rice | the petite beet

As much as I wanted to just cry tears into a bowl of carb-filled pasta the night after the election, I decided a healthy dinner might make me feel better. So, I made some vegetable sushi! I got cauliflower in my CSA this week, and decided to use that as the “rice” this time. It’s not as sticky as rice, but holds up pretty well. I filled it with a few veggies I had on hand, and used my Bragg’s liquid aminos instead of soy sauce – it tastes exactly the same but is a healthier alternative!

Ingredients:
1 small head of cauliflower, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 medium carrots, but into matchsticks
1 mango, cut into matchsticks
1 cucumber, cut into matchsticks
3-4 nori sheets

Start by making the cauliflower rice by processing the cauliflower and rice vinegar until it resembles the texture of rice. Set aside. I saw a few recipes where they steam the cauliflower first before processing it and letting it cool, which might make it stickier, but I went the lazy route and skipped the steaming… worked out fine! Next, place a nori sheet on your sushi mat and spread a layer of the cauliflower reaching close to the edges, but leaving one of the short edges with about an inch free (see photo) Next, starting at the bottom, layer a row of vegetables. You don’t want to over fill it because when you wrap it up it’ll be difficult, but you also don’t want to under fill it because you want to taste the fillings!

Now, time to get your roll on. Start with the end closest to you and lift the edge of the nori over the veggies and tuck it under. Using the sushi mat, press it over the roll to help tighten it, then continue rolling with the help of the mat, pressing and tucking as you go until it’s all rolled up. Use a dab of water to help seal the roll shut at the end.

Using a clean and very sharp knife, hold the roll tightly and cut the roll into pieces. Top with pickled ginger, wasabi, soy sauce or liquid aminos… whatever your little heart desires. Enjoy!

I was excited this week when I got some huge green bell peppers in my CSA bag. I love stuffed peppers and decided right away that was what I was going to make. The only thing I had to purchase was some Italian sausage, but other than that I had everything else! I love when that happens.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup long grain brown rice
2 large green bell peppers
1/2 large white onion, diced
4 large white button mushrooms, diced
Handful cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 Italian sausage
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup shredded asiago cheese
Olive oil
Garlic powder
Salt and pepper

Start by cooking the rice per the package instructions and setting the oven to 375 degrees. Chop the tops off the bell peppers and remove all the seeds. Dice up the tops of the pepper and set aside. If the peppers are too round on the bottom to stand up alone, slice a little off to even it out. Next, dice up the onion, mushrooms, and tomatoes. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a skillet over medium heat and cook the onions and peppers until soft, about 3 minutes. Remove and put in a side bowl. Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the same skillet and add the sausage (which has been removed from its casing) and cook until browned. Add the onion pepper mixture back in along with the mushrooms and tomatoes and cook a minute or so. Sprinkle in some garlic powder, salt and pepper. Lastly, add the rice and Parmesan cheese and mix together. Fill the peppers with the mixture and place in a dish that has been sprayed with olive oil or non-stick spray. Cook for 30 minutes, remove from the oven and add the asiago cheese, then cook for another 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted. Enjoy!