kale and asparagus pineapple fried rice with maple glazed tofu

This recipe was thrown together on a whim, but I have to admit it came out quite nice!  Sometimes the best recipes are the ones that require no thought!

 I love fried rice, but don’t love all the oil and starchy white rice.  I’m calling this “fried rice,” but it’s more of a veggie stir fry with a hint of brown rice as the vegetables and tofu make up the bulk of the meal.  For dinner, it’s best to keep grains and starches to a minimum as you won’t be burning off the extra energy late in the evening.

kale & asparagus pineapple fried rice with maple glazed tofu ~vegan, gluten free~

Kale & Asparagus Pineapple Fried Rice with Maple Glazed Tofu

(makes 4 servings)

1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed and cut into inch pieces

1 bunch kale, de-stemmed and roughly chopped

1 large carrot, shredded

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1.5 – 2 cups cooked brown rice

1 cup pineapple, cut into chunks

3 scallions, chopped

For the sauce:

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup toasted sesame seed oil

1/4 cup bragg’s amino acids or tamari

(you can use soy sauce however, then the recipe will no longer be gluten free)

For the tofu:

1 block extra-firm tofu (non-GMO/organic), drained and cubed

1 teaspoon coconut oil

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

kale & asparagus pineapple fried rice with maple glazed tofu ~vegan, gluten free~

-Whisk together sauce ingredients and set aside.

-In a large skillet or stir fry pan, heat coconut oil over medium heat, add minced garlic and cook 2-3 minutes or until fragrant.

-Add asparagus, kale and shredded carrot.  Cook over medium heat until asparagus are tender, stirring occasionally.

-Add cooked brown rice to the asparagus/kale mixture, add sauce and cook until rice is heated through, remove from heat.

-Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat coconut oil over medium heat and add tofu.  Drizzle with maple syrup and cook on each side until lightly golden, about 5 minutes.

 -In a large bowl, combine rice and vegetables, pineapple and tofu.

-Top with chopped scallion and enjoy!

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smokey chickpeas and kale over baked sweet potatoes

This recipe is right on track with my previous post about prepping food for the week.  It was so quick to prepare, I had all the ingredients on hand and it tasted delicious!  Plus, it’s pretty budget friendly costing under $1.50 per serving!  All I had to do was heat the sweet potatoes I baked on Sunday, throw a can of chickpeas in a skillet with kale and fry an egg, taking 15 minutes tops to prepare!

I made a vegan version by omitting the fried egg.  Another option would be to eat the chickpeas and kale over a bowl of quinoa instead of baked sweet potato…or simply eating them alone!  I found the chickpea recipe on this wonderful blog using spinach instead of kale…this recipe is very versatile!  I will definitely be adding this recipe to my quick “go-to” meal list!

smokey chickpeas and kale over a baked sweet potato ~vegan, gluten free~

Smokey Chickpeas and Kale over Baked Sweet Potatoes

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

3 cups greens (kale, spinach, chard, etc…), washed and chopped

a few gluggs of extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon paprika

sea salt and pepper to taste

fresh lemon slice

2 baked sweet potatoes

(here is a link on how to bake sweet potatoes)

2 fried eggs (optional)

-In a large skillet heat olive oil over medium high heat.  Add chickpeas, paprika and sea salt and pepper.

-Cook until chickpeas become slightly crispy, about 3-5 minutes.

-Add kale and cook until wilted.

-Squeeze with fresh lemon and serve warm over a baked sweet potato with the option to top with a fried egg.

-Enjoy!

fried egg with smokey chickpeas and kale over baked sweet potato

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kale salad with sweet tahini dressing

Hard to believe but, I never understood the temptation of raw kale salads.  Every time I made one I was dissappointed!  They were too hard to chew and even harder to digest!

Until now!  

I finally figured out the secret to making a palatable raw kale salad!

It’s sea salt!  

Before I would always massage the kale with olive oil but it never broke down the leaves enough.  By adding sea salt the kale becomes very tender, less bitter and easier to eat :)

kale salad with sweet tahini dressing ~vegan, gluten free~

Now, i’m hooked!

 I made it for dinner last night and i’ve been craving more all day!  Kale salads are great to prepare ahead of time as they do not wilt easily.  Make this for dinner tonight and save some for lunch tomorrow!

Kale Salad with Sweet Tahini Dressing

 1 small bunch kale, de-stemmed and broken into bite-sized pieces

½ cup dried cranberries

¼ cup sunflower seeds

1 carrot, shredded

1 tablespoon olive oil

sea salt

Dressing:

¼ cup tahini

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons miso paste

1 tablespoon maple syrup

¼ cup water

salt and pepper to taste

-In a large bowl, drizzle kale with olive oil and sea salt.  Massage and squeeze kale leaves to make more tender, set aside and let kale “marinate” for a few minutes.

-Blend together all salad dressing ingredients.  Add more water if a thinner consistency is desired.

 -Add dressing to kale and toss to coat.  Top with carrots, dried cranberries and sunflower seeds.

~Enjoy!

kale salad with sweet tahini dressing ~vegan, gluten-free~

I found that using half the amount of salad dressing was plenty!  

www.beginwithinnutrition.com