I hope everyone had a terrific Halloween weekend! I definitely did! I dressed up as a cheerleader :)
And look at how cute my little niece is! She was an owl:)
What did you dress up as?
Well November is officially upon us! Can you believe it!? And I've decided to rededicate myself to posting more often! SO - I'm officially donning this month: NOMvember! Because I'm going to be making so many delicious things!
You see, next month, I'm going to be in Philly filming the new TV pilot, "Heroes of the Street!" So there will be NO cooking going on. And also, right now, leading up to filming, I've got some time on my hands, so what better to do with it than to share some food love! :D
So lets kick things off with a goodie: Spicy Butternut Zucchini Pinwheels over Cauliflower Rice!
It seems like lately, EVERYTHING is pumpkin this, and pumpkin that! For goodness sakes, Starbucks and their #PSL (Pumpkin Spice Latte) hashtag is taking over the world! -- Well, I've always been one for the underdog, so I've decided to pay a little homage to the pumpkin's humble, lesser-known cousin: the butternut squash.
Yes, butternut squash: the gourd with a funny name that is a bit cumbersome to peel, but that is equally delicious, and -- dare I say it -- BETTER than pumpkin?! *gasp* "Did she really just...." Yes. I. Did.
So -- let's kick off NOM-vember with this little doosey of a recipe!
It's Gluten Free, Vegan, Specific Carb Diet and Body Ecology Diet friendly, and Paleo!
Here's what you need: (Serves one)
1 zucchini, sliced into ribbons, either with a vegetable peeler, mandolin, or sharp knife
Filling:
1 cup butternut squash, cubed and steamed
1 medium carrot, diced
1/4 cup cashews
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tbs onion, diced
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
<1/4 tsp salt (if you have a salt grinder, about 3 turns)
4 cauliflower florets, riced in the food processor
3 button mushrooms, sliced
basil (garnish)
First, slice your zucchini into thin ribbons. I got 7 ribbons from my zucchini.
Next, in your food processor, rice your cauliflower by processing it until it resembles rice. Remove, place in a bowl and set aside. Reassemble your food processor (you don't have to wash it) - you'll use it again soon.
Steam your butternut squash by either steaming it in a steamer basket or microwaving it in a 1/2 inch of water for about 7 minutes. (I microwaved mine).
Meanwhile, sauté your onion, garlic, carrots, and spices in 1 Tbsp EVOO. Let them cook for about 6 minutes over medium heat, until the carrots soften. Then, add your cooked squash. Let that cook for another 4 minutes, and then remove from the heat. Carefully transfer to your food processor, add the cashews, and process until smooth. You'll need to scrape the sides several times.
Next, grill your zucchini on a grill pan, over medium heat for about 3 minutes per side. You'll need to grill in batches. Lay flat and set aside. Also, grill the mushrooms for about 3 minutes.
Finally, transfer the mash into a ziplock bag. This will serve as a makeshift "piping bag." Snip one corner of the baggie and pipe the mash onto each zucchini ribbon.
To assemble: roll up the zucchini ribbons, and place on a bed of the cauliflower rice. Garnish with the mushrooms and basil.
Goodness gracious, you guys. What a delicious and striking meal! It was tasty, filling, and beautiful to boot!
The flavors were wonderful - warm and spicy from the cumin and chili powder. It was complimented by the subtle sweetness from the butternut squash and carrots. And there was a slight smokiness from the grilled zucchini. Just perfect!
Finally, I loved the colors! The deep green with the burnt orange filling looked so autumn-y! :) Plus- they looked like flowers!
Alright, that's it for now!
What are you looking forward to this week?
Also: a little news: the pilot I'm working on is having a fundraiser "Meet and Greet" with the cast from 6-11pm in Philly! So if you live in the area and have a free Friday night, come on out! Tickets here!
Okey Dokey, that's all for now!!
See you tomorrow!
I've been meaning to try out cauliflower rice for ages! This seems like the perfect opportunity :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Roz! Yeah it's really an easy and healthy way to get a "rice fix!" Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy your day!
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Cauliflower rice, the humble yet flexible base of this dish, offers a low-carb option in contrast to customary rice, making it ideal for people looking to deal with their starch consumption or follow a ketogenic way of life. Besides, cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable known for its powerful mitigating properties and wealth of nutrients K and C, further upgrading the dish's nourishing profile.
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When marinated, the cuts are painstakingly moved into pinwheels, protecting them with toothpicks or kitchen twine to keep up with their shape. These dynamic pinwheels are then softly burned in a skillet until delicate yet fresh, further escalating their flavors and surfaces.
In the mean time, the cauliflower rice is ready by beating cauliflower florets in a food processor until they arrive at a rice-like consistency. The cauliflower rice is then sautéed with garlic, onion, and a smidgen of turmeric for added flavor and variety, making a fragrant and nutritious bed for the zesty pinwheels to settle upon.
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