Bronx Foodie: Veggie Fried Rice & How to Eat a Pomegranate

We are in the middle of the holiday season and that means lots of holiday parties and lots of hearty food. In between parties and family gatherings, I crave warm healthy food with lots of vegetables. I was inspired by a post I read about vegetarian comfort foods, and I made a vegetable fried rice dish last night.

But first, let's talk pomegranates. These are one of my favorite fruits, but they're only in season from October to January. So get them while they last. You'll want to buy one that is big and red, but it doesn't have to be bright red. I got the one above for $1.50 at the produce market on Bedford Park Boulevard near Jerome Avenue.

To eat, cut the pomegranate in half with a knife. Break apart the skin and pluck out the red fruit. They look like little jewels. The white skin is bitter, but the fruit is tangy and sweet. That's it. Enjoy!

Vegetable Fried Rice
You can put anything in fried rice, so feel free to swap any of these ingredients. Also, I used frozen veggies that I let thaw, because that's what I had in my kitchen, but you can use fresh. Some scallions would have been great, but I didn't have any. Enjoy! (Read on for the full recipe.)

1 cup of brown rice, cooked
2 eggs
1/3 block of tofu, cubed
1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons of soy sauce
1/2 white onion, chopped
1/2 cup yellow squash, chopped
1/2 cup of brocolli, chopped
1/2 cup of mushrooms, sliced
sesame oil (optional)

Put tofu in a colander and press the water out. Then season (I didn't measure the spices for this part, so taste as you go) with powdered garlic, salt, pepper and a little powdered ginger. Put it in a pan and cook with a little oil until it browns. Set aside.




In the same pan, scramble the eggs with a little salt and pepper. Don't over cook. Set aside with tofu.


In the pan, add some oil (you can add a couple drops of sesame oil too) and cook the onion and the minced garlic for about a minute. Then add the brocolli, squash, and mushrooms. Add the ginger and powdered garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside with tofu and eggs.

Back to the pan: add oil and toss in the rice and brown a little. Add the veggies, tofu, and eggs. Add the soy sauce a little at a time until it tastes good to you.

Here's the finished product. My husband, who never eats tofu, liked it so much that he took it for lunch today.