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Indonesian Fried No-Rice

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My Kinda Comfort Food

As some of you may know, I come from an Indonesian family. I grew up eating Indonesian food almost every single day and it is still one of my favorite comfort foods. The thing about Indonesian food is that it is not necessarily very healthy. Especially when you consider how much peanut sauce my family can eat! (Hint: it’s a lot!).

Indonesian food is so delicious! Literally everyone that I have introduced Indonesian food to has loved it. I have basically converted everyone in my husband’s family to love Indonesian food as much as me. So much so, that every year we have “Indonesian Christmas Eve”. On Christmas Eve, we will cook up a huge spread of our favorite Indonesian dishes. I always cook way too much food so we usually have leftovers for breakfast and lunch on Christmas Day. Family members have been known to sleep on the couch so that they are closest to the fridge to have first dibs on the Indonesian leftovers…

Favorite Dish!

One of my favorite Indonesian dishes is Fried Rice. Indonesian fried rice is a little different than the fried rice you may get at a Chinese restaurant. To season the fried rice, we use Kecap Manis, or Sweet Soy Sauce. Kecap Manis is a soy sauce that has been sweetened with sugar and seasoned with garlic. It adds so much flavor – sweet and salty in one bite! This balanced flavor works well with pretty much any protein or vegetable you want to throw into the fried rice. It’s so versatile that just about anything will taste delicious!

Indonesian No-Rice with Shrimp

My only issue with Fried Rice is that the rice really makes me feel bloated. I hate feeling like I have to veg out on the couch after eating a meal. It just makes me feel lethargic and gross.

Because of this, I needed to find a way to make a lighter, healthier version of Indonesian Fried Rice. A version that we could enjoy regularly and not feel weighed down or bloated afterwards.

Cue the Quinoa

Quinoa is one of my favorite rice alternatives because it is actually a seed and contains so many essential amino acids as well as protein and fiber. Quinoa is also great for people who are gluten free. The benefits of quinoa are huge: it contains prebiotics, disease fighting antioxidants and the high manganese content may help with bone health and reduce the risk of diabetes.

Making fried rice with quinoa was actually really easy! You can substitute it 1:1 for rice and it holds its shape really well. I did find that it won’t get a crispy exterior like rice would, but it is still delicious.

Indonesian No-Rice in Pan

To amp up the protein content of the dish, I added both chicken and shrimp. You could add one or the other, or even add a different protein like beef, lamb, fish etc. Or you could keep the fried rice meat-free, and just add a bunch of your favorite vegetables. To make the recipe vegan, just remove the eggs from the recipe.

Adding Flavor in a Healthier Way

Instead of Kecap Manis, I used a combination of coconut aminos and agave. Coconut aminos are a mixture of coconut tree sap and organic sea salt. Studies indicate that coconut products can increase HDL or healthy cholesterol levels, regulate blood pressure, and are high in antioxidants. Coconut aminos are a good alternative to soy sauce if you are concerned about gluten, phytoestrogens (which have been associated with hormonal and fertility issues), GMO ingredients or MSG. To mimic the sweetness found in Kecap Manis, I used raw agave nectar. I particularly like using agave because it mixes in very easily into the quinoa, but you could also use raw honey or stevia. I haven’t tried using these sweeteners in this recipe, but please let me know if you do!

The Verdict

This version of Indonesian Fried Rice is so much lighter than the traditional version. I don’t feel bloated after I eat it but it is still filled with lots of big flavor! Mission accomplished!

Indonesian No-Rice with sides

I hope you give this recipe a try. Indonesian food is absolutely delicious and I highly recommend finding your local Indonesian restaurant and trying a bunch of different dishes. If you need any help picking dishes just let me know by DM-ing me at @nourish_with_renata on Instagram. Also, let me know if you make this recipe! Take a photo and tag me at @nourish_with_renata and #nourishwithrenata on Instagram! I would love to see what you make!

Indonesian No-Rice

Indonesian No-Rice with sides
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Indonesian Fried No-Rice
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 
A healthy twist on Fried Rice, packed with loads of protein and flavor!
Course: Main Course
Servings: 4
Author: Renata
Ingredients
Ingredients:
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 onion finely diced
  • 3 carrots diced
  • 1 lb shrimp peeled and deveined
  • 1 cooked chicken breast shredded
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • 4 cups cooked quinoa
  • 8 tbsp coconut aminos
  • 4 tbsp raw agave nectar
  • Finely sliced green onion sliced kale optional for topping
  • Hard boiled eggs Sambal Oelek or a spicy chilli sauce optional for sides
Instructions
Instructions:
  1. In a large frying pan or wok, heat oil on a medium-high heat.
  2. Add in the onions and fry till starting to turn golden brown, stirring frequently.
  3. Add in the carrots, and stir fry for about 5 minutes, till starting to soften.
  4. Place the shrimp in the pan in an even layer. Cook for a 3-5 minutes on one side, then flip over to cook the other side for about 3-5 minutes again.
  5. Add the shredded chicken and egg to the pan. Stir the pan to cook the eggs and warm the chicken.
  6. Add the quinoa, coconut aminos and agave to the pan. Gently toss all together till well combined.
  7. Even out the fried no-rice in the pan to let the bottom fry for 2-5 mins. Make sure the bottom does not burn.
  8. Stir, and add in the sliced kale, if using.
  9. Taste and season as needed.
  10. Garnish with green onions, and serve with hard boiled eggs and a spicy chilli sauce, if desired.

Homemade Poke Bowls with Quick Pickled Cucumbers

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The first time I tried a Poke Bowl was in San Diego with my sister and I loved it instantly! Where had these delicious bowls of goodness been all my life??? I became a huge fan of these bowls but I didn’t like the high prices that restaurants charge for them. I strived to find a budget-friendly way to make them at home while still making them delicious.

Homemade Poke Bowls with Quick Pickled Cucumbers

If you don’t know what Poke bowls are, they are essentially a raw fish salad that originated in Hawaii. The fish is typically seasoned in a Japanese flavor profile. It is traditionally served as an appetizer, but more and more nowadays it is served as an entree. The great thing about these modernized Poke Bowls is that there are so many toppings you can add! Everything from seaweed salad, mango, crunchy fried garlic or pickled cucumbers. These contrasting flavors and textures make this salad utterly addictive! The topping options are endless and totally versatile based upon what you like.

The first key to making Poke Bowls at home is finding sushi grade fish. This means that the fish is of a very high quality that it can be eaten raw. You might have to do a little searching to find fish of this quality but I suggest talking to local fishmongers or even the fish department at your local grocery store. They may be able to give you some advice about where to get sushi grade fish. Make sure that the fish you purchase has a vibrant color, smells like the ocean and is not a strange texture like weirdly soft, slimy or flaky. Poke Bowls will really shine if your fish is super fresh!

The second key to making an awesome at-home poke bowl is the marinade for your fish-of-choice. I stumbled upon a Poke recipe from Pop Sugar and adjusted it to suite the flavors that I love. For me, the Poke Bowl is elevated to the next level by using lots of toasted sesame oil. I think that is truly the key ingredient in the marinade. Toasted sesame oil is a strong slightly nutty flavored oil but it adds so much depth of flavor to the dish. I find that if you do not add enough toasted sesame oil, the dish can be a bit lack lustre. And we do not want that! Of course, if you are not as big of a toasted sesame oil fan as me, feel free to add less than I recommend in the recipe. Then taste the marinade (before you add the fish) and add more sesame oil as desired. Also, make sure that your toasted sesame oil does not contain any filler ingredients. This can really mask the flavor of the sesame oil – another thing that we definitely do not want in our dish!

Homemade Poke

This recipe is so simple and easy you could make this very easily in about 10 minutes. I love a Poke Bowl as a super quick dinner during the week. If you want to take this recipe another step further, try making some homemade quick pickled cucumbers to go with it. These quick pickled cucumbers only need about 15-20 minutes to marinate before you eat them. So you could let the cucumbers pickle while you make your fish marinade and other Poke Bowl toppings. Once you are done putting your Poke ingredients in your bowl, the cucumbers will be ready to serve!

This quick pickled cucumber recipe is only 4 ingredients but it definitely packs a flavor punch. This comes from the rice wine vinegar. The flavor of rice wine vinegar is less pungent and slightly sweeter than white vinegar. That flavor is typically more palatable for those that do not like a strong acrid vinegar-y taste. The rice wine vinegar flavor is also balanced with a little raw agave syrup. This combination of ingredients creates a great pickling liquid. You could even use the same pickling liquid for any of your favorite vegetables, such as carrots, cabbage or zucchini.

Quick Pickled Cucumbers

What about the cost of making these Poke Bowls at home? For the ingredients I use in the Poke Bowl pictured in this blog post, the total ingredient cost was $11.36 for 2 servings. That is about $5.68 per serving. At my local Poke Bar, I could easily spend 2 or 3 times more than that for 1 serving. Of course, if you add or change any of the toppings used, this would affect the price per serving, but overall, I do believe that it is much cheaper to make these Poke Bowls at home. Plus, you have the added versatility of adding as much or as many toppings as you like!

Homemade Poke Bowls with Quick Pickled Cucumbers 2

These Poke Bowls are absolutely a favorite dish of mine! I hope you will give it a try and let me know what you think. Plus, you could actually save money by making this dish at home. You can tag me at @nourish_with_renata and #nourishwithrenata on Instagram! I would love to see what you make!

 

Homemade Poke Bowls with Quick Pickled Cucumbers
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Homemade Poke Bowls with Quick Pickled Cucumbers
Prep Time
20 mins
 

A super quick and easy Poke Bowl recipe for the budget-friendly foodie! Adapted from a recipe from Pop Sugar and a recipe from White on Rice Couple. 

Course: Main Course, Salad
Servings: 2
Author: Renata
Ingredients
Ingredients:
For the Quick Pickled Cucumbers:
  • 1 cucumber sliced thinly
  • ½ cup unseasoned rice wine vinegar
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 tbsp raw agave syrup
For the Poke Bowl:
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil feel free to use less if you like a more mild flavor
  • 1 tsp unseasoned rice wine vinegar
  • 12 oz of sushi grade raw fish such as tuna or salmon.
Possible pairings and toppings:
  • Kale
  • Rice
  • Avocado
  • Pickled Ginger
  • Sambal Oelek or a spicy chilli paste or powder
  • Green onions sliced finely
  • Cilantro chopped
  • Or anything you like!
Instructions
Instructions:
For the quick pickled cucumbers:
  1. In a measuring cup or small bowl, mix together the rice wine vinegar, water and agave syrup till well combined.
  2. In a medium sized mason jar, add the thinly sliced cucumbers and pour in the pickling liquid over top.
  3. Close the jar and allow to pickle while you make the Poke Bowl, typically about 15 - 20 minutes.
  4. Serve with the Poke Bowl.
For the Poke:
  1. In a medium bowl, add in the soy sauce, sesame oil and rice wine vinegar. Whisk together thoroughly.
  2. Cut the sushi grade fish into roughly 1” size cubes and add into the marinade.
  3. Gently stir the fish into the marinade, ensuring all the fish is evenly coated.
  4. Allow to sit in the marinade until the rest of your Poke Bowl is made.
To assemble the Poke Bowl:
  1. In each serving bowl, add in some kale or rice of choice, then add in a few large spoonfuls of tuna, and the other topping ingredients you like. I chose to go with avocado, pickled ginger, green onions, cilantro, and spicy Indonesian hot sauce called Sambal Oelek, and Quick Pickled Cucumbers of course!
  2. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes

Keep any leftovers in the fridge for about 1 day, but this dish is best eaten the day that you make it.

Hometown Food Heroes: Wrights of Texas Salsa

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What is a hero? For me, and the Merriam Webster dictionary, it’s someone that is greatly admire for their achievements and noble qualities. I think a hero is someone we can look up to and be inspired to continue striving for greatness – someone that always inspires us to be our best selves. 

I am very excited to announce a new feature on the blog: Hometown Food Heroes. In these articles, I will be talking about local food businesses that I adore and how their products have impacted my goals to create simple, healthy and delicious food. 

I recently had the great fortune of meeting some local business owners, Rick and Peggy Wright, from Wrights of Texas Salsa. After talking to them about the beginnings of their business and their philosophy on food, I truly felt inspired and energized on my own food journey. 

Rick and Peggy Wright

I first tried Wrights of Texas Salsa at HEB. It was a Friday afternoon, and my mother-in-law, Sandra, and I had to run into the grocery store to get something (I don’t even remember what we had to get!). But we went at the worst time because we were starving!!!! Thankfully, inside H-E-B, there was this nice lady who had a whole table of chips and dip. We jokingly said to her that we were going to eat the whole table of food! From bite #1, I was hooked! The flavors were so bright and fresh, with a kick of heat. Totally addictive! We immediately grabbed a jar of salsa, took it home and ate the whole thing in 2 sittings. #sorrynotsorry

Soon after, I saw the same lady again. Her name was Audrey and she is the daughter of Rick and Peggy. By that time, I was obsessed with their salsa. I had pretty much been putting it on everything from breakfast tacos to salads, posting about them on Instagram, and telling everyone at work about it. I asked Audrey if I could talk to her parents and find out more about their amazing salsas. 

IG Post Nourish Bowl with Wrights Salsa

I met Peggy and Rick at their production kitchen in Katy, Texas, and let me tell you, they are the warmest, friendliest people you will ever meet! Their kindness and friendliness were so endearing – I felt like we were family! 

The Wrights make fresh, raw salsa, both red and green. Each type of salsa has a few different heat levels, from mild to hot using habaneros. Now that is spicy! After 11 years of business, they are the market leaders in fresh salsa and it’s not hard to know why – their salsas taste so fresh and flavorful! 

Breakfast Taco with Wrights Salsa

I was dying to know how Peggy came up with the original red salsa recipe. As a girl from San Antonio, salsa is part of your heritage so the red salsa was something that she always made. Her family and friends loved it and often told her that she should sell the salsa. But Peggy just liked to give it as gifts to friends and family at Christmas. 

Some years later, a friend of theirs said “I have to find a way to get this salsa sometime other than Christmas!” From there, the idea of selling their salsa started to really take shape. They were soon producing their salsas for sale. 

There are two things that really sets Wrights salsa apart from other salsas. First, the produce. All their ingredients are high quality and are ready to be made into salsa immediately. In less than 24 hrs from arriving at the kitchen, the ingredients are washed, chopped, mixed, jarred and packaged ready for sale. Secondly, they care about every step of the process. From inspecting vegetables, to jarring the salsa, extreme care is taken to check each handcrafted batch of salsa.  They even taste test each batch of salsa! They don’t use any machines to cut the vegetables – they do everything by hand to ensure that all their food is of an extremely high quality. 

In addition to the incredible quality of their salsas, the Wrights philosophy on their business is what really struck me. What Peggy enjoys most is talking to the people who love their salsas, i.e. the customers. She loves to hear the different ways that people use the salsa. I heard about some delicious recipes involving everything from grilled seafood to deviled eggs to gazpacho. I felt like building the relationships with the customers was where Peggy and Rick really find their joy. They still do demos at HEB and they see and remember all their customers. They have become so close to their customers that one of them even helped make their Instagram page! The Wrights really value their customers and they treat them like how they treat everyone that works at their company, like family. 

Talking to Peggy and Rick taught me two things:

  1. Care about what you create. Make sure it’s something you love and that it is high quality. 
  2. Treat people like family. We are nothing if we don’t have people supporting us. 

I think these two philosophies relate not only to food related businesses, but also to life in general. 

I was so inspired by my conversation with Peggy and Rick that I wanted to make a recipe using their salsas. I really wanted the recipe to be something my kids would eat so I came up with a twist on tacos! 

Side View of Taco Stuffed Sweet Potato

For the taco meat, the mild red salsa was the perfect seasoning. I love the idea of using only two ingredients for the most flavorful taco meat. It actually tastes better than the old way I used to make taco meat. The flavor is so much more fresh and bright. Plus, the kids loved it so that’s an automatic win in my book! 

There’s a few options for how to serve the taco meat. Of course, you could serve it in tortillas, but I chose to make stuffed sweet potatoes! There’s something very comforting about a big baked sweet potato filled with yummy wholesome goodness! 

Top View of Taco Stuffed Sweet Potato

To top it all off, I sprinkled on grated cheese, dolloped on some sour cream, garnished with chopped kale, and drizzled on some of the medium green salsa for an extra spicy kick! So good! Adding the spicier salsa as a topping is the perfect way to personalize the meal depending on how spicy people like their food. 

I hope you enjoyed learning about Wrights of Texas Salsa. I really believe that they have the best salsa around and once you taste it, I think you’re going to love it too! You can find their salsas at select HEB, Central Market, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Kroger and on their website wrightsoftexas.com. 

Bite of Taco Stuffed Sweet Potato

Let me know what you think of the salsa or if you try the recipe for Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes. If you give it a try, please let me know. Post it on Instagram and tag me @nourish_with_renata and #nourishwithrenata on Instagram! I would love to see what you make!

I received salsa at no charge after the interview, however, all opinions are my own and I literally do love their salsa and really believe it’s the best fresh salsa around! 

Side View of Taco Stuffed Sweet Potato
Print
Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 

A twist on traditional tacos featuring two local salsas from Wrights of Texas!

Course: Main Course
Servings: 4
Author: Renata
Ingredients
Ingredients:
  • 1 tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil divided
  • 2 lb lean ground meat e.g. turkey, beef, deer etc.
  • 1 jar Wrights of Texas Red Salsa mild
  • 4 medium to large sweet potatoes cleaned
  • Optional toppings: grated cheese sour cream, cilantro, kale, extra red or green Wrights of Texas salsa
Instructions
Instructions:
For the sweet potatoes:
  1. Preheat the oven to 425 deg F.
  2. Grease an oven proof tray with a non-stick spray of choice.
  3. Wash the skin of the sweet potatoes and dry.
  4. Cut the sweet potatoes lengthwise and place on the oven tray.
  5. Drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and rub all over sweet potatoes.
  6. Place sweet potatoes cut side down on the oven tray.
  7. Roast potatoes for approx 30-40 mins till very tender.
  8. Once cooked, remove from the oven and set aside.
For the taco meat:
  1. In a large sauce pan, heat over medium high heat with 1 tsp olive oil.
  2. Add in the ground meat of choice and break up large pieces with a wooden spoon. Stir occasionally till the meat is browned.
  3. Pour in Wrights of Texas Mild Red Salsa.
  4. Stir salsa into the meat and lower the heat to medium.
  5. Allow to simmer till all the liquid is absorbed, about 15 mins.
To Assemble the Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes:
  1. To assemble the potatoes, scoop out a little of the center of the potato, making a well for the taco meat to sit in.
  2. Fill potato with as much taco meat as you like.
  3. Top with your favorite taco toppings such as grated cheese, sour cream, green onions, chopped Kale etc. Don't forget extra Wrights of Texas Salsa as well! I love to add the medium green salsa for an extra kick of spice plus those big chunks of avocado are the best!
Recipe Notes

Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to one week.