Tag: Rice

Harvest Blend Salad

harvest blend recipe
Today I have another 2 for 1 rice/salad recipe for you. I came across this exotic rice blend at Trader Joes the other day and thought it would make a great cool rice salad for the warmer months. The blend includes israeli couscous, red quinoa, baby garbanzo beans, and orzo.  This salad is a hybrid of a tabouli and a balela; I am just going to call it “Harvest Blend Salad.” Fresh ingredients like parsley, mint, basil and fresh squeezed lemon make this a nutrient dense dish with pops of clean flavors. The addition of black beans and chickpeas amp up the protein making this an ideal dish for vegetarians. It is also a great dish to bring to parties and would travel very well without spoiling.

Harvest Blend Salad

Ingredients

  • 1 c trader joes harvest blend rice
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 c red onion, minced
  • 1 can black beans, drained
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained
  • 1 tsp garlic, minced
  • 1 c finely chopped parsley
  • 2 medium mint leaves, finely chopped
  • 2 large basil leaves, finely chopped
  • 4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 c olive oil
  • Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Cook rice according to package. Cool in refrigerator while preparing the rest of ingredients.
  2. Combine tomatoes, onion, and beans in a large bowl.
  3. Add chopped herbs. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Add rice and stir to combine.
  5. In a separate bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic.
  6. Drizzle dressing over salad. Stir to coat.
  7. Refrigerate until serving.
http://freshandfit.org/harvest-blend-salad/

Cuban Style Riced Cauliflower

cuban cauliflower rice

This might be one of my favorite recipes I have to share with you. It is Cuban Style Riced Cauliflower using, you guessed it, cauliflower instead of rice. I was able to find orange cauliflower in my supermarket, which helps to mimic the color of spanish rice. If you can’t find orange, white will work just fine. You could even add a little ground turmeric to dye the cauliflower orange if you desire. The recipe has all of the bold flavors you would expect from a cuban dish, but with far less carbs and calories, and much more nutrition. Plus, the colors of all the fresh ingredients are so gorgeous. Enjoy!

1 head of cauliflower, broken into florets
4 tbsp olive oil
1/3 c red onion
1/2 mango, diced
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 c black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 plantain sliced diagonally
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp lime zest
Sea salt and black pepper

Prepare ingredients

In a food processor, pulse cauliflower until “riced” working in small batches.

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a medium frying pan over low to medium heat, add plantains and cover. Cook 4-5 minutes and then flip each slice over. Cook 4-5 minutes longer. Slices should be nicely browned.

While plantains cook, heat a separate pan with 2 tbsp olive oil and add cauliflower “rice”, cook 5 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and cumin. Stir.
Add red and green onion, cook 2 minutes.

add mango, black beans, lime zest and juice. Stir. Season with sea salt and black pepper.

Transfer to serving bowl and add plantains. Garnish with cilantro.

Yields 6 servings.