Pineapple Fried Rice (Vegan)

 

My sister and I have been playing with whole food and vegan recipes lately.  We are both on a quest to eat a bit healthier, and to get rid of the processed foods in our diet.  I watched a program on Netflix called You are What You Eat, The Twin experiment and was very impressed with the results of the experiment.

The twins which went totally Vegan lost almost all of the visceral fat in their bodies after only 8 weeks. As I have the beginnings of fatty liver disease, this really interested me.  Anything that could help me in this area is what I am looking for.

This recipe for Pineapple Fried Rice is a Vegan recipe that I have adapted from a page called Vegan Huggs.  Not only did it look delicious, but it didn't require a bunch of totally outrageous ingredients.

 

It is also gluten free and diabetic friendly, with a nice combination of fresh vegetables and fruit.  If you are not a vegetarian it would be very easy to add some cooked protein to it.  Shrimp, Chicken, Ham or Pork would all work very well.

I did cut the recipe in half to make only two servings. Quick, easy and delicious, this was a real winner in my books!  And then again, anytime I get to enjoy fresh pineapple and cashew nuts, I am a happy camper!  Those are two of my favorite things!

This dish has some lovely Thai flavors as well. I love Thai food.

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE PINEAPPLE FRIED RICE (VEGAN)

Simple ingredients for the most part. I love  recipes for dishes that I can make without having to go out and buy special ingredients.  This is one of those! It uses things that I almost always have in my store cupboard, refrigerator and freezer.

• 1 TBS coconut oil (or preferred oil)
• 1/2 small red onion, peeled and coarsely diced
• 2 medium cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/2 TBS freshly grated peeled gingerroot
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1/2 medium carrot, peeled and cut into small cubes, or match sticks
• 3/4 cup (approximately 128g) fresh pineapple cubes (can use canned if that is all you have, drain well)
• 1 1/2 cups (245g) chilled cooked rice (I used Basmati)
• 1 large spring onion, trimmed washed and sliced (plus more for garnish)
• 1 1/2 TBS Tamari or Soy sauce
• 3/4 tsp medium curry powder
• 1/4 cup (65g) frozen peas
• 1/4 cup (65g) frozen sweet corn

To garnish: (optional)

• chopped roasted cashew nuts
• chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
• chopped spring onions

 

You can use any kind of cooking oil that you prefer. I used coconut oil because that is what I had.  It added a lovely hint of coconut flavor to the dish.

I used a pouch of pre-cooked Basmati rice.  I stuck it into the refrigerator in the morning and it was lovely and chilled by the time I went to cook the dish.

I peeled my carrot and then cut it into quarters lengthwise and then into 1/4 inch slices.  This was the perfect size.

 

The original recipe called only for frozen peas. I used both frozen peas and corn. I thought the two together would add lots of lovely color and texture.  The peas and the cashews also add extra protein.

I used fresh pineapple from the grocery store. I love the fresh sweet/tang of it and it is nice and crisp as well, compared to tinned.  I just prefer fresh over tinned.   

There is no need to buy a whole pineapple. My local grocery store sells already cut up pineapple in a small tub.  I used half of it for this recipe and had the other half to eat fresh when and as I want it. You can also freeze it to use in smoothies.

 

 

HOW TO MAKE PINEAPPLE FRIED RICE (VEGAN)

This was so simple to make.  If you have all of your vegetables, etc. prepared before you begin, it goes together lickety split!  This really is fabulously tasty! Quick, easy and delicious always works for me!

Heat your oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once hot add the onions.

Cook and stir for two to three minutes until they begin to soften. Add the carrots, garlic, ginger and chili flakes.

Sauté, stirring frequently, until the carrots are tender, about seven to nine minutes. (If they start to stick, add a TBS of vegetable stock or water.)

Add the pineapple chunks and cook for a further four to five minutes, or until the pineapple starts to brown.

Add the tamari, frozen vegetables, curry powder, and spring onions along with the cold rice. Cook, stirring frequently for four to five minutes, until the vegetables are cooked through and everything is nice and hot. Taste and adjust seasoning as required.

Serve hot garnished with some chopped cashews, chopped fresh coriander, and spring onions.

 

HINTS AND TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST RICE FOR FRIED RICE

Fried rice works best with rice which has been well chilled, preferably over night. Day old rice is dryer and will cook up better.

You want to use a rice that is fluffy, but not sticky.  Long grain white rice is the best kind of rice to use. I will often use a package of pre-cooked rice, and stick it in the refrigerator in the morning so that it is nice and cold. 

 

You can use Jasmine or Basmati. I like their almost popcorn-like scent. But do know that they tend to be a bit sticker than long grain white rice.  They still work very well however as you can see from the photos.

Make sure that if you are going to use chilled leftover cooked rice, you cool it down quickly, and then refrigerate it within (maximum) an hour of cooking. Leaving it for any longer without chilling increases your risk of food poisoning.  Chilled cooked rice should be eaten within 24 hours to be safe.

 

This was exceptionally delicious. I should have only eaten half of it but I found myself going back and helping myself to just-one-more spoonful.  Naughty I know. 

I enjoyed it with a couple of spring rolls. If you wanted to you could add cooked shrimp, chicken, or pork to it and make it non-vegan, but I was perfectly content with it just as it was.  It was fabulous!

Some other rice dishes in The English Kitchen that you might like are:

BAKED MUSHROOM RICE - Simple ingredients, put together simply, quick and easy, and oh so tasty. A mix of rice, stock, thyme and garlic powder is put into the bottom of a casserole dish and covered with a thick layer of garlic mushrooms. No need to cover as the layer of mushrooms serves as a sort of a jacket for the rice, covering it, their juices running down and mingling with the stock and rice beneath it as it cook. Can you spell D E L I C I O U S?

STICKY TOFFEE RICE PUDDING - All the flavors of a traditional sticky toffee pudding except in a rice pudding. Caramel toffee flavors, dates, rich, creamy. There is no sugar in the pudding, instead it relies on the sweetness of the dates to sweeten it up.  Topped with a sweet sticky toffee sauce and a candied pecan nut topping. This is one of my favorite rice puddings! 

Vegan, Gluten-free, Vegetarian

Thai

Yield: 2

Author: Marie Rayner

Pineapple Fried Rice

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 30 Min

Savory, spicy, a little bit sweet, this delicious Vegan fried rice dish is very easy to make. It takes less than half an hour and is also gluten free! I loved the sweet, yet tangy touch of the fresh pineapple. Roasted cashews give it a nice and salty crunch.

Ingredients

• 1 TBS coconut oil (or preferred oil)
• 1/2 small red onion, peeled and coarsely diced
• 2 medium cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/2 TBS freshly grated peeled gingerroot
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1/2 medium carrot, peeled and cut into small cubes, or match sticks
• 3/4 cup (approximately 128g) fresh pineapple cubes (can use canned if that is all you have, drain well)
• 1 1/2 cups (245g) chilled cooked rice (I used Basmati)
• 1 large spring onion, trimmed washed and sliced (plus more for garnish)
• 1 1/2 TBS Tamari or Soy sauce
• 3/4 tsp medium curry powder
• 1/4 cup (65g) frozen peas
• 1/4 cup (65g) frozen sweet corn

To garnish: (optional)

• chopped roasted cashew nuts
• chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
• chopped spring onions

Instructions

1. Heat your oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once hot add the onions.
2. Cook and stir for two to three minutes until they begin to soften. Add the carrots, garlic, ginger and chili flakes.
3. Sauté, stirring frequently, until the carrots are tender, about seven to nine minutes. (If they start to stick, add a TBS of vegetable stock or water.)
4. Add the pineapple chunks and cook for a further four to five minutes, or until the pineapple starts to brown.
5. Add the tamari, frozen vegetables, curry powder, and spring onions along with the cold rice. Cook, stirring frequently for four to five minutes, until the vegetables are cooked through and everything is nice and hot. Taste and adjust seasoning as required.
6. Serve hot garnished with some chopped cashews, chopped fresh coriander, and spring onions.

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