Eat Simply, Eat Well

Healthy recipes & tips to help you live the good life. by Ann Plough

Healthy Fried Rice

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The word Fried Rice doesn’t always conjure up images of health food – but there’s no reason it can’t be a delicious and healthy dinner choice.

The first thing is to change white rice to brown if you haven’t already made the shift. White rice has very little nutritional value since the bran is removed, so basically our bodies process it quickly as a sugar source, causing an insulin spike, and that’s just no good for anyone.

If you eat a lot of fried rice, then switching to brown rice will do your body a big nutritional favor by adding a nice dose of healthy fiber along with along with significant amounts of magnesium and vitamin B6, and small dose of iron. Pretty great, hey?

This fried rice recipe is also loaded with cooked, steamed and raw veggies for to add flavor, texture and nutrients, as well as eggs for protein.

Even better – this fried rice recipe is super fast if you have cooked rice ready to go. Here’s a tip: whenever you make brown rice, make a big batch and freeze it in 1 cup /2.5 dl portions so that you can thaw it quickly and add it to dishes like this one, soups, or serve it up with some simple stir-fried vegetables. It’s away to make fast food at home in little time and still control the ingredients that go into your food.

We enjoyed this dish on a sleepy Sunday afternoon after a morning spent outside, and it literally took 15 minutes to make the entire thing – which means you can fit this into your schedule any day of the week and ensure a healthy dinner that everyone will love. 

And summer is coming!

Which means pretty soon there will be a bounty of fresh veggies coming out of gardens and farmers markets. Here’s the perfect way to use them up.

Enjoy!

 

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Healthy Fried Rice 

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • 1 large or 2 small garlic cloves, peeled and minced
  • 1 cup/2 dl cubed fresh zucchini
  • 1 1/2/4 dl cup cooked brown rice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt + more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 eggs, beaten  + 2 tablespoons cold water
  • 2 large handfuls fresh spinach, rinsed and roughly chopped
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced

In a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium heat, warm the oil and add in the onion and carrot. Cook for 5 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add the garlic and zucchini and cook 3 minutes more. Add the rice, eggs, salt and pepper and stir in well. Allow the mixture to cook, undisturbed, for 5 minutes, then flip the mixture over in small portions and cook for 2 minutes more. Place the spinach on top of the mixture and put the lid on. Steam the spinach for 1-2 minutes until just wilted. Add the green onion, stir the onion through the mixture, and serve.

Serves 4.

Eat simply, eat well,

Ann

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Stuffed Eggplant

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If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, it’s no secret that I love eggplant. Once roasted, this odd purple vegetable goes from stiff and a bit rubbery to smooth and luscious, and it pairs well with tomatoes, onion, lemon and olive oil to make a superbly easy and satisfying main course.

So often vegetables are pushed to the sides of our plates, served up alongside a hunk of meat, but it’s time to of put vegetables where they belong: front and center as the main course. 

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You can, of course, serve this stuffed eggplant as a side dish, but I assure you, once you’ve tasted these, you’re not going to be out looking for meat! Filled with a mixture of whole wheat couscous, fresh cherry tomatoes, spring onion and cilantro, and flavored with olive oil, lemon, smoked paprika and chili – these beauties are good served warm or at room temperature – which means you can make them ahead, use the leftovers for lunch, or even freeze the extras for a delicious meal later.

The middle east has a version of stuffed eggplant which is a thing of legends: Imam biyaldi (the Imam fainted). The story goes that a young Turkish bride was given 12 large pots of the finest, most expensive olive oil for her husband. She made a stuffed eggplant dish stuffed with tomatoes, onions, garlic – and copious amounts of olive oil. Her husband loved the dish so much that he asked her to make it every single day. She did – for 12 days. On the 13th day, the stuffed eggplant was absent from the table. “Why?” asked the disappointed husband? “my dear, we are out of olive oil and I cannot make it until you purchase some more.” Upon hearing that the expensive gift had been completely used up, the Imam fainted. Imam biyaldi.

My version uses olive oil too, and flavors of the middle east, though it is not like the traditional Turkish dish. I think you’ll love this, though! The recipe can be easily scaled up or down depending on the size of the crowd you are serving, and any leftovers will be fought over the following day. I typically serve 2 eggplant halves per person; though you could also serve one half plus a salad for a lighter meal.

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Stuffed Eggplant

First, prepare the eggplant:

  • 2 medium-sized eggplants
  • olive oil, salt and pepper

Heat oven to 200°C/400°F.

Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise through the stem. Lay the eggplants cut-side up on a parchment-lined baking tray. Using a small paring knife, cut a cross-hatch into the cut side of the eggplant. Sprinkle each eggplant generously with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.  Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown and very soft. Remove from oven.

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Make the filling:

  • 1 cup/ 2.5 dl dried, whole wheat couscous*
  • 2 cups / 5 dl boiling water
  • 1 package cherry tomatoes
  • 1 small bunch of cilantro = 1 cup chopped stems & leaves; reserve the top leaves for garnish.
  • 2 green Spring onions, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon + 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper 
  • 1/4 cup/ 1/2 dl extra virgin olive oil
  • Zest and juice of one organic lemon
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/8 teaspoon chili powder

*To make it gluten-free, use millet, cooked according to packet instructions.

Pour the couscous into a small bowl and add 1/2 teaspoon salt and the boiling water. Cover with a plate and allow it to absorb the water for 5 minutes.

Cut the cherry tomatoes into into fourths and place into a medium-sized bowl. Add the chopped cilantro, green onion, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, olive oil, paprika, chili powder, lemon zest and lemon juice. Mix well to combine. Check the couscous to make sure it has absorbed all of the water. Fluff it lightly with a fork, then add it to the tomato mixture. Stir well to combine. Taste; adjust seasoning if necessary.

Top each eggplant half with 3/4 cup / 1.5 dl of the couscous mixture, pressing it down into the eggplant shell. I find it’s easiest to do this with my hands, but you can do this however you wish. Transfer the stuffed eggplant to individual serving plates and garnish with the remaining cilantro.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 2-4.

Eat simply, eat well,

Ann

Did you like this post? Do you have your own version of stuffed eggplant? Let me know in the comments below, and please share it with your friends!

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Zuppa di Ceci

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As my Dad used to say: “it’s been another fun-filled week around here!” Good projects, good people, good food. What more can you ask for?

And now I’m ready to move full-speed into the weekend. It’s pouring down rain here in Helsinki, but I have high hopes for a sunny Saturday so that I can put the new fence around my allotment garden – last year the rabbits had a nightly feast on onions, kale, and anything else edible that reached the soil’s surface. Not this year. I’m saving the produce for myself and my friends. Those bunnies? They’ll have to find sustenance elsewhere.

I’ll plan to plant the cold-tolerant crop seeds during the coming week: parsnips, spinach, mache, carrots, bok choy, potatoes…the veggies I think…hope…can withstand the chilly temperatures of the Finnish April, where the temps still drop to +1 or +2° C every night. BRRRRR! Come on, Spring! We’re ready for you.

As promised last week, here’s a round-up of some of the news links I loved from this past week. I hope you enjoy!

And because no weekend should begin without delicious food being involved, I bring you this beloved recipe from Tuscany: Zuppa di Ceci or Chickpea Soup. 

I enjoyed this in a back-alley restaurant in Rome – a modernized trattoria celebrating Bufala Mozzarella. And the mozzarella was indeed amazing…but it was this soup that stole my heart away. I’ve made it many times already since returning home, and it’s one of the easiest, most delicious & nutritious soups you could ever hope for. Fragrant with rosemary enhanced by just a pinch of chili, this soup and a slice of good sourdough is all you need for a hearty, happy meal anytime.

There are many versions of Zuppa di Ceci out there – this is mine. I hope you love it as much as we do!

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Zuppa di Ceci (Chickpea Soup)

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, minced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 stalk celery, diced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
  • 4 cups/1 liter cooked chickpeas + chickpea liquid
  • water to cover (see instructions below)
  • salt & pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery and carrot, and saute until tender and translucent; about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and rosemary and cook one minute more.

Add 3 cups of chickpeas + chickpea liquid to the pot (reserve the rest of the chickpeas for later). Add the tomato paste and chili flakes. Pour enough water into the pot to just cover the top of the chickpeas (the amount will depend on how much chickpea liquid you have already added).

Bring the soup to a boil, lower to a simmer, and cook an additional 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Puree the mixture until smooth with an immersion blender. Alternatively, transfer the soup to a blender and puree until smooth.

Warm the remaining chickpeas in a small pot with a little water, or in the microwave until they are warm to touch. Add the chickpeas to the soup, reserving a few to garnish each bowl. Taste the soup, and adjust the amount of salt and pepper to your liking.

Divide the soup between 4 bowls, garnish with a few chickpeas and a small handful of sprouts, and enjoy.

Serves 4.

Eat simply, eat well,

Ann

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