Tag Archives: easy
Caribbean Squash, Rice and Kale
After enjoying several months of spring-like weather, winter has finally arrived here in New Jersey. The chill in the air is more appropriate for February, and Saturday night even brought in a few inches of snow.
The vegetable offerings are really the only thing I enjoy about winter. As much as I’d love to trade in boots for flip-flops, the produce aisle at my local grocery store makes it a little more bearable. People tend to get into produce “ruts” when the temperatures drop, relying heavily on root veggies, but just because the landscape looks barren doesn’t mean that the kitchen has to. Beets, broccoli, winter squashes, brussels sprouts, persimmons and yams are just a handful of the delicious offerings available during the winter months.
When the temperature starts to dip, I like to make recipes that remind me of sunnier times. Curry powder and lime juice combine with winter staples to create a dish reminiscent of the Caribbean. This pot of warmth, comfort and color is the perfect way to shoo away the winter blahs…for an afternoon, anyway.
And with butternut squash and kale a mere 79 cents per pound, it’ll be comforting for your wallet, too.
Caribbean Squash, Rice and Kale
adapted from Weight Watchers Versatile Vegetarian
Serves 4
1 two-pound squash, peeled, cut into 2″ chunks
1 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, minced
1 inch ginger root, grated
1 bunch kale, chopped
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Juice of one lime
1. Coat the bottom of a stock pot with non-stick spray. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the squash, garlic, ginger and jalapeño. Cook for 1 minute.
2. Add the chopped kale in handfuls, stirring as the greens wilt down. Stir in the uncooked rice, salt, pepper, curry powder, nutmeg and 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a vigorous boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 35-40 minutes until the water has been absorbed and the rice grains are plump.
3. Remove from heat and add the lime juice. Allow to sit, covered, for five minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve!
Nutrition per Serving: 268 calories, 2g fat, 62g carbohydrates, 7g protein.
Mexican Riced Cauliflower
The cauliflower is an oft-overlooked vegetable. Cold weather arrives and the culinary spotlight turns to the more “sexy” winter vegetables like kale and butternut squash.
But the humble head of cauliflower is a master of versatility, with its delicate flavor making it a tasty stand-in for higher calorie rice or potatoes. While it certainly won’t fool anyone for the “real thing”, riced cauliflower is a delicious and healthy dish that can, and should, be appreciated for its own taste and texture.
Riced cauliflower has been a staple recipe of mine through several years, diets and lifestyle changes. This shredded cruciferous vegetable has come a long way since I first discovered during my days on the Atkins diet (many moons ago, when I was young and foolish), serving as a side alongside bunless burgers, all the way to taking center stage in today’s dish.
Fried rice traditionally means Asian flavors, but since I had Soy Chorizo on hand, the flavor profile turned a little more…South of the Border. In fact, this entire recipe is really just a suggestion – this is a great recipe to make when you’re cleaning out your fridge. I threw in a cup of pineapple chunks that I had leftover from yesterday’s Pineapple-Walnut Bread and it was fantastic. That can of peas and the few ribs of celery you forgot about will taste just great stir-fried up. If it sounds good, throw it in.
Generally speaking, I don’t eat a lot of processed foods, but I’m a big fan of the 80/20 rule, with whole foods making up the bulk of my diet. If the soy sausage (soysage, if you will) isn’t your thing, feel free to substitute in tempeh, tofu or whatever protein strikes your fancy. Or leave it out completely – you won’t hurt my feelings.
Mexican Cauliflower Rice
Serves 4
2 small heads of cauliflower, grated
6oz. soy chorizo sausage
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 medium onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, pressed
1 cup pineapple chunks, drained
Onion powder, to taste
Garlic powder, to taste
Gluten-Free Tamari Soy Sauce, to taste
1. Cook the onions, garlic and carrot in a frying pan until onions are just translucent. Add soy sausage and cook to heat through. Set aside.
2. Spray a large frying pan with non-stick spray and add the grated cauliflower. Cook 5-10 minutes, until the cauliflower has cooked down and is slightly translucent. Add tamari soy sauce and spices to taste.
3. Add the cooked vegetables, sausage and pineapple chunks and combine well.
Nutrition per Serving: 189 calories, 7g fat, 29g carbohydrates, 9g protein.
Like this:
Simple Stir-Fry
When I find something I like, I stick to it – to the extreme. If I like a certain song, I play it on loop all day, every day until something new comes around to replace it. On Friday nights, my parents and I go to the same restaurant, at the same time and order the same things. Maybe it’s an inherited thing.
The same is true for my eating habits – I might make a few tweaks to my favorite tried-and-true dishes, but for the most part, they revolve around the same basic components. Introducing variety with different spices and add-ins, I can eat this stir-fry, breakfast, lunch and dinner, for weeks at a time.
An added bonus to stir-fries is that it’s just as easy to cook for a crowd as it is to cook for one. There’s not a whole lot of extra effort involved – just chop a little more veggies, and you’re ready to serve up a family-sized meal – and trust me, when they smell it cooking, they’ll be bringing their own bowls.
This stir-fry is a great combination of textures and flavors – crunchy carrots and broccoli, chewy marinated tofu and sweet pineapple come together in a blanket of sweet-salty sauce. You could eat this over brown rice, but it’s substantial enough to stand alone.
The only real “rule” regarding stir-fries is to make sure that you chop everything to roughly the same size. This ensures that everything cooks at the same rate.
My mom has Celiac Disease, so I use gluten-free tamari soy sauce in this recipe. However, if gluten isn’t an issue for you, use whatever you have on hand – soy sauce, teryaki, even your favorite marinade! The world is your oyster.
Simple Stir-Fry
Serves 2
Tofu Marinade:
1/4 cup gluten-free soy sauce
3 tbsp rice wine
3 tbsp pineapple juice
Juice of 1 lime
1-inch ginger, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Stir-Fry:
2 large or 3 small heads of broccoli, chopped
1 medium onion, cut into half-moons
2-3 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup pineapple chunks, drained
4-5 cloves garlic, pressed
7 oz. drained and pressed tofu, cut into bite-size pieces*
Gluten-free soy sauce
Salt & Pepper
*If you have time, consider freezing and thawing the tofu before pressing. The result is a dense, chewy bite of tofu that soaks up more flavors from the marinade.
1. Combine marinade ingredients in a shallow dish. Add tofu, cover and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
2. Coat the bottom of a large frying pan with non-stick spray. Cook the onion and garlic over medium until just soft. .
3. Add broccoli and carrots. Stir-fry until the broccoli is bright green, then add the tofu pieces and pineapple chunks. Pour some of the marinade in and stir to warm the add-ins and sauce through.
4. Salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy hot!
Nutrition per Serving: 211 calories, 4g fat, 32g carbohydrates, 13g protein.
