Sunday, June 03, 2007

Who needs takeout when you can make it yourself?

My husband, David, adapted this recipe from a great vegetarian cookbook, The Compassionate Cook. The original version of the recipe called for tofu instead of vegetarian beef, left out the green beans, used less turmeric, etc. It just goes to show that this recipe can stand up to quite a bit of tinkering, so go ahead and use whatever ingredients you prefer.

Cashew Fried Rice

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 medium yellow onion
1 pound vegetarian ground beef (we like the GimmeLean brand for its sausage-like flavor)
5 cups cold cooked rice
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 teaspoon garlic powder
4-8 ounces frozen green beans or peas (a nice handful)
1/2 - 1 cup cashews

In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, salt and sugar and stir until combined. Set aside.

Pour 1 tablespoon oil into a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the beef and chopped yellow onion and cook, stirring regularly, until cooked through (about 5 minutes). Remove beef and onions from the pan and set aside.

Place skillet back on heat and add remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the beans or peas and cook until heated through, then add the rice, sauce mixture, beef and onions, turmeric and garlic powder and cook for 3-5 minutes (until everything is nice and hot). Stir in cashews and serve.