Vegetable rice medley

This tasty dish combines hearty brown rice and a healthy combination of savory greens to help you feel your best.

Contributed by Anne Halsey, DO


Vegetable rice medley

The greens, onion, and garlic are the stars of this show. Green vegetables are rich in folate, calcium, and antioxidants. Onions and garlic are aromatics with sulfides and phytochemicals that contribute to a healthy diet.

This recipe first appeared on the Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic States health blog.

Servings: 6, as a main dish

Prep time: 30 minutes, most of which can be done during cooking

Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 1 cup uncooked brown rice (any kind)
  • 2 cups Brussels sprouts (10 to 12 sprouts), chopped
  • 3/4 cup chopped carrot (1 large)
  • 1 medium bunch bok choy, chopped with stems and leaves divided
  • 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon chili paste
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 medium yellow or sweet onion, chopped
  • 1 vegetarian sausage (I used apple smoked sage flavor), optional
  • 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup cashew pieces

Directions

  1. Boil 2 cups of water and add the rice. Cover and reduce to simmer until cooked, about 45 minutes.
  2. In a large frying pan or wok, steam sprouts, carrots, and bok choy stems in a little bit of water until slightly tender. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, and chili paste, stirring to coat. Cover and reduce heat to keep warm.
  3. In a medium frying pan, heat the oil. Add onion and sausage, if using, and sauté until browned. Add the crushed garlic for the last 30 seconds and remove from heat.
  4. Add the cooked rice, the onion, sausage, and garlic mixture, the parsley, and the bok choy leaves to the steamed veggies. Sauté for a few minutes until well mixed and leaves are wilted.
  5. Serve with a sprinkle of cashew pieces.

Nutrition information (per serving)

  • Calories: 220
  • Total fat: 6 g
  • Saturated fat: 1 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg
  • Sodium: 400 mg
  • Total carbohydrate: 37 g
  • Dietary fiber: 5 g
  • Total sugars: 5 g (0 g added sugars)
  • Protein: 8 g

Note: Nutrition information does not include optional vegetarian sausage.