Healthy Substitutions + {Veggie Fried Quinoa}

Posted: March 14, 2013

I am now in the habit of making healthy substitutions for my family. If I can keep a similar taste but include better-for-us ingredients, then I'm all in!! Some recent examples include my healthy key lime pie, my double-decker tacos, and my Zuppa Toscana. And with my father-in-law's recent heart attack, Dear Hubby has been even more willing to try new things in the name of better health.  I haven't changed everything all at once, but am slowing making over some of our favorite dishes.  This week's challenge was Fried Rice. My hubby is half Asian, and LOVES his white rice. But it is seriously lacking in the nutrition department.

Introducing Veggie Fried Quinoa:

Taking it one step further even than brown rice, I made over this meal favorite with red quinoa.

Beautiful and bursting with flavor and nutrients, this meal passed the Dear Hubby test.  Though he has never liked a single quinoa dish I've made (or ordered at a restaurant) in the past, this he liked.  Score!!

Not only did I substitute the white rice for quinoa, I also substituted the tradtional soy sauce for Bragg's Liquid Aminos.  It is marketed as the "healthy/natural" alternative to soy sauce. It still has a similar sodium content, but the main difference is that it uses non-GMO soybeans and has less preservatives.  OK, going to be honest here.... I had heard about this stuff almost a year ago, but the name freaked me out. Liquid Huh?!? I decided to give it a try this past week though when I saw it at the store, and I'm so glad I did.  The taste/flavor was great!! And Dear Hubby, soy sauce aficionado, even liked it.

Questions:

  • Have you tried Liquid Aminos?
  • What are some of your favorite dishes that need making over?

Veggie Fried Quinoa

Description

Veggie Fried Quinoa // @noshandnourish

Ingredients

1 cup
Uncooked Red Quinoa (or sub regular)
2  
Eggs
1  
Carrot (julienned)
1⁄2 cup
Peas
1⁄2 cup
Water Chestnuts (diced)
2 tablespoons
Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or sub soy sauce)
2 tablespoons
Polynesian Sauce (or sub sweet & sour sauce)

Instructions

  1. Cook quinoa on the stovetop per instructions (be sure to wash thoroughly) - mine was 1 cup uncooked quinoa to 1.25 cup water. Bring water to a boil, add in quinoa, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Then, let it sit for 5 minutes before "fluffing."
  2. Beat and scramble eggs, then break it into small pieces with a spatula.
  3. Add in peas and carrots, and waterchestnuts to warm them (if frozen).
  4. Once quinoa is finished, add it into the veggie mix.
  5. Stir in the liquid aminos and polynesian sauce. Mix thoroughly.
  6. Enjoy!!

Yields 4 Servings

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Comments

Submitted by Lauren @ Oatmeal after Spinning - March 14, 2013 - 8:47pm

I make something very similar to this for Greg- except I use rice. I actually thought about using quinoa today for it instead!
We are OBSESSED with liquid aminos. Coconut aminos is great too!

Submitted by Michelle @ Eat Move Balance - March 14, 2013 - 9:21pm

Yes, we have tried Liquid Aminos, and it was pretty good. I think my favorite is still tamari. It has such an intense flavor. Love the fried quinoa recipe--looks great! :)

Submitted by Kathy - March 14, 2013 - 9:37pm

I would love Hey simple chicken nugget recipe that made ahead and frozen and then easily re-cook for my ideal picky preschooler

Submitted by Dovie - March 14, 2013 - 11:27pm

We use Bragg's 100% of the time instead of soy sauce. I'd love to see the nutritional facts on your recipes. We've started cooking a lot more at home, and I'm finding the tediousness of calculating the nutritional data to be frustrating at times. But, since we are 'habitual eaters', most meals are likely to be repeated, and so it's worth the effort...especially when I end up finding a surprise. Today I was gathering info for an Asian udon soup with mushrooms, kale, collard greens and Swiss chard, and I was SHOCKED at the amount of sodium in chard! So...nutritional data would be GREAT, if you're already looking at it all, would be a great perk.

Keep the recipes coming! I heart quinoa, so I'm looking forward to trying this recipe!

Submitted by JoAnna @ JoAnna Thinks - March 15, 2013 - 9:30am

Can't wait to try this. I looove fried rice (and quinoa)! My boyfriend is a little bit less picky than Dear Hubby, I think, but if it doesn't taste good, he's not going for it. Good news is, he'll try things at least once. He stills says your tortellini soup is the best thing I've ever made! :)

Submitted by Wendy - March 15, 2013 - 3:31pm

I bought the little spray bottle version to try it, I also useSan-J Low sodium Tamari is my favorite as my regular staple, I can't remember the last time I even bought Soy sauce

Submitted by Angie's Recipes - March 16, 2013 - 9:42am

I am a huge fan of healthy yet delicious treats...this one looks dang delicious and packed with Vc and protein. Thank you for sharing it.

Submitted by Andi - March 16, 2013 - 7:19pm

I bought some red quinoa a few days ago with the idea of trying to sub it for rice in a fried rice recipe just like you tried -- fried rice is one of my guy's favorite dishes, so I was over the moon thrilled when I saw your post and you said that this was "Dear Hubby" approved -- I wasn't sure if my guy was gonna go for it, but now I can't wait to try the substitution!

Submitted by corrie anne - March 17, 2013 - 12:40am

I've never tried aminos -- but that looks amazing!

Submitted by Candace - April 1, 2013 - 10:22pm

This is a great recipe and I modified it to my own laziness. I used bags of frozen cut broccoli and peas & carrots mix. We are big veggie eaters in this house, so this modification more than quadrupled the veggies. It was a super-supper!

Submitted by Vince - May 9, 2013 - 6:53pm

Love your food photography! I’m working for a company called Village Harvest. We're running a Facebook contest for a $7500 international trip. You should totally enter. Here’s the link: http://a.pgtb.me/GtXGz

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