Featured recipe from Marilu’s table * Kung pao rice & veggies
Take-out often means Chinese food that’s over-salted and under-veggied. It may seem like a quick and easy dinner option, but making your own Chinese food is just as quick and easy (and far tastier, and cheaper).
This vegan recipe provides plenty of protein from the edamame (soy beans) and brown rice. It’s good served hot or at room temperature, which makes it a great brown bag lunch option (still with a small ice pack in there), or a dinner that can “hold” until kids get home from practice or performances.
To thaw the edamame, just put it in a colander, run some warm water over it, and shake it a little.
To make this meal especially quick, cook brown rice ahead of time, and freeze it in 1-cup or 2-cup portions. Just let it cool, spoon it into freezer weight bags, and flatten. Freeze flat – then you can stack them in the freezer, or even “file” them in a cardboard shoebox in the freezer. (The cardboard won’t crack in the cold like plastic storage containers can – plus, that shoebox came free with your last pair of really cute shoes!)
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Kung Pao Rice & Veggies
Green * Serves 6
1 Tablespoon peanut oil
1 medium red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and cut in 1-inch pieces
8 baby carrots, halved lengthwise
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
1-1⁄2 cups frozen shelled edamame, thawed
12 small ears canned baby corn
5 cups cooked brown rice (about 1-3/4 cups dry, cooked in water or vegetable broth)
Sauce
3 Tablespoons orange juice
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1⁄2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Make the sauce: In a small bowl, combine all sauce ingredients and mix well. Set aside.
In a wok or large, heavy skillet, heat oil over high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, carrots, garlic and ginger and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add edamame and corn and stir-fry until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.
Stir sauce and pour into vegetables. Stir-fry until thickened, 30 seconds.
Divide rice among 6 shallow, wide bowls. Spoon vegetables over rice and serve hot or at room temperature.
