Tag Archives: meatless monday

Curried Cauliflower Couscous

20 Apr

Cauliflowers are so versatile, they can be eaten raw, roasted, fried, steamed, milanese, sautee, made it to stock or soup, hummus, pizza crust,tortillas, fritters, and the list is never ending… And they are so fulfilling that you can easily eat them in place of starchy carbs (okay,they still contain carbs, but good ones nothing like processed refined carbs).

They are also a good source of Protein, Vitamin C,Vitamin K, Vitamin B1, B2 and B6, magnesium, niacin, manganese, phosphorus, biotin, choline, dietary fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids. Wow!

Some people call this recipe “Cauliflower Rice”. I call it Couscous because I think the texture resembles couscous much more than rice. Make sure you wash your cauliflower, pat it dry, and cut it into chunks before you place it in the food processor. If the chunks are too large, it is going to take longer and will not be all uniform and it might even get too mushy and resemble a puree. It works better if you process the cauliflower in batches. Bom Apetite!

 

Ingredients

1 Cauliflower Head, cut into chunks

2 orange and/or Purple Carrots, brunoised*

1 large shallot, minced

½ cup Golden Raisins

½ cup Raw or Roasted Unsalted Shelled Pistachios

½ cup filtered or spring water

1 tbsp green curry paste

1 tsp ground Turmeric

1 tsp Mustard Seeds

1 tsp Curry Powder of your preference (I used Tikka Masala blend)

¼ tsp ground coriander

¼ tsp ground cumin

1 pinch cayenne pepper

1 tbsp Ghee*

1 tbsp Coconut Oil

Himalayan Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste

 

Method

  1. Wash the Cauliflower, pat it dry and cut it into chunks, so it will shred easier in the food processor.
  2. Place the cauliflower in the food processor and pulse it until it resembles rice grains or couscous. Depending on the size of your cauliflower and your food processor you might have to do it in batches.
  3. In a pre-heated to medium high, medium frying or sauté pan add the Ghee and the Coconut Oil.
  4. Add the Mustard Seeds, turmeric, Curry Powder, Coriander, Cumin, Cayenne, Salt and Pepper. Watch it closely so the spices don’t burn, you might have to turn the heat down to medium.
  5. Add the Green Curry paste and the water. Stir everything together.
  6. Add the cauliflower and stir it, making sure it is coated by the spices mixture. Let it cook for about 3 minutes, stirring it a few times. Add the Golden Raisins.
  7. Remove from heat, add the carrots and the pistachios.

 

 

  • * Brunoise: Is a French term used to define a type of knife cut where the vegetable is cut into small squares, usually 3 mms or 1/8 inch. You start by peeling the vegetables, cutting it Julienne (thin strips), stack them and cut it into small dices.
  • * If you are Vegan, omit the Ghee and double the amount of Coconut Oil
  • If you are on a Raw Diet, do not sauté the Cauliflower. Place the sauté pan on low heat and cook the spices on it, then mix it with the cauliflower. Or, if you prefer, just add the spices to liquid Coconut Oil and let the spices blend together for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
  • You can add any veggies you would like to it, or cheese such as Paneer or Feta

 

Meatless Monday:Roasted Squash with Mushrooms

18 Nov

I am back posting after being a little away from my blog for about a month while I was going through some health and personal issues far away in Brazil.

I am happy to share that I am slowly recovering from my rib separation thanks to homeopathy, healing clay bandages followed by rock salt bandages, and a healthy anti-inflammatory diet. I tried the Allopathic Medicine route and it wasn’t working for me. I will be posting some more on this topic.

And my grandma, my dear Piccola Nona, is doing much better, out of the hospital, and excited about the release of her book. She is so awesome! Eighty six years old, two music cds recorded, and now a book. And all the profit for the sales of them go to the Children’s Cancer Hospital. I want to be just like her when I grow up…what an inspiration!

Now, to celebrate my return I decided to share a recipe for Meatless Monday that I love. Enjoy.

Roasted Squash with Mushrooms+Herbs+Gruyere

Roasted Squash with Mushrooms+Herbs+Gruyere

Ingredients:

1 Medium acorn squash or any squash of your preference
1 stick (1/2 cup of butter)
1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme
1 tablespoon finely chopped sage
1 small red onion, or 2 shallots, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons dry white wine
1 teaspoon shoyu (soy sauce)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 cups porcini mushrooms(or any other mushroom you like)
1/2 cup gruyere cheese
1 tablespoon bread crumbs

Method:

1. Cut the squash open in half, and remove the seeds with a spoon. Sprinkle some sea salt, black pepper and half of the butter. Wrap top of the squash in foil and bake in a preheated oven at 375F for about 45 minutes to an hour (until soft and cooked , it will depend on the size of your squash- check the inside). Let it rest
2. While the squash is in the oven, chop the mushrooms, onions, garlic and herbs.
3. In a medium frying pan melt the remaining butter, and add the onions and herbs. When the onions look translucent add the minced garlic. Sautee the garlic for about two minutes and add the white wine. Cook until the wine evaporates, and add the mushroom. Cook the mushrooms for about three minutes, and when they are cooked, add soy sauce.
4. Take it off the heat. Mix with gruyere cheese and breadcrumbs.
5. Check if squash is cooked and fill it with the mushroom mix. Take it back to the oven for about 15 minutes until the cheese melts.
6. Serve and enjoy.
* You can also add cooked wild rice to the mushroom mix.

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