Tex-Mex fried rice

Healthy, satisfying weeknight dinner!

This is a great, fairly quick dinner to pull together and its loaded with healthy ingredients! I use water instead of oil to cook the vegetables as baby corn and broccoli take quite a while to sauté and would require a substantial amount of oil. You could also sauté in oil if you prefer, or steam partially leaving some crunch.

Bite size veggies!

Cooking with water instead of oil.

Can't wait for dinner time!

You can add black beans or kidney beans to increase the protein in the dish, especially if you are serving it as a complete meal. You can also swap out the vegetables for any of your favorites. And, of course, you could use white rice instead of brown rice and cauliflower, and add more cheese to make a decadent version! There are lots of different ways to vary this to keep it interesting, and it works well as both an entree or a side dish, or even a filling for quesadillas!

I like to serve it with avocado and lightly sautéed jalapeños for extra spice. Instead of adding beans directly to the rice when cooking, I sometimes like to make them separately with garlic, cumin powder, and chilis, and serve on the side.

Ingredients:

175 g (1 cup) brown rice

200 g (1 1/2 cup) cauliflower rice

250 g (about 20 pieces) baby corn

1 head broccoli

1 courgette/zucchini

3 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 1/2 tsp powdered onion

1 1/2 tsp paprika

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp garlic powder

40 g (1/3 cup) grated vegan cheese (optional)

olive oil

salt and pepper

Method:

1. Cook rice per directions on the package

2. Peel, de-germ, and mince garlic

3. Chop baby corn, broccoli, and courgette into bite sized pieces (see picture above)

4. In a large pan, heat a tablespoon or so of olive oil on medium high heat. Sauté garlic for 2 minutes then add baby corn. Add about 60 ml (1/4 cup) of water to the pan to cook the corn. Continue adding small amounts of water as the pan becomes dry

5. After 5 minutes, add the broccoli. Continue adding water as required. Cook 5 minutes then add the courgette

6. Mix spices in a small bowl and add to vegetables once courgette is tender. Add uncooked cauliflower rice and cooked brown rice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook on medium heat 2-3 minutes until cauliflower rice is cooked through

7. If desired, add vegan cheese. Serve hot

Serves 4

Notes:

Instead of buying cauliflower rice, you can make your own by taking a head of cauliflower, chopping it into florets and pulsing in your food processor until in small rice/couscous sized pieces (be careful to pulse not blend so you don't end up with puree!).

This dish freezes very well, with or without the cheese added. It can be reheated in the microwave, or for best texture, after defrosting, reheat in a pan with a little oil.