Ola my friend! I want to share a meal idea that is quick, healthy and surprisingly yummy. This is actually another vegetarian brown rice bowl idea haha. I was so surprised to learn that stir-fried lettuce can taste so good! I will tell you more about that in the ‘Meal Inspiration’ section below. This meal is extremely easy to prepare and will leave you feeling completely satisfied.
I remember when I went vegan turned pescatarian for 8 months in 2020 and I kept wondering how I would survive without starving to death preparing the food for hours lol. This is definitely one suggestion if you need to switch things up a bit. It is also very budget friendly. So if spending less money without compromising the quality and taste of a home cooked meal is important to you, then here you go! College students, you are going to thank you me later and you are welcome! ????
Vegetarian Brown Rice Bowl: Ingredients
key ingredients key seasonings / spices *
- 1 Head of Lettuce (chopped)
- Cooked Brown Rice
- 1 Yellow Onion
- 1 table spoon of Minced Garlic *
- dashes of Himalayan Black Salt *
- dashes of Black Pepper *
- sprinkles of Crushed Red Pepper (optional)
- 1 Boiled Egg (optional)
- Grapeseed Oil (optional and olive oil can substitute)
Vegetarian Brown Rice Bowl: Instructions
- Add minced garlic, onion and grapeseed oil to the pan / wok. Saute over high heat for a couple of minutes. Olive oil is a great substitute if you do not have grapeseed oil. Sesame seed oil may even work. I will have to try this.
- Next, add chopped lettuce and cook until soft. This takes less than 5 minutes.
- Next, add cooked brown rice to a bowl or plate. I used cooked brown rice, pressure cooked in my faithful crockpot beforehand, as the base layer of my bowl. Feel free to add a little vegan butter. I love the Country Crock Plant Butter carried at Krogers.
- Finally, top the brown rice with the stir-fried lettuce and onions. Serve and enjoy!
Note: Lettuce is 96% water so you will find some juice production during cooking. Drink the juice! It is healthy and tastes fantastic.
Health Benefits
To highlight a few benefits:
- Lettuce: a rich source of vitamin K, vitamin A, and vitamin C. There are several impressive benefits to eating lettuce. Check out the details here. I did not know lettuce may induce sleep and help relieve anxiety.
- Garlic: besides the savory flavor, garlic is a great source of potassium, selenium, phosphorus, and calcium among others. You may be interested know that garlic can help detox your body of heavy metals.
- Himalayan Black Salt: has low sodium levels and high antioxidant properties. It is a good source of minerals like calcium, iron and magnesium. Check out more benefits here.
- Grapeseed Oil: is a fantastic cooking oil that is not heavy or overwhelming in taste. It is a great source of vitamin E and omega-6 fatty acids among other benefits.
Meal Inspiration
Spending a lot of time with my international friends inspired this meal idea. I remember watching one of my friends stir-fry lettuce. I only noted that the lettuce was stir-fried. That is all I could focus on because I was shocked to see lettuce in a wok. I did not want to appear disappointed, ungrateful or disapproving when offered the stir-fried lettuce. I was equally shocked to taste that the lettuce was actually delicious.
Not knowing if I was just hungry at the time or if I really liked cooked lettuce, I tried making this dish on my own just to experiment. The experiment was successful the first time, the second time, the third … yeah you get the point. You have to understand I rarely eat lettuce. I do not eat lettuce in my salads. If it is in a salad at a restaurant then that is when it is eaten. I do not buy lettuce! Until now. The simplicity and the quick preparation amazes me every time.
Until Next Time
As I mentioned earlier, this is mainly the only time I eat lettuce and enjoy it. I did not know the nutritional health benefits lettuce offered but now I know and so do you. This meal is quite filling and satisfying. You can make it as spicy as you like, add cashews or tweak it however you like. Ginger could go very well as a spice in this dish. I will have to try this out. Check out this simple vegetarian brown rice bowl if you want another easy cheap meal to try.
Well, I will take my leave for now. I look forward to our time together again soon. Be inspired to have an appetite to live and live well.
Adaeze
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