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Thursday, May 28, 2015

[Healthy_Recipes_For_Diabetic_Friends] Latin-Inspired Cauliflower “Rice” and Beans - 29g Carbs, 11g Fiber, 4g Sugars

Latin-Inspired Cauliflower "Rice" and Beans - 29g Carbs, 11g Fiber, 4g Sugars

By: Stacy Kennedy, MPH, RD, CSO, LDN; Reboot Nutritionist

Cinco de Mayo may be over but that's no reason you can't enjoy a Latin themed dinner almost any night. With warmer weather (finally!) here, light, fresh, vibrant meals are on top of my list for family dinners. Cauliflower offers a lighter option for traditional dishes with rice and you can even use it in Pizza, mashed "potatoes," spicy "wings," poppers, soup, roasted or grilled, the possibilities are endless! As a member of the important white color family in the micronutrient-rich rainbow, cauliflower is a great choice for immune supportive, cancer preventive and natural liver detoxification promoting nutrients. Read more about the benefits of eating the rainbow here.

Beans and rice are a staple of a balanced vegetarian diet. Brown rice can be a healthy whole grain choice, rounding out the amino acid, protein building blocks with beans. But we don't necessarily need to eat this traditional pair in the same meal. A well-rounded, varied diet with many plant-based foods can give your body what it needs. Read more about how plant-based eaters can get the proper balance of nutrients for optimal health and wellness.   Beyond fiber and protein, black beans also provide us with important antioxidants, like anthocyanin, the same phytonutrient responsible for the purplish/blueish hue found in blueberries, purple cabbage and grapes.
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Servings: 4

1/2 head cauliflower
2 cups (400 g) black beans (cooked from dried or BPA free canned)
2 tomatoes
1 avocado
1/2 red onion
1 garlic clove
1/2 jalapeno
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Sea salt and fresh black pepper, to taste
1/4 tsp chives, chopped
2 Tbsp Harissa, Sriracha or favorite hot sauce

If cooking beans, soak overnight, then drain, rinse and cook 4-6 hours in slow cooker or 2 hours on stove. I like to add chopped garlic, onion and jalapeno as well as spices and sea salt to the water when cooking. If using canned beans, drain and rinse.

Cut head of cauliflower in half. Remove stem and roughly chop florets.

Peel and chop garlic.

Steam for about 8 minutes with chopped garlic, until a bit softer but still hard.

Drain cauliflower then pulse briefly in food processor or blender, so it resembles shape of rice.

Add to bowl and mix in beans, onion, tomato, jalapeno, spices, hot sauce.

Garnish with chopped chives and diced avocado.

Substitutions:
    Black beans – kidney, pinto, white or any other bean
    Cauliflower – brown rice, quinoa
    Jalapeno – any hot pepper (Serrano, habanero, etc…)
    Red onion – yellow or sweet onion

Servings: 4
Nutrition per Serving: 220 Calories, 8g Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 500mg Sodium, 29g Carbs, 11g Fiber, 4g Sugars, 9g    Protein