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(I’m posting this as part of The Nourishing Gourmet’s Simple & Nourhsing Carival. No doubt there will be lots of delicious recipes submitted on her page, so head on over today and take a look.)
I’m a big fan of Mexican food. Unlike most other cuisines, it’s the one I am most often in the mood for. Of course, this doesn’t mean I’m chowing down on chimichangas and doing tequila shots every night. Rather, at least once a week, I like to reduce Mexican cuisine (or, rather, what I love so much about it) to its basics.
My Mexican Bowl is a healthy alternative to the traditional fare you’d find in a taqueria. It’s very fast and easy to make and very portable, so great for lunch at work.
The Basic Bowl:
Brown rice
Black beans (canned is fine if you’re in a rush; just make sure you rinse them)
Avocado* (either in chunks or mashed a la guacamole)
Add ons:
tomatoes
sauteed peppers and onions
your favorite brand of salsa
cheese (pick a high flavor cheese so you don’t have to pile it on to taste it)
plain greek yogurt (a great substitute for sour cream)
vegetable of your choice (I like kale or spinach)
Layer the bowl with brown rice, covered in beans, covered in avocado. Pile on the toppings — go heavy on the vegetables to make it even healthier!
If you have leftover brown rice on hand, this takes less than 5 minutes to prepare!
* I’ve noticed that a lot of people are afraid of avocados. Yes, they have fat. No, that shouldn’t scare you — it’s good for you and will keep you full and satisfied for a long time!
I had a wonderful trip to Miami — it was so nice to be in the sun and walk around without a heavy coat! (in fact, I was so used to not wearing my coat that I left it in Miami, which made deboarding the plane at La Guardia not a lot of fun).
While down there, I visited a few health food restaurants and got a few ideas for some meals, all of which I will make over the next few weeks. My favorite was quinoa tabbouleh, which I had at a place called Java Cafe in South Beach. I decided to recreate it this weekend. It turned out well! It’s light, super easy to make, and gluten-free (tabbouleh normally calls for bulghur, or cracked wheat).
TABBOULEH QUINOA
- 1 cup quinoa, cooked and cooled
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 3 tomatoes, diced
- 1 cucumber, diced
- 2 bunches green onions, diced
- 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Stir all ingredients together. Enjoy!
A few weeks ago, I had a cup of delicious rice pudding at Sarabeth’s restaurant. It was just sweet enough and very creamy. Since then, I’ve had rice pudding on my mind. Traditionally, rice pudding is made with white rice, milk, and lots of sugar. I set about to create a healthier version with brown rice and natural sweetners. It takes a while to bake — 1 hour — but only takes about 5 minutes to make. Perfect or a dinner party, as it can cook while you eat! (and it’s good — oh, is it good!)
BAKED COCONUT BROWN RICE PUDDING
2 c cooked short grain brown rice
1 can coconut milk
1/2 c maple syrup
1/4 c raw sugar (you can reduce or omit if you prefer things on a less sweet side)
zest of 1 lemom
juice of 1/2 lemon
3/4 tsp cardamon powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all of the ingredients into a large bowl; transfer to a casserole dish. Cover and bake for an hour; stir halfway through. Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Enjoy!
I’ve found that people want to eat whole grains — but they don’t think they have time to cook them. Good news: there are plenty of delicious, whole grains that cook in 20 minutes or less. The best part is that you can make the rest of your meal while they slowly simmer. You can also make several servings and eat them for several days; reheat by steaming for a minute or so.
If you’ve been wanting to try a new grain, but can’t seem to find the time, I invite you to try:
- quinoa: my favorite grain! quinoa is chock full of protein and is very filling. I prefer red quinoa, but you can also buy tan or black quinoa. Make sure you rinse it well in cool water before cooking.
- millet: a staple in Africa that cooks up very quickly. The texture is like cous cous, but fluffier. Tastes great if you stir in sauted mushrooms, onions, or peppers.
- brown kajira rice: an heirloom, aromatic rice from Bengal. Smaller than traditional brown rice, but just as flavorful.
- bhutanese red rice: a coloured, short grain rice that is soft with a nutty flavor. Great by itself or mixed into pilafs with other grains. (pictured above)
I found this recipe while flipping through a recent issue of Bon Appetite. It’s super easy to make and very flavorful. I whipped it up to take to work for lunch this week. If you’re in a hurry, you can use canned black beans; if you have some time to spare, try dry beans–they’re more flavorful and have more nutrients.
Quinoa with Black Beans and Cilantro
Bon Appetite
1 tbsp olive oil
2 c chopped white onions
1 c chopped red bell pepper
1 c quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 tsp chili powder [I didn't have this, so used a few shakes of red pepper flakes]
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c water
15 oz black beans, rinsed, drained
1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro
crumbled cotija or feta cheese (optional) [I used Bulgarian feta]
Heat oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and red pepper; saute until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in next four ingredients. Add water; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until quinoa is almost tender, about 14 minutes. Add beans and 1/4 c cilantro, cook uncovered until heated through and liquid if fully absorbed, about 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl; sprinkle wih 1/4 c cilantro and cheese, if desired.
As it gets colder and darker outside, I’ve been getting hungrier and hungrier. I couldn’t figure it out at first — why am I SO hungry? Why isn’t the food I’ve been eating thus far filling me up? Why do I suddenly need SIX meals a day!
Then, in the middle of a seasonal eating workshop I was leading, it came to me. It was the middle of fall, and I was still eating summer foods and summer quantities! It was time to switch over to hearter, heavier foods. I don’t a lot of meat in the summer (it’s hot enough outside without me eating heating foods!), but as it gets colder, I start to crave more of them.
So in my quest to find a filling meal I could take to work with me, I decided to modify this recipe from Whole Foods. I had been craving turkey chili, but wanted to make something with more vegetables, so it was complete, one pot meal. It turned out very well–I was suspicious about the capers, but they added a nice touch. If you don’t have any around, they’re not necessary.
Turkey Chickpea Chili
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
4 medium zucchini, chopped
1 (35-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1/2 bunch lacinto kale, chopped
3/4 lb ground turkey
Salt and pepper to taste
Cooked red or white quinoa, cous cous, or brown rice
Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Lower the heat, add garlicand cook for 3 minutes until translucent. Add peppers and cook 5 minutes more. Add zucchini and cook for 15 minutes. In another skillet, heat a bit of olive oil and sautee the turkey, breaking up into small pieces. Add tomatoes, crushing them with your hands. Add turkey. Bring to a simmer and cook for another 20 minutes, or until zucchini is soft and translucent but still holds its shape. Stir in chickpeas and capers and cook for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then serve over grain of choice.
This is a super simple recipe I came up with on the fly–totally based on what was in my refrigerator at the time. To make it in a pinch, use leftover rice–you can use any variety. I used a mixture of brown rice and Japonica, which is nuttier in taste and dark in colour. The entire pot of rice will turn blackish–very lovely against the white tofu.
This is surprisingly tasty, considering how simple it is. It’s slightly spicy and very sesame-y.
Sesame Black Rice with Tofu
serves 1-2
1 c water
1/2 brown rice blend: 2/3 short grain brown rice, 1/3 Japonica rice
1/4 red or yellow pepper, diced
2 oz firm tofu, diced into small cubes
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/2 tsp sriracha sauce
olive oil
salt to taste
Cook rice according to these instructions, or use leftover rice. In skillet, heat olive oil. Once very hot, add tofu. Cook for 5 minutes, turning once. Tofu should become brown on at least one side and, hopefully, crispy. Add in red peppers and saute for 1 minute.
In a separate skillet, heat sesame seeds for about 1-2 minutes until they are toasted (lightly brown).
Add sesame seeds, sriracha, and toasted sesame oil to tofu and peppers. Stir in rice and toss until well combined. Salt to taste. Serve immediately.
I’m a big fan of rice. While I love all kinds of rice, my favorite is brown rice. It’s hearty, filling, and–perhaps most importantly for me–physically and emotionally grounding. Whenever I’m particularly stressed, I have very strong cravings for brown rice.
A lot of my clients are intimidated by making brown rice. Yes, I admit it takes longer to make than white rice. But–isn’t having the grain completely intact worth an extra 30 minutes? You’re getting all sorts of added nutrients, fiber… all of which would be stripped away to make white rice. Plus, you don’t have to do anything while it cooks… so it’s not like you’re actually spending a lot of time making it. Often, when I get home from work, as soon as I walk in the door I’ll put on the rice and then, while it cooks, shower, change, open mail, etc.
Brown rice is quite easy to use as leftovers. Once it’s cooled, just store it in a plastic container. You can safely store it for about 5 days. To reheat, either microwave or (even better) heat it up in a pan with a bit of water.
So below is my time-tested recipe for a perfect pot of brown rice. Every stove, every pot is different, so it may take you a few tries to get it perfect. But don’t give up! It’s okay if you burn your rice.
Perfect Pot of Brown Rice
2 c water*
1 c brown rice
1/2 tsp salt
Place rice in a strainer/colander. Rinse under cool water.
Bring water and salt to boil, add rice. Once it starts boiling again, reduce to low heat so it’s barely simmering. (On a gas stove, it’s generally the lowest heat possible). Cover. Set a timer for 50 minutes–walk away and do something else: cook your other foods, watch tv, read a book, anything. After timer goes off, turn off burner. (if using an electric stove, physically remove the pot from the burner; for a gas stove, it’s okay to leave it there). Let sit for 10 minutes. Do not uncover the pot until the 10 minutes have elapsed.
Uncover, stir, and salt to taste. ENJOY!
*You can also used part water, part chicken/vegetable broth
I’m a big fan of eating a substantial breakfast in the morning. It gets your metabolism going in the morning and gives you enough energy to start the day well.
Oats are the perfect cold weather food. They’re hearty and warming. They’re also filling, so they’ll keep you full til lunchtime. I by far prefer steel cut oats to traditional rolled oats or quick-cook oats. They take a bit longer to make, but it’s totally worth it. They taste so much better and the texture is amazing–not mushy and bland like the oatmeal I grew up with.
My Hearty Morning Porridge is a hodgepodge of fiber, protein, healthy carbohydrates–all designed to give you sustained energy. This recipe is for one person, but yon can easily double or triple it–the ratio of oats to water is 1:4. To save time, you can make a few servings at once and refrigerate the leftovers. When you’re ready to have more, put it in a pot and add a bit of water. Heat it up, stirring, then add the other ingredients.
Hearty Morning Porridge
serves one
1/4 c steel cut oats
1 c water
2 tsp ground flaxseed
1/4c chopped raw almonds
1 tbsp agave nectar
few pinches of cinnamon
dab of butter (optional)
pinch of salt
Boil water. Slowly stir in oats and cook for about 5 minutes, until thickened. Reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. When it is the desired consistency (should be thick and not too soupy), add in all the other ingredients and stir. Taste it–if you’d like it sweeter, add a bit more agave. Enjoy!
Like this recipe? Also try my Warming Quinoa Porridge.
Last week I received a signed copy of Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Cooking–I was so excited. I love her blog and was excited to read her approach to eating and try some recipes not on the web.
I picked this week’s recipe because I was intrigued by the notion of mixing quinoa with cheese. I’m also a huge fan of cooking with wine–I find it lends a really lovely flavor to vegetables.
I liked the recipe… I want to play around with the cheese I use… It would also be good with goat cheese or french feta, I think. Do note that it makes A LOT of quinoa–a lot. Unless you’re cooking for a ton of people and this is your only source of food for that meal, I would make 1 cup of (dry) quinoa… 1 1/2 cups tops.
Quinoa and Crescenza with Sauteed Mushroom
Heidi Swanson
6 tbsp clarified butter or olive oil [I used half of each]
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cups quinoa, rinsed
1 cup good quality dry white wine [I used pinot grigio]
2 cups water
2 big pinches of red pepper flakes
1 lb mushrooms, slice
3-4 oz Crescenza cheese*
* If you can’t find this tangy cheese, try substituting taleggio, gruyere, or brie. I used taleggio.
Heat 2 tablespoons of butter/oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, then add the onion and garlic and saute for 5 minutes, or until the onion starts to soften and get translucent. Add the quinoa, wine, and 1 tsp salt, until the liquid has reduced a bit.
Add the water, return to a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and simmer for about 25 minutes, or until the quinoa opens up, revealing a little spiral, and is soft and pleasant to chew.
Meanwhile, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter/oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, along with the red pepper flakes and a few pinches of salt. Stir in the mushrooms and cook without stirring for a few minutes, until they’ve begun to brown and release their juices. Then shake the skillet every few minutes until the mushrooms are evenly browned, about 4 more minutes. [I added in a glug of the white wine towards the inn to deglaze the pan]. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Once the quinoa is perfectly tender yet textured, drain off any excess liquid and stir in the cheese. Ladle into big bowls and top with the mushrooms.
Serves 4-6.
