This Anti-Inflammatory Turmeric Fried Rice Is a Major Upgrade From Takeout

Photo: Candice Kumai

Welcome to Well+Good's (Re)New Year—a five week expert-led program that's all about helping you have your best year yet. For Week Two we've brought on professionally trained chef and best-selling author Candice Kumai to help you reset your clean eating habits. Throughout the week, she'll be sharing three recipes a day to guide you through a no-restrictions, detoxifying cleanse that makes eating so.much.fun. (Yes!)

Champagne, sweet treats, and big family feasts are part of what makes the holidays so special (that and some much needed vacation time from work), but oh man, can it lead to some serious bloat. Here's my post-New Year's gift to you: a full day of inflammation-fighting recipes.

From dark leaf lettuce and garlic to everyone's favorite no-bloat ingredient—turmeric—this day of eating will calm any leftover leaky gut and have you feeling ready to take on the rest of the week.

The best part? All of these recipes are super easy and can be prepped the night before. Between smoothie freezer bags, mason jar salads, and throw-it-all together grain bowls, today's focus is easy, make-ahead meals that allow the ingredients to do their inflammation-fighting magic.

Ready to go? Scroll down to see Candice Kumai's Day 2 no-bloat meal plan—and show us how you're celebrating the (Re)New Year with #iamwellandgood!

chocolate-dream-smoothie
Photo: Clean Green Drinks

Day 2 Breakfast: Chocolate Morning Sunshine Smoothie

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk or your favorite unsweetened nut milk
1 cup organic baby spinach
1/2  frozen banana (freeze and prep the night before)
2  Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1  Tbsp green superfood powder
2  Tbsp your fave protein powder
2 Tbsp raw walnuts or raw almonds
1 cup ice

1. Add ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.  

(To prep the night before, throw the frozen banana, spinach, cocoa powder, powders, and nuts into a ziplock bag and store in the freezer. In the a.m., simply add the ingredients to a blender, add your nut milk, and blend away!)

miso-soup-and-salad
Photo: Quentin Bacon

Day 2 Lunch: Easy Miso Soup + Salad In A Jar

Ingredients
For the soup
5 cups water
1/4 cup dried wakame
1/4 cup red miso paste
1 cup peeled and sliced root veggies, your choice of: carrots, turnips, parsnips (peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch slices)
1 cup firm, organic tofu cubes (about 1/2 of a 14-ounce package, cut into 3/4-inch cubes)
5 scallions, thinly sliced on a diagonal, or try arugula greens or spinach to top

For the salad
2 Tbsp light mayonnaise, olive oil mayonnaise, or tahini
1 Tbsp red miso paste
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 head tender lettuce (like red leaf lettuce, Boston Bibb or your fave dark greens)
1 large carrot, trimmed, peeled, and grated on the large holes of a box grater
1 small cucumber, semi-peeled (so it’s striped), halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and thinly sliced
One 14 oz package firm tofu, drained, halved and sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch thick pieces

1. To make the soup, bring four cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the miso and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer the soup gently, add in your dried wakame, followed by your peeled, sliced root veggies and allow your soup to gently simmer for five minutes (don’t boil).

2. Add the cubed tofu, just to warm through and turn off the heat.

3. Ladle into individual bowls, serve hot with thinly sliced green onions or arugula or spinach to top.

4. To assemble the salad, layer each ingredient into a mason jar (or a plate) starting with the lettuce on the bottom. To make the dressing, combine the mayonnaise or tahini (whichever you are using), miso paste, and rice vinegar and stir together.

Photo: Kevin Kim
Photo: Candice Kumai

Day 2 Dinner: Turmeric Kale Fried Rice

Ingredients
4 cups cooked grains (your choice of brown rice, quinoa, farro, freekeh)
2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
3 Tbsp reduced-sodium Tamari soy sauce
1/2 large yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1-2 cups savory, organic tofu, cut into 3/4-inch cut cubes
1 Tbsp turmeric
1 cup finely chopped kale or broccoli rabe
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
3 scallions, finely sliced
Sesame seeds, for garnish

1. In a medium saucepan, bring two cups uncooked brown rice, farro, or your choice of grains, plus the appropriate amount of water to boil. Simmer for 25 to 30 minutes until tender. Drain any excess liquid, fluff with a fork, and set aside to cool.

2. Chop your savory tofu into three-fourth inch cubes and set aside.

3. Place a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the toasted sesame oil, heat, followed by the chopped onion, and saute until fragrant. Add the garlic, carrots, and soy sauce, and sauté until it begins to evaporate (approximately two minutes).

4. Finish off with half of the scallions and stir-fry for another three minutes, or until thoroughly heated.

5. Sprinkle in your turmeric. Add your choice of grains and sauté until all is warmed through. Add your tofu and mix to combine all ingredients.

6. Finally, add the chopped kale or broccoli rabe and stir gently to coat and quickly warm through. Top with the remaining scallions and some sesame seeds and serve immediately.

Missed Day 1 of Candice Kumai's life-changing (and delish!) clease? No sweat—kick off the detox with her superfood-filled meal plan.

The (Re)New Year series is not a "New Year, New You" program. (We think you're pretty great as is!) Instead, we tapped the biggest and best influencers across the wellness space to help kick off the New Year in the best possible way. Between heart-racing workouts, DIY beauty recipes, and killer confidence advice, get ready to have your happiest and healthiest year yet.

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