Barley w Edamame Stir-Fry

I've come to the realization that I eat too much rice and too many beans/lentils. Duh! Took me only 40 years to realize that I'm just an Indian ;)!! Anyhow, one of the things I've been trying to do has been to up my intake of non-traditional grains, and cut back on rice. I've substituted barley, wheat berries, bulgur etc. Today it was the turn of barley again. 

Prep Time: 20-25 min

Ingredients (Serves 4):

1. 1 cup dry, Hull-less Whole Barley
2. 2 cups Water or Home-made Vegetable Broth
3. 1 Medium Red Onion, julienned
4. 1 x 14 oz Frozen Shelled Edamame
5. 2 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste (or 1 tsp each, dry powder)
6. 1 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
7. 2-3 tbsp Soy Sauce, to taste
8. 1 tbsp Agave Syrup
9. Salt and Pepper, to taste
10. Asian hot sauce (optional, to taste)

Directions:

Rinse barley in lots of water until it runs clear and then transfer barley and water (4 cups) with a tsp of salt to a pressure cooker. Pressure cook on high, for 15 minutes. Allow pressure to dissipate naturally. Meanwhile, line a pan with water and add ginger, garlic, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce and agave and allow to come to a full boil, add julienned onions and saute until translucent. Bring to a full boil and add shelled edamame. On high heat, mix in, allow to come to a full boil and then cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes until edamame are fork tender and barley in the pressure cooker is cooked and ready to serve. Serve stir-fried edamame and onions over a bed of barley. Serve hot sauce on the side for the brave hearts in your household :)

My Assessment: I love the chewy texture of barley. Although I don't (at least in my mind) associate Asian foods with barley, this dish had that lo-mein-y flavor going for it and tasted great. I love edamame in any form and that accords its own brand of chewiness. This dish takes a while to eat and is consequently really filling. For being so simple to make and is loaded with a fantastic punch of dietary fiber (almost 14 g) and a ton of nutrition. Enjoy!! 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 334 (Fat Calories 45)
Total Fat 5.0 g; Carbohydrates 52.8 g; Fiber 13.7 g; Sugars 2.1 g; Protein 17.5 g


If you liked this recipe, be sure to check out my Recipe Index for more Whole-Food, Plant-Based, No-Added-Oil recipes. You can also like Rugrat Chow! on Facebook. Thanks!

Bulgur on Soupy Asian Veggies

I did a Veggie Fact of the Day post yesterday to talk about my New Veggie #71 - Bulgur. I've had the Indian version of bulgur all my life (it's more golden, vs. the dark brown color I found here in the US). In India, it is usually made as a thick sweet porridge that is typically eaten for breakfast, but I always liked it best after it had been chilled in the fridge for a few hours. Here in the US, bulgur is more commonly used as a side dish and as a savory cereal, and that's how I decided to try it this time. It is an excellent low-glycemic white rice replacement and since Tony doesn't enjoy brown rice, I'm always looking for other whole grains that can be used instead. 

Bulgur on Soupy Asian Veggies

Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients (Serves 4):

1. 1 cup dry Bulgur
2. 2 cups Home-made Vegetable Broth (or water)
3. Salt, to taste

Ingredients (Serves 4) for Soupy Asian Vegetables:

1. 15 oz No-Salt Diced Tomatoes (canned)
2. 1 x 12 oz frozen Edamame
3. 1/2 cup Frozen Green Beans
4. 8-10 White Mushrooms, sliced
5. 1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste 
6. 1 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
7. 1 tbsp Brown Miso
8. 3 tbsp Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
9. 1 cup Water
10. Salt, to taste

Directions:

Pressure cook bulgur and vegetable broth, under high pressure, for 8-10 minutes, in an electric pressure cooker. Or for the same time in a stove-top. If you don't own a pressure cooker, bring the bulgur and vegetable broth to a boil, reduce heat to a slow simmer, partially cover the pan and let simmer until all excess liquid has evaporated and the bulgur tastes nice chewy :) For the Soupy Asian Vegetables, mix everything in one pan, bring to a boil and then allow to simmer until bulgur is done. I'm not sure whether or not bulgur is traditionally eaten in the Far East. I just used it here as a substitute to rice. I really enjoyed the texture of bulgur (as did Tony), so it is definitely going on our rotation. 

Nutrition Facts (Per 1/4 cup Serving of Bulgur*): Calories 150 (Fat Calories 4)

Total Fat 0.3 g; Carbohydrates 32.0 g; Fiber 4.0 g; Sugars 0.0 g; Protein 4.0 g

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving*): Calories 188 (Fat Calories 42)
Total Fat 4.7 g; Carbohydrates 17.3 g; Fiber 9.4 g; Sugars 4.5 g; Protein 13.7 g

* Nutrition facts are provided for the water option as vegetable broth calorie content can vary a lot.

Tips for Leftovers:

1.  One of the suggestions I've gotten, but not tried yet, is to use bulgur as a replacement for TVP in tacos and other dishes. Will definitely be giving that one a try!! 

Beans, Greens & Bean Curd

Having grown up with a rice-loving father, I developed a love for rice early in life. Being around dad, I got used to considering a rice-less meal incomplete. He loved rice in all forms - steamed plain, fried, pilafed or in the form or a biryani. To me a perfect meal has always been rice topped off with something. Tonight I decided to use some of the spinach I had sitting in the fridge to make a oriental style dish which could be eaten over rice. 

Beans, Greens and Bean Curd

Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients (Serves 6):

1. 1 lb Baby Spinach
2. 1 x 14 oz Extra Firm Tofu
3. 3 large Roma Tomatoes (~1.5 cups, diced)
4. 8 oz Shelled Edamame
5. 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
6. 1 recipe Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce
7. 1 tsp Rice Wine Vinegar
8. Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Line a stock pot with water and saute garlic in water until its aromas are released. Add baby spinach, reduce heat to medium low, cover and allow spinach to wilt. Once spinach is wilted, add tomatoes, edamame and the soy, peanut and sambal oelek sauces. Add about a cup of water, cover and allow to simmer until semi dry and spinach and tomatoes are well wilted and combined (about 10-12 min). Do a quick taste test, and add add more sauces, and salt or pepper, as needed. Serve over a bed of steamed jasmine or basmati rice. 

Did you know that Tofu is also called Bean Curd?

My Assessment: LOVED IT!!! It was delicious and each serving contains a quarter of a pound of greens. 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 239 (Fat Calories 89)
Total Fat 9.9 g; Carbohydrates 16.8 g; Fiber 6.9 g; Sugars 3.8 g; Protein 21.6 g

Vegetable Dum Biryani

Almost any kind of rice dish is comfort food for an Indian. My son, born and raised American, definitely has India in his blood ;-) because he is most definitely a rice eater. A quick 20 minute meal tonight called for Vegetable Biryani. Loads of vegetables and spices and white rice make for the perfect comfort food. 

Vegetable Biryani

Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients (6 Servings):

1. 1 cup long-grain Basmati rice
2. 1 small red onion
3. 2 cups vegetables (I used shredded carrots, green beans, shelled edamame and shiitake mushrooms)
4. 2 tsp ground Cumin
5. 2 tsp ground Coriander
6. 1 tbsp Garam Masala, or to taste
7. Salt and Pepper, to taste 
8. Hot Sauce, or any Spicy Indian Pickle

Directions:

Dum Biryani

In a deep stock pot, add 1/2 cup water and red onion. Once the onion becomes translucent, add the other vegetables and all dry spices (save 1 tsp Garam masala). Once the vegetables are tender, rinse rice in tap water to get rid of any dust and add to the pot. Add 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Then, cover and reduce heat to medium low. Cook until rice is tender (~10 min). Turn off heat. Sprinkle remaining garam masala over the rice and replace the lid. Add a weight (a few cans of beans) to the lid and let sit for 5-7 min. This is the 'dum' phase - literally it means adding strength. What it does is allow all the flavors to blend, allows the rice to absorb any remaining water and the whole dish becomes fluffy. 

He's 100% a Sawhney kid. Loves his rice, just like Nanu!!

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)*: Calories 155 (Fat Calories 5)
Total Fat 0.6 g; Carbohydrates 33.7 g; Fiber 2.6 g; Sugars 2.9 g; Protein 4.6 g

*Nutrition Facts Added March 25, 2013 (Using 1 cup peas, 1/2 cup carrots and 1/2 cup Corn).

Edamame & Mushroom Quick Stir Fry

After I was done with dinner tonight (Stir Fried Broccolini), I realized I did not have any leftovers for lunch tomorrow. I had a couple packs of assorted mushrooms in the fridge, and a bag of shelled Edamame (New Veggie #3) in the freezer and settled on a stir-fry. Both mushrooms and edamame are great in stir fried dishes, but unlike some of the greener veggies like beans and broccoli, still taste good the next day. This stir-fry is one of my most favorite recipes and goes well with a variety of different vegetables and even tofu. It is most definitely a gimme more :) 

Prep Time: 7-10 min

Ingredients*:

1. 1 cup Mushrooms (Cremini)
2. 1 cup shelled Edamame
3. 2 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
4. 2 tbsp Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
5. 1 tbsp Vegetarian Oyster Sauce**
6. Freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Directions:

Line a skillet with water and add ginger-garlic paste and soy sauce. Once the ginger-garlic are fragrant, and almost dry, add mushrooms and thawed edamame and toss well. Remove from heat and add oyster sauce and toss again. Garnish with freshly cracked black pepper and serve hot, or pack it away for lunch! Yum every time! 

* This is a 'no added salt' recipe i.e. no salt is added over and above what is already in the condiments.
** In place of Vegetarian Oyster Sauce, I've use Vegetarian versions of Hoisin, Pad Thai and Kung Pao sauces as well. Basically, any Asian sauce works well in this Quick Stir Fry!

Steamed Edamame!

Straight out of a bag - a tad too salty!

Vegetable #3 for New Year Resolution #2 (to try as many previously untasted items from the produce section).

Edamame!

I'd never tried it before and instead of trying to find a recipe .. Tony and I tried the steam'able version from PictSweet tonight. This pack was a little saltier than I would have liked and I feel a little parched! But my oh my ... it was delicious!!

Veggie Fact of the Day

Edamame, or fresh green Soybeans in the pod, is a East-Asian and Hawaiian preparation. The pods are boiled in water and sprinkled with sea salt. The USDA calls edamame a snack with a nutritional punch! Edamame, and all soybean preparations are rich in a protein, fiber and most importantly Omega-3 and Omega-6 essential fatty acids. A 100g serving of edamame has over 350 mg of omega-3 and close to 1800 mg of omega-6 fatty acids. Similar to other legumes, edamame, with their high isoflavone and phytoestrogen content may help alleviate the symptoms of menopause. Certain legumes contain isoflavones that mimic the female hormone estrogen in the body. While Asian women, who tend to consume significant quantities of legumes, have much higher blood levels of phytoestrogens compared with most American women, it does not mean that men who eat edamame or other legumes have any risk of feminization. The 'Soy myth' has overrun our media and there are several good articles showing the health benefits of edamame and other soybean products such as tofu, tempeh and soy sauce. Here's one such example - Soy and your Health. 

Edamame are a nutritional powerhouse. In a half-cup serving of shelled edamame, one gets 11 g of complete protein i.e. containing all of the essential amino acids. It also provides 9 g of fiber and 10% of the RDA for Vitamin C and iron, 8% of the RDA for Vitamin A and 4% of the RDA for calcium. It also serves as a source of vitamin K and Folic Acid (Vitamin B9). So eat up!!! Its yummy!