TERIYAKI SOY CURLS WITH PINEAPPLE AND BELL PEPPER

I am fortunate to have plenty of bell peppers in my garden this year. I came across this easy and delicious recipe searching for a way to use up some peppers. My husband described this recipe as “really good” and since he is not vegan, I considered this high praise.

The recipe is by Michelle Blackwood, RN at her blog “Healthier Steps.” To make it even healthier I removed the oil and used date sugar instead of coconut sugar.

Here is what Dr. Esselstyn says about oil on his website: “NO OIL! Not even olive oil, which goes against a lot of other advice out there about so-called good fats. The reality is that oils are extremely low in terms of nutritive value. They contain no fiber, no minerals and are 100% fat calories. Both the mono unsaturated and saturated fat contained in oils is harmful to the endothelium, the innermost lining of the artery, and that injury is the gateway to vascular disease. It doesn’t matter whether it’s olive oil, corn oil, coconut oil, canola oil, or any other kind. Avoid ALL oil.”

You can watch this short video by Dr. Michael Greger about which sweetener is the healthiest: The Healthiest Sweetener

TERIYAKI SOY CURLS WITH PINEAPPLE AND BELL PEPPER

Ingredients

8 ounces Butler Soy Curls

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon ground paprika

1 teaspoon salt

2 cloves garlic, minced (I used 4 cloves)

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1 cup pineapple juice

2 Tablespoons Bragg Liquid Aminos (I used reduced sodium tamari instead)

6 Tablespoons coconut sugar (I used date sugar instead)

1 red bell pepper, seeds removed, chopped (I used 2 medium green bell peppers)

1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch or arrowroot powder

2 Tablespoons water

1 cup pineapple chunks or 1 (8 ounce) can (Be sure you get pineapple in its natural juice, not in syrup)

1 green onion, chopped (I used 2)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional (I added 1/8 tsp)

Instructions per “Healthier Steps,” see their webpage

What I did

1. Rehydrate soy curls per package instructions. Drain and squeeze out excess water. Place in a wok.

2. Combine the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the soy curls and toss to coat evenly.

3. Dry saute the soy curls over medium-high heat until they start to brown. Add a splash of water as needed to prevent them from sticking. When done, transfer to a bowl and set aside.

4. Clean out the wok if necessary. To the wok add garlic and ginger and dry saute until fragrant, about 1/2 minute.

5. Add bell pepper to wok and dry saute for about 5 minutes until the pepper is tender. Stir constantly.

6. Add pineapple juice, liquid aminos, sugar and if using, cayenne pepper. Stir and bring to a boil.

7. In a separate small bowl mix the cornstarch with the water. Add to the wok. Stir until sauce thickens.

8. Add the soy curls and toss. Add the pineapple and toss. Add green onions and toss. Remove from heat.

9. Serve over rice.