Asian Inspiration

For weeks now there has been a brand-new bag of frozen shelled edamame in my freezer.  I bought them on a whim thinking I would add them to a stir-fry.  Except I’ve now made at least two stir-fries since then and have yet to remember this poor bag of soy beans in the freezer!

Since being away for the long weekend I have not been inspired to go to the grocery store at all.  Instead I’ve been rummaging through the cupboards, fridge and freezer looking for on-hand ingredients with which to make something delicious.  I unearthed that bag of edamame and set to work creating a fast and delicious recipe for dinner last night.

I’m happy to say I came up with a winner on the first attempt and now have a new go-to meal for those days when the fridge is feeling a wee bit bare! 

Edamame & Brown Rice Salad with Tangy Asian Vinaigrette

Yields 4 servings x 1 cup-ish

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked brown rice, still warm
• 1 cup shelled edamame, slightly thawed
• 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed
• 1 carrot, peeled and julienned
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 cup canned water chestnuts, sliced or julienned

Tangy Asian Dressing:

• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 4-6 drops sesame oil
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil.  Add edamame and carrots, boil 2 minutes.  Add black beans, boil 1 more minute.  Drain.
2. In a large bowl, stir together warm rice, warm beans and carrots, green onions and water chestnuts.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, lime juice, rice vinegar, pinch of salt and pinch of pepper.  While whisking, slowly drizzle in canola oil.
4. Drizzle dressing over rice and bean mixture.  Add cilantro and toss carefully, just enough to coat with dressing.  Taste and re-season with salt and/or pepper if desired.
5. Serve warm or cold.

I inhaled two servings of this, still warm, for dinner.  Had I had any frozen shrimp on hand I might have grilled up a few to complete the meal.  Maybe next time it won’t be a Mother Hubbard situation and I’ll find a chicken breast to glaze with honey and soy to go alongside instead.

For lunch today I opted to serve it up cold straight out of the fridge with slices of avocado and extra lime and salt.  It was all I could do to keep myself from serving up a second heaping helping.  Is there anything avocado can’t do?

According to MyFitnessPal a serving comes in at 360 calories, which is a little high for a side dish but perfect for building a small meal.  The nice thing about beans and rice is that they also provide lots of good fibre and protein so I found I was nice and full for a good, long time.

Enjoy!