One of the food ingredients that I am always curious to try is Hearts of Palm. This vegetable has slowly been known to be a secret ingredient in many plant-based food or vegan products. Its crunchy texture and relatively mild flavor make it attractive for plant-based food scientists to perform their magic, creating amazing plant-based alternative food in the market. Quoting from the famous blog The Spruce Eats, “Hearts of palm is found on the center or core of the palm tree species that is native to South and Central America. This “stem core” is usually cut into cylinder forms and packed in water and brine to preserve it. Its texture resembles smooth, thick white asparagus and is often described as tasting like the artichokes.”
During a recent holiday visit to Seattle, I decided to pop into Trader Joe’s for some “food adventures” (I’m a grocery store wandered, always have been 😊). That’s where I accidentally found something intriguing—Riced Hearts of Palm! While strolling the grocery aisle. So I thought, “Why not give it a shot?” and decided to purchase and bring it home to try.
The product’s packaging is pretty simple and screams “Trader Joe’s Classic,” with a picture of fried rice tempting me to get creative. What’s cool about this product is that it’s not your typical rice—it’s a heart of Palm shaped like rice (waw! I know, right…). According to the Ingredient label, the product contains only pure Hearts of Palm with no additional blend of chemicals or other ingredients. On its website, Trader Joe’s mentions that the ingredients are sourced from Ecuadorian suppliers, where the hearts of Palm are harvested and processed into rice shape without additional mixing with other ingredients. The product is claimed to be gluten-free, vegan, and kosher. The product is a versatile alternative—ideal for those seeking grain-free or keto-friendly options due to their lower calorie and carbohydrate content than traditional rice. Â
Before transforming the product into healthier alternative fried rice *wink*, I sampled it in its original state. The rice possesses a mild, plain taste with subtle earthy undertones, making it a perfect canvas for various plant-based or healthier alternative culinary creations. Its slightly crunchier and ‘watery’ texture is the most distinguishing factor from traditional rice, which tends to be chewier and stickier to your teeth when biting into it. The riced heart of palms is a color that is a tad browner than the traditional white rice, more resembling brown rice in a way—making it a great ingredient to make a healthier fried rice alternative!
Now, let’s cook up the healthier alternative fried rice with this innovative product!
Ingredients
6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 eggs, beatenÂ
1 small seasoned or marinated pork tenderloin, cut small cubed
1 small red or yellow onion, minced
½ halves of red tomatoes
1 stalk of green onion, sliced thin
6 pcs of white mushroom
English cucumber, diced small (optional)
Other vegetables or Canned Mixed Vegetables (optional)
3-4 tbs soy sauce, or more to taste
2 tsp of oyster sauce
1 tsp of fish sauce
Salt and Black Pepper
Vegetable Oil or Vegan Butter
1 Package of Riced Hearts of Palm (~255 g)
Chicken Extract Powder (optional)
Instructions
- Get all the ingredients ready.
- Make Scrambled eggs. Melt ½ tablespoon of vegan butter in a pan, add the beaten eggs, cook until scrambled, remove the egg, and transfer to a separate plate. Add 1 tablespoon of vegan butter or oil to the pan and cook the marinated pork tenderloin until fully cooked and brown on the edge. Set them aside.
- In the same pan, add garlic, onion, tomato, mushroom, and other vegetables to the pan. Season the mix with a generous amount of salt, chicken extract powder, and black pepper. Sautee until garlic is golden in color and other vegetables become soft. Add back the cooked pork to the mixture and stir continously.
- Add one package of Riced Hearts of Palm to the pan, stir in green onion, and introduce wet seasoning, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and fish sauce to the mixture and stir until all combined.
- Continue stirring and sauteing until most of the moisture is evaporated. Lastly, add the scrambled egg and mix the fried rice until all is combined. Taste the fried rice and adjust the seasoning if needed.Â
- Serve immediately and enjoy this delightful, healthier alternative to fried rice! 😊Â
