Veggie Twist on Hawaiian Barbecue
Like a majority of the country I’ve made a New Year’s Resolution to be more healthy. The only problem… I love food. I’m even going to Culinary School to further my relationship with food. (Freshman 15? Try Freshman 30!) Now, there is nothing wrong with having a love and passion for food, but as someone who struggles with weight, I try to be healthy whenever possible and school doesn’t always help. (Can we say butter, butter, and more butter?)
As a self proclaimed foodie, I am constantly rummaging through the internet for recipes and buying more cookbooks then I have storage room. (Thank God for Kindle!) I found this recipe in a Vegan cookbook I recently purchased. (The Happy Herbivore Cookbook) I tweaked a few things here and there and came out with a product that not only I love, but that my manly man meat and potatoes boyfriend loves!
Recipe:
1 15oz can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
1/2 c teriyaki sauce
2 tbsp Szechuan sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar*
1 c of cooked rice
Fresh cubed pineapple**
Combine the chickpeas, teriyaki sauce, Szechuan sauce, and brown sugar. (Let this marinate for as long as possible at minimum 5-10 mins)
Place above ingredients in a frying pan and cook for medium heat until the liquid is reduce by just over half. (10 - 15 mins)
Spoon chickpeas over cooked rice, top with pineapple and enjoy!
*The initial recipe called for sugar in the raw. I didn’t have any on hand and having made my own BBQ sauce in the past and I always use brown sugar it provide the right amount of sweetness without sacrificing flavor.
**The initial recipe also called for pineapple-mango salsa. I prefer the KISS (keep it simple stupid) method and used fresh pineapple. I was perfectly satisfied.
This was a wonderful alternative to Hawaiian Barbecue and much healthier. Enjoy!
