Awhile back I reviewed this 'Vegeterian Jap Chae' recipe from Alice which was a guest submission recipe on the Herbavoracious blog. My husband and I absolutely loved this dish but there was one problem...it was SO greasy! Lately, I've been discovering about how most oils are actually not good for you; even extra virgin olive oil! If you're looking for more information on this then I suggest to watch the film "Forks Over Knives: The Extended Interviews".
So I decided to revisit this recipe in search of a way to make this healthier than the original version and it was a success! I actually think the healthier version was more flavorful! This is what I did differently:
I used veggie broth to sauté the vegetables.
I sautéed the onions and bell peppers together with a little bit of veggie broth. I placed the lid on the pan until the onions were translucent and the peppers were tender. I then removed the lid and let most of the moisture evaporate. I added a pinch of salt to this mixture and some freshly ground pepper. I used 1/4 tsp. of the sesame oil for this entire combination.
I then sautéed the carrots in the same manner. I did NOT add salt for the carrots but I did add pepper. I did not use sesame oil for the carrots.
Next, I sautéed the mushrooms in veggie broth. I covered the mushrooms until they were tender. I removed the lid and then added a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper to the mushrooms and let most of the excess moisture cook out. I used 1/4 tsp. of sesame oil for the mushrooms.
I did use olive oil to fry the tofu in but I after I was done frying the tofu I used the excess oil and moisture to cook the green onions and garlic. I did NOT add salt or pepper to either the tofu or green onions. I did NOT use sesame oil for the tofu or green onions.
I did use olive oil when adding the noodles but I only used 1 tsp. instead of 1 tablespoon.
In my review you will notice that I added rice vinegar. I also added rice vinegar to this dish as well but I ended up pouring more than I anticipated! It was the perfect amount of rice vinegar though! I would estimate about 3 tablespoons of rice vinegar.
I didn't have to add in any extra soy sauce like last time. I did use low-sodium soy sauce with this dish as well.
I also used the same alternative noodles that I chose last time...the rice stick noodles.
Just by making these simple changes I was able to omit 5 & 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil, and 2 & 1/2 teaspoons of sesame oil! I probably used no more than 1/4 cup of veggie broth total, if even that much. You just need to be more aware of the veggies when you're sautéing them because they have a tendency to stick a bit more. If the veggies start sticking you can add more broth. I also used low sodium soy sauce and I didn't salt the veggies as much as directed. This dish still turned out amazing and I think it was more flavorful than the first!
If you're interested in making this dish you can find the original recipe here and if you'd like to make a healthier version you can just follow the simple alterations that I listed above. Please check out my review for more helpful tips here.
So I decided to revisit this recipe in search of a way to make this healthier than the original version and it was a success! I actually think the healthier version was more flavorful! This is what I did differently:
I used veggie broth to sauté the vegetables.
I sautéed the onions and bell peppers together with a little bit of veggie broth. I placed the lid on the pan until the onions were translucent and the peppers were tender. I then removed the lid and let most of the moisture evaporate. I added a pinch of salt to this mixture and some freshly ground pepper. I used 1/4 tsp. of the sesame oil for this entire combination.
I then sautéed the carrots in the same manner. I did NOT add salt for the carrots but I did add pepper. I did not use sesame oil for the carrots.
Next, I sautéed the mushrooms in veggie broth. I covered the mushrooms until they were tender. I removed the lid and then added a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper to the mushrooms and let most of the excess moisture cook out. I used 1/4 tsp. of sesame oil for the mushrooms.
I did use olive oil to fry the tofu in but I after I was done frying the tofu I used the excess oil and moisture to cook the green onions and garlic. I did NOT add salt or pepper to either the tofu or green onions. I did NOT use sesame oil for the tofu or green onions.
I did use olive oil when adding the noodles but I only used 1 tsp. instead of 1 tablespoon.
In my review you will notice that I added rice vinegar. I also added rice vinegar to this dish as well but I ended up pouring more than I anticipated! It was the perfect amount of rice vinegar though! I would estimate about 3 tablespoons of rice vinegar.
I didn't have to add in any extra soy sauce like last time. I did use low-sodium soy sauce with this dish as well.
I also used the same alternative noodles that I chose last time...the rice stick noodles.
Just by making these simple changes I was able to omit 5 & 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil, and 2 & 1/2 teaspoons of sesame oil! I probably used no more than 1/4 cup of veggie broth total, if even that much. You just need to be more aware of the veggies when you're sautéing them because they have a tendency to stick a bit more. If the veggies start sticking you can add more broth. I also used low sodium soy sauce and I didn't salt the veggies as much as directed. This dish still turned out amazing and I think it was more flavorful than the first!
If you're interested in making this dish you can find the original recipe here and if you'd like to make a healthier version you can just follow the simple alterations that I listed above. Please check out my review for more helpful tips here.
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