Wednesday, November 30, 2011

SPROUTS

There was a time which in the past I remember bean sprouts being a component of one of my oriental favourites - Eggs Foo Yung. See here. I can always get fresh mung bean sprouts and do when I prepare the Foo Yung.  The fresh are clean, crisp and fresh tasting whereas the canned have a – well, canned taste, are slightly less crunchy and include the customary added salt.

 I remember this chi-chi café which has these specialty coffees and light lunchtime salads and sandwiches, as well as pastries. It is before Starbucks is invented. One time we’re there and I get a turkey sandwich on “artisan bread” (I told you it was chi-chi). This sandwich has the eponymous turkey, a light, flavoured mayonnaise and so forth. But what makes this sandwich special is the crisp, crunchy texture along with a captivating hint of nuttiness derived from the fresh alfalfa bean sprouts contained therein.

Sprouts are alive, literally; and delicious on salads or can be steamed, sautéed (chi- chi term for “fried”) or used in stir-fried dishes.

If this isn’t enough good news, I find that fresh bean sprouts are low-calorie, full of vitamins and phytonutrients, and contain useful enzymes. Enzymes are very important because a lack of them is implicated in many diseases, including the big ones like cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis etc. Along with the enzymes, there are the proteins, good (complex) carbhohydrates, essential fatty acids plus fibre. Basically, sprouts contain all the nutrients found in fruits and vegetables and for all this they are quite inexpensive.

Sprouts are very versatile. Here are just a few uses for these tender bean shoots.
  • Chop and mix with soft cheese for dips
  • Chop finely and use with sandwich spreads
  • Put into grilled cheese sandwiches
  • Put into soups and stews just before serving
  • Use in omelets
  • Mix into rice dishes

Since sprouts are so healthy, regular consumption of them is a swell idea. Here is a recipe to get you started

Fried Rice with Sprouts                               serves 4

2 tablespoons canola oil or light olive oil
1 onion, minced
2 minced cloves of garlic, or to taste
1 stalk of celery, diced
1 cup of diced or sliced mushrooms
1 cup bean sprouts
1 scrambled egg, chopped
2 cups of day-old cooked rice
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Method:

  • Heat large skillet, add vegetable oil
  • Toss in onion, garlic, celery and mushrooms
  • Fry while stirring for 3-5 minutes
  • Stir in the sprouts, chopped scrambled egg and the prepared rice
  • Add the soy sauce
  • Cook till rice is hot

Day-old rice is best for fried rice recipes because it doesn’t stick to the skillet.

Get familiar with sprouts; they are a wonderful addition to your diet.


22 comments:

Kalyani said...

healthy and delicious ..

Duncan D. Horne - the Kuantan blogger said...

I love another vegetable called sprouts - brussel sprouts! Used to eat them a lot when I lived in England. Not seen them anywhere in Malaysia though!

anthony stemke said...

KALYANI'S PLATTER: You are absolutely right, Thank You.

DUNCAN D.: I cannot stand brussel sprouts, literally cannot swallow them but since you enjoy them so much tis a pity you cannot obtain them. I'll bet there are vegetables in Malaysia I've never heard of.

Plateful said...

I usually sprout the beans at home and make stir fries or curries. Never tried them in fried rice, lovely!

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

oh yes! I love sprouts. I just wish my hubby liked them too.

Kavi said...

a great healthy dish. You've got an interesting blog. :)

Ongoing Events:
Jingle All The Way &
Microwave Easy Cooking

anthony stemke said...

PLATEFUL: I sprout them at home too but am always running out, luckily a nearby market always has them.

LYNDA R.: Yeah it's tough when the other spouse doesn't like something you like. My spouse, the Education Tipster, doesn't like sauerkraut and corned beef hash, so I do not often get to enjoy them.

KAVI: Sprouts are among the healthiest foods around. Thank You for your kind words.

Marian Allen said...

I'm another one who loves sprouts but my husband doesn't. Fortunately, they don't really require much cooking, so it's easy to take his portion of stir-fry out before adding them, or just put them on my sandwich or salad and not his. :) I just wish it didn't take them so long to sprout. When I want them, I want them NOW! Fresh and NOW! lol

anthony stemke said...

MARIAN ALLEN: We lucky as we both love sprouts, my spouse the Education Tipster and me. And I know what you mean, I always run out too soon, but a local supermarket stocks them, both the mung and the alfalfa. Too bad your spouse doesn't like them as they are among the healthiest foods one can eat.
Thanks for your input.

Missed Periods said...

Sometimes I forget about sprouts. Thanks for the reminder and the recipe.

anthony stemke said...

Glad you like sprouts. Your comment was absolutely grammatically correct as you included both periods.
Watch out for missed commas though; their inclusion saves lives, ie "Let's eat Grandma" vs "Let's eat, Grandma". cm

Leovi said...

I love this delicious recipe, I really like rice anyway.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

I like sprouts! We use the small ones on salad and the large ones in Chinese dishes.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the recipe. I do like sprouts. And I find myself eating a lot more meatless dishes these days. This I can make.

Anonymous said...

Wonderful post about sprouts. I have a variety of seeds for sprouting. Something I need to get back to doing. They are so good for you and they make a wonderful addition to so many soups and dishes.

anthony stemke said...

Nice new look Mel. If paranormal and horror are what you enjoy reading it will probably be that which you like to write.

Speaking of paranormal, Elizabeth Mueller just wrote a tremendous paranormal romance called "Darkspell".
http://elizabethmueller.blogspot.com/p/darkspell-review.html
Check it out.

Miriam said...

This recipe looks so simple ad delicious, thank you! Miriam@Meatless Meals For Meat Eaters

nutschell said...

I love bean sprouts! I never actually tried cooking them with fried rice. I'll try this recipe for sure!

Unknown said...

I usualy use sprouts for making stirfry and some snacks. never tried with fried rice. I give a try next time.

Shoutforfood said...

healthy and i love sprouts.

anthony stemke said...

MIRIAM: It is in fact simple and a wonderful dish to serve now and then. You will love it.

LEOVI: I love rice too, even plain boiled rice.

L. DIANE: Good for you, sprouts are very versatile which is good, the more they are used the better.

STEPHEN: You will like the sprouts and probably find more uses for it.

SUSANNE: I absolutely agree with you.

anthony stemke said...

NUTSCHELL: Fried rice is one way, I'll bet you can find many more.

UMA: You will love it that way too.

LOVEFORFOOD: We could call that a win-win. cm

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