. I love Sriracha sauce but it's pretty hot. I'm curious what 1/3 C would do to this dish. Maybe a little longer in New Mexico with the famous Hot, Hot sauces and I'll try this recipe again with the Sriracha sauce.
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