Nourished not Famished

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Veggie Fried Rice and Eggs with Kimchi

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fried eggs, rice, and veggies with kimchi, plus side of yogurt and berries

Gourmet meal, or quick and easy? This breakfast (or dinner, or lunch) delivers on both counts! I’m going to be up front with you and tell you that the secret to “easy” in this barely-a-recipe is having some leftovers on hand already, namely cooked rice and some sort of steamed veggie. Yes, those batch-cooked foods and purposeful extras you’ve been socking away all week are your ace-in-the-hole once again. (Shameless plug for meal prep there. I can’t help myself.)

My inspiration for this quick breakfast arose from some lonely, leftover brown basmati rice sitting in my fridge, plus a few florets of steamed broccoli that were waiting for their last plating. It seemed like the perfect base to incorporate a spoonful of kimchi I had on hand (what the heck is kimchi?). And it was a no-brainer to add some eggs on top. Honestly, isn’t “put an egg on it” the most basic, effective way to bring just about any meal to life? The runny yolk serves as the perfect “sauce” that brings the plate together.

Get right in there and burst those yolks for the most amazing, done-for-you sauce.

I’m always in search of a good, lazy shortcut that will save me work in the kitchen, especially clean up. I skipped the cutting board for this recipe, and just threw the chopped broccoli in a small bowl and snipped away at it with the kitchen scissors. Also, if you use the optional scallions, you can just use kitchen scissors to snip the scallions over the dish just before serving. Because who actually enjoys washing the cutting board, right?

To this meal I added a side of plain Greek yogurt and berries (thawed from frozen – so easy to keep on hand that way!). Personally, I needed some additional protein and slow carbs in this meal to keep me satiated. You do you.

Use whatever kind of leftover rice and cooked veggies you have on hand. I really like to use a green veggie with this, but that’s just my preference. Some steamed kale or bok choy is fantastic in this dish. My leftovers default today was broccoli. It’s fun to experiment with different variations to discover your favorite combinations. Leave a comment with your favorite version of this flexible recipe!

p.s. If you’re a fan of easy-yet-gourmet breakfasts (that are versatile enough for lunch or dinner, too), check out my recipe for Lazy Huevos Rancheros.

Print Recipe
 Veggie Fried Rice and Eggs with Kimchi
Course Breakfast, Main Dishes
Cuisine Asian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Optional Side
Course Breakfast, Main Dishes
Cuisine Asian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Servings
Ingredients
Optional Side
Instructions
  1. Heat 1/2 teaspoon of oil over medium high heat. Add rice, stir for a minute or two.
  2. Add veggies and stir for another minute or two.
  3. Turn down heat to medium. Remove rice and veggies to your serving plate. Drizzle splash of soy sauce over mixture.
  4. Add remaining half teaspoon oil to pan, and ensure that oil is distributed across the entire surface of the skillet. Add two eggs and cook to desired "fried". If you have sesame seeds, toss them in the pan right alongside the eggs for a perfectly toasted sesame seed topping.
  5. Top the veggie and rice mixture with the eggs. Add sesame seeds if using. Add side of kimchi.
  6. For best flavor (in my humble opinion), mix everything together into a wonderful, sloppy mess. Enjoy.

How to stop feeling always hungry and ditch the calorie counting.

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If you’re trying to figure out the “right” amount of food for you, eating real, whole (or at least, minimally refined) is the easiest, most pleasurable way to figure that out.

Eating foods in their least processed state, in an optimal balance of protein, fat, and carbs that works *for you* allows your body’s hunger and satiety signals to ring true. And as an added bonus, not only do real, whole foods guide you to your “just right”, they also are loaded with all of the nutrients and micronutrients that your body was designed to consume. Seriously, real food is the universal, human “thrive formula”!

And when I say “right” amount of food for you, and the “right” ratio of protein/fat/carbs for you, I’m talking about a way of eating that leaves you feeling:
✔️ satisfied
✔️ satiated
✔️energized
✔️*and* supports your overall health

Obviously, that amount is going to vary from one individual to the next. And that amount can also vary a bit from one day to the next. This is exactly why our bodies were designed with built in regulation mechanisms. If we let those cue come through, they tell us what we need! How amazing, right?

And if you’re not sure of where to start with balancing your protein, fat, and carbohydrates at mealtime, experiment a bit and observe carefully which balance seems to leave you feeling your best.

“But, but, . . . my signals are broken.

I can’t stop!

I don’t know when to stop!”

I hear ya. I was there once, too. Honestly, I felt always hungry, and didn’t understand why. Well, here are a few common things I was doing that were totally undermining my body’s ability to give me reliable satiety cues:

  • Eating more refined foods than my body could handle. These foods were sending my blood sugar levels on a roller coaster ride daily, leaving my energy levels crashing soon after a meal. I would feel hungry soon after eating, even after adequately sized meals. Too many highly refined foods trigger that “always hungry” feeling. And due to the poor nutrient content in highly refined foods, the body often continues to seek more food in an effort to obtain your basic nutrient requirements.
  • Inadequate protein. No, I’m not advocating a super high protein diet here. I simply learned that I was consuming well under my body’s protein needs on a regular basis. Increasing these “building blocks” to my plate each mealtime was a game changer. I felt more satiated, was able to build muscle more easily, and saw my energy levels rise!
  • Deprivation and restriction. I would go through occasional phases of undereating (= eating below my body’s needs) in a misguided attempt to lose weight. Well, undereating is a sure-fire way to fire up the body’s hunger hormones, because, HELLO, your body is a system that is designed to help you survive. If you fail to meet your body’s basic requirements, your body will fight tooth and nail to get you to eat more (cue the cravings and binges!). It now sounds so obvious to me. Eating adequate fuel allows your body feel safe to thrive. So basic, but SO powerful.

Beyond real, whole foods your body has other basic needs that influence your sense of satisfaction and satiety with your food:
– manage your stress
– get adquate sleep
– move your body frequently (at an intensity that feels good for you!)

– spend time with loved ones

– spend time outdoors

Does this mean that the occasional treat will throw everything off, that you need to swear off cookies forever? No! What matters most is what you do MOST of the time. If you’re doing a bang-up job of meeting your body’s needs most of the time, your body will keep you in that “thrive” zone.

Have you ditched the calorie counting? Are you thinking about it? Are you ready to trust that your body’s got your back if you simply give it what it needs to thrive?

Trust the process. The mindset of “nourished, not famished” allows your body find its way to optimal health and vitality.

Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas

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Let’s be honest. Who wants to slave away in the kitchen at dinnertime every night? Nobody! That’s why I love these Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas. They are so easy to make, it barely counts as cooking, for reals. It’s the perfect meal to feed a crowd, whether that’s just the fam, or if you’re doing some entertaining. It’s easy to double, or even triple, and you can serve it with a variety of sides to meet everyone’s taste and dietary preferences. My kids love to have these with tortillas, while I like to stick with a slow-burning carb like black beans. Roasted sweet potatoes are great with this, too. It would also work on rice or even cauliflower rice for those who need to avoid legumes and grains.

Serve with avocado, sour cream, and cilantro, and I guarantee that all of your fajita dreams will come true.

Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas, served bowl style

Here are a few tips to make this dinner even easier . . .

JUMP START

Here are some ways to jump start your prep ahead of time, which will make this dinner come together even more quickly.

  • Mix fajita spices and oil ahead of time. Even better, have one of your kids or your spouse do this step for you! Outsourcing is key for successful meal prep.
  • Slice chicken and place in a container or ziplock back with the spices and oil and store in the refrigerator. This can be done a couple of days in advance.
  • Prep the beans and rice on your meal prep day at the beginning of the week.

If you follow these jump start steps, all you need to do the evening you cook this meal is slice up the onions and peppers, add them to a sheet pan with the chicken, and bake in the oven. Simply reheat your prepped beans and rice.

NOW & LATER

Leverage your time and efforts in the kitchen with simple, easy strategies that leave you with dinner tonight AND extras to get you through other meals this week:

  • Consider doubling this recipe. A double batch will fit on two sheet pans. This will give you enough extras to use for lunches like fajita tacos or fajita bowls.
  • If you end up with leftover fajita veggies, they’re great tossed into a frittata. Fajita Frittata! Say that three times fast, I dare ya.
  • If you make extra beans and rice, you can easily use that in other meals throughout the week. If you have leftovers you’re not going to use in time, just pop them in your freezer for another week. I like to preportion out my grains like rice before freezing, that way I can easily grab exactly what I need to quickly add to a lunch now and then.
Print Recipe
 Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
Course Main Dishes, One Pan Dinners
Cuisine Mexican
Servings
Ingredients
Course Main Dishes, One Pan Dinners
Cuisine Mexican
Servings
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400F.
  2. Combine spices and olive oil in a small bowl.
  3. Combine chicken strips and veggie strips in a large bowl. Pour the spice mixture over the chicken and veggies, and stir to coat completely.
  4. Place the chicken and veggie mixture on a large, rimmed baking sheet.
  5. Bake for 30-35 minutes, stirring halfway. Cook until chicken internal temperature has reached 165
  6. Serve with following options: canned black beans (drained and rinsed), sour cream, ripe avocado, chopped cilantro, soft tortillas or brown rice.