42 Start healthy
If December has been all about indulgence, January needs to be all about caution and control. It was sure fun to enjoy all the rich dinners and sweet desserts that tempted me through December, but now it will be a nice change to enjoy leaner, healthier fare.
Jude’s Kitchen JUDIE STEEVES
Despite the time of year,
my body now craves extra servings of fruit and
vegetables and fewer fatty foods. Superfoods like that nutrition powerhouse quinoa, with its
high protein content coming from a plant instead of an animal, are a good start on the road to good health and fitness without added calories. It’s quite tasty as well. Ironically, fruits and vegetables are the most reasonably priced items in the supermarket too, so you can do both your health and your pocketbook a favour at the same time, if you fill more of your plate with vegetables than protein. Stir-fries are a deliciously healthy way to increase your
intake of vegetables. Once you’re used to it, chopping up fresh vegetables for
stir-frying can be done as quickly as anything else you can cook, or you can spend a little extra and purchase ready-cut bags of veggies for stir-frying. Stir-fries can be endlessly varied, depending on the meat in
your freezer, the veggies in your crisper, and the sauces in the door of your fridge. Sure, there are some combinations that are finer than others, and you’ll discover as you cook what you and your family like best. I love cabbage stir-fried so it’s still crisp-tender. It becomes
sweet instead of overpowering. And, it’s particularly delicious with ham and pork. Cabbage is also an important vegetable in a well-rounded diet, and it’s available fresh mid-winter, too. Another advantage of stir-fried dishes is you’re serving a
variety of vegetables in one dish, which is really important to ensure you get enough of all of the vitamins and minerals your body needs. Everything’s cooked in just a drizzle of oil and although
there’s a bit of sugar in some of the sauces, you only use a spoonful to serve a family of four, so it’s a pretty small amount. Bonus: stir-fries look appetizing and taste delicious, along with those health benefits.
A meal in a bowl: quinoa with mushroom and spinach! JUDIE STEEVES PHOTO QUINOA WITH MUSHROOMS & SPINACH
This is a filling, savoury, nutritious plant-based meal-in-a-bowl, but it could also serve as a side dish or a lunch main.
3 c. (750 ml) chopped spinach 1 stalk celery
1 minced garlic clove
2 tsp. (10 ml) fresh tarragon 1 c. (250 ml) quinoa
1/3 c. (80 ml) fresh Parmesan Cherry tomatoes, to garnish
2 c. (500 ml) chopped mushrooms 1/2 medium onion
1/4 c. (60 ml) fresh parsley 3 tbsp. (15 ml) butter
2 c. (500 ml) chicken stock salt & pepper, to taste
• Chop the spinach, mushrooms, celery and onion and set aside separately. • Mince garlic and fresh herbs and set aside. • Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat and add the onions, stirring until softening. Add the mushrooms and stir for a few minutes, then the garlic, and finally the chopped spinach.
• Meanwhile, rinse the quinoa and, in another pot, combine the quinoa, stock and a pinch of salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave it for about five minutes.
• Add the cooked quinoa to the vegetables, along with the fresh, minced herbs and grated cheese.
• Garnish with halved patio tomatoes. Serves 4. TOFU, CABBAGE AND PORK STIR-FRY
Vegetarians could omit the pork, or you could omit the tofu. Alter the quantities of any ingredients to your taste, or add different vegetables. It’s very flexible. The sauces are readily available at supermarkets.
1 pkg. (350 g) extra firm tofu 1 onion
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10 mushrooms
2 tsp. 10 ml) teriyaki sauce 1 lb. (450 g) ground pork 1 tbsp (15 ml) bean sauce
1 tbsp. (15 ml) corn starch 1 tbsp. (15 ml) cold water
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• Rinse tofu and cut into 1/2-inch dice. • Shred onion and cabbage; mince fresh ginger; slice mushrooms and cut red pepper into small dice. Combine the cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl. • Drizzle a little canola or grapeseed oil into a wok over medium-high heat, swirl it around and add minced fresh ginger. Stir fry it, then add tofu cubes. Turn when they’ve browned lightly on one side, and remove to a warm platter when heated through. • Drizzle a little more oil into the hot wok and add onion. Stir fry and add cabbage. Cook for a minute or two, then add mushrooms. Stir fry before adding red pepper, teriyaki sauce and water. Cover and steam for a couple of minutes. • Remove vegetables from wok to a bowl or the wok lid. They will continue to steam for a few minutes, so be sure not to fully cook them before removing them to sit.
• Swirl another drizzle of oil in the hot wok and add remaining ginger and ground pork. Cook and stir fry until most of the pink has left the meat, then push up the sides of the wok and add the Chinese bean or brown bean sauce and the Szechuan sauce. Return the vegetables to the pan and tir fry everything together, then push it up the sides again. • Bring the liquid in the bottom to bubbling, recombine the cornstarch mixture and mix it with the liquid, whisking or stirring until it bubbles and turns translucent. Stir in more water if needed.
• To finish, pour over tofu cubes, or serve alongside. • Serves 4.
1 tbsp. (15 ml) minced ginger 4 c. cabbage 1/2 red pepper
3/4 c. (175 ml) water
1 tbsp. (15 ml) minced ginger 1 tsp. (5 ml) Szechuan sauce
COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • JANUARY 2019
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