Indian Cauliflower Rice Bowl

OMG! I have been experimenting with cauliflower in shredded form, and it's amazingly versatile.  I served this to our daughter and told her it was cauliflower.  I wish I hadn't, because she told me, "Oh I thought it was rice! I like it." My son said, "it's ok" (which translates to, had I not know it was cauliflower I would have loved it).  Both of these may not sound like compliments, but trust me, they are.  The recipe below can really be adjusted to have the flavoring of any rice dish you'd be interested in making.  The base tastes like a rice pilaf, and feel free to stop there, because it was awesome as a pilaf (even top it with some slivered almonds and you'll fool everyone!). The recipe makes enough for 6 servings as a side dish or 2-3 large main dish portions.

Cauliflower Rice Pilaf Base:

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 cup of red onions-about 1 large (could use regular onions too)
• 2 1/2 cups (or more) of mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cups of cubed eggplant (could omit if you don't have any)
• 6 cups of shredded cauliflower (this is half of a head of cauliflower-left over from making cauliflower pizza crust)
• 1-2 cups of water or broth 
• 1/2 tsp salt
• fresh pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Shred the cauliflower in a food processor using the shredding attachment
   
2. Saute onions until translucent, then add eggplant and mushrooms
   
3. Add in cauliflower
   
4. Saute until cauliflower softens, adding in broth/water as needed to prevent sticking
5. Add salt/pepper to taste
6. *top with slivered almonds or toasted pinenuts

Indian Cauliflower Rice Bowl

Do you love 1 dish dinners? We do! Snap to eat, take to kids games, and less dishes! Who doesn't love less dishes?

Ingredients:

• Cauliflower rice base (above)
• 1 cup of beans (we used a mix of chick peas and black beans-use whatever you have on hand)
• 2 cups of greens (again it can be any kind, we used kale and collard greens)
• 1 lime, zest and juice
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp tumeric
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 2 garlic cloves-minced
• 1/4 tsp cayenne

Instructions

1. After making the cauliflower rice pilaf, add in remaining ingredients listed above
   
   
   
2. Saute until greens are wilted (adding more water/broth if needed)
   
3. Serve and top with slivered almonds, pumpkins seeds (what we used), or toasted pine nuts
   

Enjoy!

Nutritional Benefits:

• Low in carbs! Great for those on a gluten free, or low carb diet
• Low in fat-only 17 g in entire dish (could even be omitted if you wish to saute onions in a little water)
• High in anti-oxidants (vitmain C)
• Heart Healthy
• Diabetic Friendly!
• High in Fiber
• High in Calcium
• High In Vitamin C

Nutritional Information for 1 cup of raw cauliflower:
Vitamin C-86% of your daily needs (DN)
Vitamin K-21% (an anti-inflammatory vitamin)
Folate-15% (linked to brain and neurological function and formation for developing brains)
Fiber-2g
Protein: 2g
Calories: 27
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=13

Chick Peas:

Serving Size 1 cup (240 g)

Per Serving% Daily Value*

Calories 286

Calories from Fat 25

Total Fat 2.7g4%

Saturated Fat 0.3g1%

Polyunsaturated Fat 1.2g

Monounsaturated Fat 0.6g

Cholesterol 0mg0%

Carbohydrates 54.3g18%

Dietary Fiber 10.6g42%

Sugars 0.0g

Protein 11.9g

Vitamin A 1% · Vitamin C 15%

Calcium 8% · Iron 18%

Read more: Calories in Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans, Bengal Gram), Mature Seeds, Canned | Nutrition and Health Facts http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-chickpeas-garbanzo-beans-bengal-gram-i16058#ixzz2i2LbcePx

Coleslaw

Cabbage: Yes it's good! Try it!

 Most of us don't eat enough of the cruciferous vegetables, which are essential for heart health, and therefore improve our dental health.  Cabbage belongs to the same family as brocolli, brussel sprouts, bok choy, and kale.  Cabbage is a food high in fiber and anti-oxidants, preventing many forms of illness.

Often people have no idea how to prepare it.  Cabbage is very inexpensive and 1 head goes a long way.  Cabbage is in season in the fall and can easily be chopped and frozen (no need to buy it pre-chopped, it's so easy, especially if you have a food processor!).  You'll pay a lot more if you purchase pre-shredded cabbage and it won't taste as sweet and crisp.

Coleslaw is usually loaded with fat, in the form of oils or mayonaise.  The recipe below has very little fat, and no calories.

Asian Coleslaw: 

• Half head chopped of both green and purple cabbage (you'll need about 4-5 cups of each kind-shred remaining cabbage and put into fridge for use later in the week for a stir-fry or the freezer to be used in soups)
• 5 tbsp brown rice vinegar (any mild vingar will do)
• 5 tbsp soy sauce (low sodium)
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1/2 tbsp agave nectar or honey

Directions:

Mix above ingredients in a bowl.  Slaw will keep for about 2-3 days before getting soggy

Note: make smaller amounts of this each day if you prefer slaw to be crunchy.  1 tbsp of soy sauce/vinegar: cabbage.  Left over slaw is great on top of sandwiches, burgers, or on top of a salad

Fresh, undressed cabbage is great thrown as added crunch into a traditional salad.

Nutritional Benefits:
1 cup cabbage contains: 67% of daily Vitamin K and 43% of Vitamin K
High in anti-oxidants, cabbage helps to decrease inflammation
Red cabbage is much high in anti-oxidants than green cabbage (so if you want to replace all the cabbage with red, feel free!)

Quinoa Salad with pistachios, artichokes, and avocado

Looking for a different kind of side dish? High in protein, gluten free, and delicious, this food will help you to repair and heal.  Easy to eat after any dental procedure and can be eaten cold or hot (we like it cold).

Quinoa Salad: Pistachios, Artichokes, Avocado:

Ingredients:

• 3 c cooked quinoa (or 1 cup dry and then cook)-click here for directions on how to prepare quinoa
• 1 can artichokes coarsely chopped
• 1/4 c chopped pistachios
• zest and juice of 1/2 lemon 
• 1/4 c craisins or dried cherries (unsweetened)
• 1 avocado
• pepper and salt to taste

Directions:

1. Cook quinoa and let cool if you'd like the dish to be cold (it can be made several days in advance)
2. Mix above ingredients together and enjoy! (how easy is that?)

Nutritional Benefits:

Quinoa: 1 cup cooked quinoa provides the following:

• 5 g fiber
• 8 g protein
• 4 g fat
• 39 g carbohydrates
• 222 calories (when cooked in water)

Avocado: High in Vitmains C (20% DV), K, B5, Potassium (20%), and folate (25%),fiber 9g!, and omega-3 fatty acids, avocados are a power food that helps to reduce inflammation, support heart health, and supports blood sugar regulation

Lemon: high in Vitamin C, provides antioxidants to fight infection

Artichokes:Very high in fiber (more than prunes!) 1/2 c provides 4g fiber and 2 g protein with 0g fat, helps lower bad cholesterol, cancer fighting antioxidants, and aids in digestion
Pistachios: high in protein, healthy fats, and micronutrients: copper, Vitamin B6, Manganese, Magnesium, Phosphorus, and Thiamin

Quinoa: How Do You Cook quinoa?

What's all the talk about quinoa?

Benefits of Quinoa:

Quinoa is an ancient "grain".  It's actually the seed of a plant-which is what makes it gluten free.  

Photo source: indianapublicmedia.orf

When cooked 1 cup provides the following:

• 5 g fiber
• 8 g protein
• 4 g fat
• 39 g carbohydrates
• 222 calories (when cooked in water)

Uses: Quinoa can be used as a replacement for flours and other wheat products.  It can be ground into a flour or used whole like you would couscous, rice, or oatmeal.  

How do you cook it? It's very important to rinse your quinoa before cooking.  We like to soak ours for a few hours and then rinse it. This helps remove the seed coat and takes away the bitter taste quinoa can have without this process.  

Cooking Directions for 1 c dry quinoa: 

• Soak quinoa for a few hours in water and then rinse well
• Place into pan with 2 cups filtered water and bring to a boil
• Cook for about 15 minutes until water has been absorbed

Below are 2 different varieties of quinoa-red and white.

Cooked Quinoa

Click here for a great recipe for a quinoa salad with Pistachios and Avocado

Baked Spaghetti Squah

Love pasta but want to replace those heavy carbs? Try spaghetti squash!

This squash can be cooked quickly in a microwave and is a great swap for pasta.

To Prepare:

1) slice squash in half and remove seeds without taking out flesh

2) place half flesh side down in a pan with a little water, cover, and place in microwave for 15 minutes

3) remove from micorwave (be careful jot to get burned by steam) and use a fork to scrape out flesh.  It'll come out in strands

4) Top with your favorite sauce and enjoy!

Additional Suggestion: 

We made a vegetarian "pasta" bake that's kid approved!

-mix sauce into squash, and top with fresh herbs like basil and low-fat cheese, such as Parmesan or part-skim mozzarella.
-Bake in oven at 375 until cheese has browned.
*For additional protein, you can add organic veggie burgers or beans, as was done in the picture below.

Benefits of Spaghetti Squash:
Nutrients: Spaghetti squash supplies modest amounts of carotenoids, plant substances that the body turns into Vitamin A and that may help protect against some diseases.  While not as nutrient dense as other squash, spaghetti squash provides 3 percent of the Daily Value for calcium, 5 percent of the DV for Vitamin A, 9 percent of the DV for Vitamin C and 8 percent of the DV for dietary fiber.

If you top with sauce, you will gain the added benefits of tomatoes, a nutrient-packed food with many 

cancer fighting properties.

Pasta Comparison

One cup of cooked enriched spaghetti yields 221 calories, 1.3 g of fat, 43 g of carbohydrate and 2.5 g of fiber. Pasta does provide more B vitamins. If you have diabetes or are watching your weight and carbohydrates, you can save 179 calories and 33 g of carbohydrate by eating a cup of spaghetti squash instead of a cup of pasta.

Calorie Content:Per 1 cup of cooked spaghetti squash provides 42 calories, 0.4 gram of fat, 1 g of protein, 10 g of carbohydrate (4 g as sugar) and 2.2 g of fiber

*If prepared as above, you will increase your protein amounts depending on the veggie burger/bean of your choice, increased fiber, and added calcium from the cheese. Your fat content will increase as well, depending on the cheese of your choice (go low-fat!).

Vegan Southwestern Black Bean Quinoa

Another delicious way to prepare quinoa. Make sure to soak and rinse your quinoa to help your body be able to digest this protein packed food! We soak ours for at least 3 hours. Food advice from www.altmandental.com

Following recipe from http://familyfocusblog.com/vegan-southwestern-black-bean-quinoa/

Makes 6 servings

Vegan Southwestern Black Bean Quinoa and Mango Medley Ingredients: 

One 15-ounce can black beans, no salt added, rinsed and drained

1 cup cooked quinoa (according to package directions)

1 cup frozen corn

1 small red bell pepper, chopped

1 cup chopped fresh mango

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (or 2 teaspoons dried)

1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely diced

Juice from 1 medium lemon

1 ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

Vegan Southwestern Black Bean Quinoa and Mango Medley Directions:

Simple and easy to prepare!

1. Mix together the beans, quinoa, corn, pepper, mango, onion, cilantro, and jalapeño in a mixing bowl.
2. Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and turmeric in a small bowl. Drizzle over the quinoa mixture and toss to coat evenly. Refrigerate until serving time.

Nutrition Information Per serving (about 1 cup): Calories: 164, Carbohydrate: 27 g, Fiber: 7 g, Protein: 6 g, Total fat: 4 g, Saturated fat: 1 g, Sodium: 93 mg.

Star nutrients: Vitamin A (29% DV), vitamin C (61% DV), folate (18% DV), iron (11% DV)

The vegan southwestern black bean quinoa is very easy to prepare and the Mango Medley makes a tasty addition that contrasts flavors nicely and gives it a bright, fresh finish.  Thanks so much to Sharon Palmer, RD for sharing this recipe with us from her book, The Plant-Powered Diet.  You can also connect with Sharon on Twitter @SharonPalmerRD