Broccoli & Chickpea Stir-Fry

I know stirfry is pretty normal. It's quick, easy, & adaptable to what you have in the fridge. This particular version is a standard for us, & it's gluten free! While we do eat a lot of gluten free meals, by nature, it is a challenge to make sure that nothing has gluten in it. There are a lot of unsuspecting products (like soy sauce) that have wheat in them. I've been using Bragg Liquid Aminos for awhile now anyway, but when I was going through our cupboards, I found an old bottle of soy sauce that has gluten in it.

 I've been doing a gluten free diet experiment to see how my body reacts, if at all. So far, I don't notice much difference, but we will see when I re-introduce it. In case you're wondering, I'm doing this experiment for health reasons, as I hope to work on healing my thyroid.

One of the easiest dishes to prepare gluten free is a stirfry. They are usually served with rice anyway, so as long as none of the other ingredients have gluten in them, you're in the clear without even realizing its gluten free at all!

So as a quick, gluten free meal, we had some delicious stir-fry over the weekend! I'm in love with rice noodles. I love how they soak up the flavors from the sauce & are soft in texture, a great contrast to the crunch of the veggies. The chickpeas add a different texture, too, plus some staying power to the dish.

Bup likes a zillion noodles with his. :-)

I hope you'll try this! It's filling, nourishing, & most importantly, delicious!

Broccoli & Chickpea Stirfry over Rice Noodles

Serves 4

Gluten Free, Vegan option

1 onion, sliced

1 bell pepper, chopped

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced

1 carrot, chopped into rounds

5 button mushrooms, sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 head broccoli, cut into florets & stems peeled, sliced & chopped

1 1/2 c chickpeas (14 oz. can)

1/2 c Bragg Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce, gluten free if necessary)

2 T rice vinegar

1 T organic ketchup

1 T lime juice

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. honey (or agave syrup for vegan option)

1 8 oz. package brown rice noodles (I used Annie Chun's Maifun Gluten Free Brown Rice Noodles)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil in preparation for cooking the rice noodles. While it comes to a boil, prepare stirfry as follows.

In a large non-stick pan or wok, cook onion until softened over medium heat (about 4 minutes). Add bell pepper, jalapenos, carrot, mushrooms, and broccoli stems. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes. While veggies are cooking, prepare sauce by whisking together Braggs, rice vinegar, ketchup, lime juice, salt, ginger, and honey. Pour sauce into the wok, then add broccoli florets and chickpeas. Stir to combine, then cook for 5 minutes or until broccoli is lightly steamed and mixture is heated through.

Prepare rice noodles according to package directions. Divide noodles into four bowls and top each with 1/4 of the stirfry. Serve immediately.

Asian Inspired Brown Rice Noodle Bowl

We had to make a quick dinner last Thursday. I get home from work at 5:15ish, & we needed to cook & eat in an hour before heading out again. I was originally going to make a pasta with tomato sauce (that I made & froze earlier), but I was in the mood for something different. This dish came together quickly, especially with the Bup helping chop veggies while I mixed the sauce.

We had a few moments of panic when the water wouldn't come to a boil. Somehow the flame went out on the burner, but it was still pumping gas out into the air! Luckily the Bup discovered what happened before we got gassed out. Even with the set-back, we still had time to do the dishes before leaving.

I love the many flavors of Asian cooking. There is such a variety of sauces & they all have their own unique differences that really bring something to a dish. As a vegetarian, it's always a joy to go to an Asian style restaurant because their foods rely heavily on whole grains & veggies. 

This dish had equal parts crunch & chew, plus some creamy bites due to the avocado. The sauce does have a kick to it from the chili garlic sauce, so if you are sensitive to heat, you may want to omit that. It would change the flavor a bit, but it would still be good. I hope you get the chance to make this. I know we'll be making it again. I can't wait!

 

Asian Inspired Brown Rice Noodle Bowl

Serves 4

 

8 oz. brown rice noodles

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

2 large or 4 small bell peppers, sliced

1 jalapeno, diced

3 oz. edamame (fresh or frozen)

1 carrot, shredded

1 avocado, diced

juice from 1 lime

1/4 c rice vinegar

1 T toasted sesame oil

3-4 T Bragg Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce)

1 T natural creamy peanut butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. chili garlic sauce (like this)

1/2 tsp. sea salt

2 tsp. honey

1-2 T water, if needed to thin
1/4 c peanuts

Start the heat under a large pot of water to begin to bring it to a boil. Saute the onion, bell peppers, jalapeno, carrot, & edamame over medium heat for about 6-7 minutes, or until the veggies soften. 

In a small bowl, gently toss the avocado with the fresh lime juice (this prevents browning). Set aside. Whisk all of the remaining ingredients together in a separate bowl.

Once the veggies and sauce are ready, cook the rice noodles according to package directions.*  Drain & combine noodles, veggies & sauce in a large serving bowl. Serve immediately. Top each serving with about 1 T of peanuts.

*Rice noodles take such a short time to cook that it's best to wait so that you can mix everything together as soon as they are done cooking.

Inspired by Grubarazzi's Avocado Rice Noodles

A Fall Dinner Bowl

Is anyone else excited by the time change? I love that it's light out again when I wake up in the mornings! This morning I could see the roads when I was roller blading. That's refreshing, especially since I took a little spill last week while trying to glide through gravel-disguised-as-asphalt. Oops.

This chilly weather makes me crave warm foods & blankets. When I found this delicious recipe on EatingBirdFood.com for Kale & Sweet Potato Brown Rice Bowls, I knew I had to make it.

I used white beans instead of garbanzos, mainly because we've been eating lots of hummus lately & I thought we could use the nutrients of another bean. They went really well with the other flavors & textures.

Sorry for the dark pictures, but by the time I realized how seriously delicious this was, all natural light was gone. Believe me when I say this was one of the best dinners I've eaten in awhile. It wasn't really hard, either. Chop up some sweet potatoes & throw them in the oven to roast. Dump the rice in the rice cooker/pot on stove & let it cook. Easy!

It was warming & full of nutrition, perfect for a chilly fall evening.

On the side, we had Mama Pea's Bliss Salad. It paired perfectly with the meal! I subbed green bell pepper for the red, cashews for peanuts, & added apple chunks instead of green onions. I liked the hint of sweet that the apple lent to the salad.

I think you should try both of these recipes! They're easy to make & so delicious!!

Chocolate Avenue Grill

This is my last post about meals I ate to celebrate my birthday. I need to stop for 3 reasons:

1. My birthday was 8 days ago.

2. You're going to think all I do is eat huge amounts of food for every meal. (This may or may not be true...) :-)

3. I'm getting very full.

That said, I've been loving every minute of these celebrations. Last night, my in-laws took us to the Chocolate Avenue Grill. I'd been there once before for my bachelorette party dinner, & I remembered it being great. When I was still a Concierge, I'd recommend the place a lot & everyone came back pleased with their meal.

To start, I had the Strawberry Poppyseed Salad. I was a little skeptical about the dressing when I saw it, but once I tasted it I couldn't get enough. It was lightly sweet with poppyseeds & sesame seeds in it. The toasted almond slivers really complimented the juicy strawberries, too.

On the side, I had their fresh rolls. They were melt in your mouth delicious & I would go back just for more of them!

For my meal, I got the Mediterranean Risotto, described as "Fresh zucchini, asparagus, Roma tomatoes, red onions, black olives and basil folded into a creamy Parmesan risotto with a hint of lemon." The veggies were super fresh & the flavors blended very well. I was surprised by how much sauce was on it, as usually a risotto is creamy & thick, but it was still quite good. Bonus: It was a large serving, so I have leftovers for lunch!

I'm a member of their e-club, so they sent me a free dessert coupon as a birthday treat. I should've had it boxed up, because I was beyond full already, but of course I didn't. :-)

Their pastry chef came out & visited us - she knew my in-laws from church. She recommended the housemade Peanut Butter Melt Away Pie. I usually don't order pb pie because I'm often disappointed & it doesn't sit well in my stomach (not sure why not, this only happens with pb pie), but I tried it. It was a little different than usual, with a brownie crust & ganache topping. I liked the added chocolate!

Thanks for a wonderful birthday dinner, Mom & Dad K.!

Stir Fried Veggie Rice

Dinner during snow pea season looks like this a lot. Some type of grain or starch mixed with some other stuff and then topped with crisp green snow peas. So crisp. No cooking necessary. So good.

They even look pretty just sitting on the cutting board. I can't stop nibbling.

I love that I can walk out of my house, pick a big handful, and ta-da, fresh veggies with dinner.

Stir Fried Veggie Rice
Serves 4

1 egg
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
2 tsp sesame seeds
3 baby portobella mushrooms, chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp ginger, minced
8 oz can water chestnuts, drained

2 T rice vinegar

3 T soy sauce or Bragg Liquid Aminos

1 tsp sesame oil

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

4 c cooked brown rice or rice medley

1 c snow peas

In a large, non-stick skillet, lightly scramble the egg. Remove from heat and set aside in a separate bowl. Saute onion for about 5 minutes. Add sesame seeds, mushrooms, garlic, ginger and water chestnuts. Cook until veggies start to soften. Add rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, crushed red pepper, reserved egg and rice. Stir often, cooking until rice is heated through. Stir in snow peas, cook for 1 minute, and then serve.

Stir Fried Veggie Rice