Sometimes all Monday needs is a splash of color. This Thai Rainbow Quinoa Bowl was just the spritz of color I needed to put an extra pep in my step for the last working Monday of the year! Let that sink in for a second. Last Monday in the office. Now go ahead and give into that mental “raise the roof”. You know you wanna. In this week’s meal prep, a bed of quinoa gets a burst of color from rainbow carrots, red cabbage, curly kale and spring peas, plus a snap of satay-inspired flavor with a creamy peanut sauce. Get the lowdown on why eating the rainbow matters and sashay to that recipe below.

Take a gander at those technicolor veggies! Pretty trippy, right? Veggies are having a renaissance and now you can find carrots, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower in an array of colors that are pleasing to both the eyes and taste buds. And, it’s not just specialty stores or farmer’s markets that sell these pretty jewels. Just last week I discovered these purple Brussel sprouts at Whole Foods, the rainbow carrots at Trader Joe’s and Broccoflower (or green cauliflower) at Cermak, my (traditionally Hispanic) neighborhood grocery store.

So the question is, are these just pretty on the eyes, or is there something more to eating colorful veggies? Unlike those technicolor poinsettias this time of year, these veggies are not dyed these pretty hues. According to WebMD, they get their vivid array of coloring from phytonutrients that protect the plants, which then offer a multitude of benefits when you consume these vegetables. And according to America’s PhytoNutrient Report, 8 out of 10 Americans are falling short of almost every color in their daily diet. Wondering the benefits from each color group? Check out this blog post I wrote a few weeks ago.

Now that I’ve hopefully satisfied your visual curiosity, let’s get to tantalizing your taste buds. You’ll want to lick the spoon with this creamy peanut buttery sauce that has a hint of spice and just the right touch of sweet. It comes together in 10 minutes or less and only requires 5 simple ingredients – natural creamy peanut butter, coconut milk, coconut sugar, red curry paste and apple cider vinegar. A couple of tips: make sure to get natural peanut butter without any added emulsifiers (the kind where there is a layer of oil on the top) to get the right texture and also pick up full fat, unsweetened coconut milk in a can. Remember that your body needs a little bit of fat to digest the nutrients in these vegetables, so don’t skimp on the good stuff and watch out for added sugars that aren’t necessary.

The beauty of this recipe is that 1.) the most complex part is the sauce 2.) it will make tons of this delicious sauce, which can be used in a variety of other recipes (best dipping sauce for skewers, just sayin’) and 3.) the sauce can be stored in the fridge for a couple of weeks. While the sauce is simmering, you can get the quinoa going on the stove top. Make sure to always rinse the quinoa beforehand, which removes its natural coating, called saponin. This coating can otherwise taste bitter or soapy. While a lot of packaged quinoa is pre-rinsed, it doesn’t to double down. With the sauce simmering and the quinoa cooking on the stove top, you can multi-task and chop up the veggies for this fresh salad!

Thai Rainbow Quinoa Bowl
Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:
Quinoa
– 1 cup of quinoa like Bob’s Red Mill
– 2 cups of vegetable broth like Pacific Foods Organic (or water)
Thai Peanut Sauce
– One 13.5 oz can of full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk like Thai Kitchen
– 1/4 C of red curry paste like Thai Kitchen
– 3/4 C natural, creamy and unsweetened peanut butter like 365 Everyday
– 3/4 C coconut sugar (or white refined sugar)
– 2 T apple cider vinegar
– 1/2 T salt
– 1/2 C water
Salad
– 1 bag of Mann’s Kale Beet Blend (or chop your own kale, red cabbage and golden beets)
– 1 bag of fresh snow peas, cut in half
– 1 bunch of rainbow carrots, cut into thin medallions
– 1/3 C of roasted, salted peanuts, chopped
– optional cilantro garnish

Directions:
Step 1: Start the quinoa by adding the vegetable broth to a small sauce pan over medium heat on the stove top. After rinsing the quinoa under water, add it to the sauce pan of vegetable broth. Once the mixture is boiling, reduce the heat to medium low, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is light and fluffy.
Step 2: Make the sauce by adding all of the ingredients to another small sauce pan over medium heat. Whisk until it comes to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer for another 3-5 minutes whisking sporadically to ensure the bottom does not burn. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
Step 3: Assuming you chopped the vegetables while the quinoa was cooking, it’s time to assemble everything! Once the quinoa is cooked, put it in a medium bowl and add as much of the kale beet blend, snow peas and carrot medallions as you’d like. Divide into 3-4 portions, then garnish with the chopped nuts and as much of the sauce as you’d like.

Stay tuned for another recipe using this sauce because you will have leftovers!

The post Life {and Food} in Technicolor appeared first on The Shooks Life.

Dear Monday, I refuse to let you be boring. And this Kung Pao Veggie Fried rice delivers just the pow needed to kick start the week. Salty, spicy, sweet…need I say more? Cauliflower rice is anything but new – this version of veggie fried rice is all about the scintillating sauce…and the summer vegetables like sweet corn, yellow squash and zucchini that give this healthy version of takeout a fresh twist.  Soak up this sauce and the last drops of summer with the recipe below. 

Hard to believe, but summer is officially on its way out the door. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but reality strikes! However, I’m committed to soaking up every last drop of sunshine…and summer produce that comes with it. I picked up this deep yellow summer squash and radiant green zucchini at the Farmer’s Market along with some fresh sweet corn. Often, I’ll pick up whatever looks good and is in season, then figure out my game plan afterwards. Usually I’ll slice summer squash and zucchini in medallions for an easy side, but I’ve been feeling in a bit of a rut as of late, so I was looking for a new spin on these summer gourds. I got to thinking about small dicing these veggies into a hash or…fried rice! And the sweet corn adds just the right crunch to take the “mush” out of cauliflower fried rice.

I also received a bushel of brussel sprouts from my Imperfect Produce delivery this week, so thought this cruciferous veggie could add some further substance to the fried rice. I like to slow roast my brussel sprouts in the oven until they’re caramelized and slightly charred for an exterior crunch. Then, the addition of the kung pao sauce perfectly compliments the sweet tones of the caramelized veggies with a surprising kick from your favorite hot sauce. Also, these brussel sprouts are amazing on their own if you’re just looking for an exciting side kick to your main dish.

It’s important to note that this recipe is incredibly versatile – you can use whatever veggies you like…or even go frozen if that’s what you have on hand. This recipe is really all about that kung pao sauce, which is the only requirement!

Making cauliflower rice is surprisingly easy if you haven’t tried it before, but there are plenty of options if you’re short on time. I bought a bag of cauliflower rice from Trader Joe’s in the refrigerated section. Trader Joe’s and Green Giant also sell versions that are frozen. If you have the time to make it on your own, you have two options though:

Making Cauliflower Rice

1.) Box Grater: Chop the head of cauliflower into a few smaller pieces that are easy to hold. Use the medium-sized holes to scrape the cauliflower and grate into “rice”.
2.) Food Processor: Chop the head of cauliflower into small floret, then place in the food processor with the grater attachment and pulse until fine “rice” forms.

The caution with buying pre-packaged, refrigerated cauliflower rice is that it will generally go bad within a few days. I generally only buy it if I have plans to use it in the next day or two. Otherwise, frozen is a better option to keep on hand. With frozen cauliflower rice, I like to thaw in the fridge and then place on a plate lined with paper towel and then I press the top with another sheet of paper towel to reduce the moisture that can make the rice mushy. If you make the cauliflower rice yourself, I don’t find this necessary. You can also freeze your freshly made cauliflower rice for up to a month.

Now that you’re a cauliflower rice pro, I hope you enjoy this salty, spicy and sweet take on traditional fried rice!

Kung Pao Veggie Fried Rice
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:
Veggie Fried Rice
– 1 package of cauliflower rice (16 oz) or make your own with 1 large head of cauliflower
– 1 summer squash, small diced
– 1 zucchini, small diced
– 1 lb of brussel sprouts, trimmed and sliced in half
– 2 ears of fresh sweet corn
– 2-3 tsp sesame oil
– salt and pepper to taste
Kung Pao Sauce
– 4 T reduced sodium tamari or soy sauce (use tamari if gluten-free)
– 4 T honey or maple syrup
– 2 T rice vinegar
– 4 tsp toasted sesame oil
– 1-4 tsp hot sauce, depending on your desire for heat (1 tsp is quite mild)
– 4 cloves of garlic, minced (or 4 tsp of jarred, minced garlic)

Garnishes (optional)
– 1/3 C roasted and salted peanuts, chopped
– 1/3 C sliced green onions
– hot sauce

Directions:
Step 1: Prepare the brussel sprouts by pre-heating the oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Place tin foil on a baking sheet and spritz with cooking spray. Add the brussel sprouts, drizzle some sesame oil and toss with salt and pepper. Place in the oven for 30-40 minutes, flipping halfway through. Brussel sprouts are done when caramelized, slightly charred and easily pierced with a fork. Set aside in a warm place.
Step 2: Make the veggie fried rice by heating a couple of teaspoons of sesame oil in a fry pan on the stovetop over medium heat. Add the diced summer squash and zucchini, sprinkling with salt and pepper. Saute for 5-7 minutes, stirring every once in a while. Add the cauliflower rice once the squash mixture has softened. Season with salt and pepper, stir and cook an additional 4-5 minutes until the rice starts to brown. Once browned, create a voice in the center of the pan and add the egg mixture. Stir the eggs to scramble. Once the eggs are cooked, stir the entire rice, squash and egg mixture together.
Step 3: While the egg cooks, make the kung pao sauce by mixing together all of the sauce ingredients in a small saute pan over medium heat. Whisk together the ingredients. Feel free to start with less hot sauce, taste and continue to add heat based on your desired intensity. It’s always easy to add heat, but near impossible to temper it if you add too much!
Step 4: Assemble the fried rice by drizzling half the sauce over the brussel sprouts and mixing to fully coat. Option to add the crushed peanuts to the bowl of brussel sprouts. Once combined, add the brussel sprouts to the pan of fried rice. Mix together and serve with your desired garnishes! Heats well the next day and should be good 2-3 days later as well.

The post Veggie Pow appeared first on The Shooks Life.

When there’s bacon fat in the dressing…you KNOW it’s gonna be good. I’m still lapping up summer, but fall football has got me roasting up this Autumn Quinoa Bowl with golden butternut squash, ruby red beets, toasted pecans, peppery arugula and you guessed it, BACON! I’ll admit that I’m not a huge fan of bacon (shocker!), but when I do fry it up, it’s gonna be WORTH IT! And there’s no skimping on this one – turkey bacon is cheating – when I splurge, I splurge on the good stuff. Pony up and get yourself some of that sweet bacon laden goodness below.

One thing that can be intimidating about trying new ingredients is not knowing how to 1.) prep it and 2.) cook it. Well it’s your lucky day, because I’m going to teach you both how to prep and how to roast butternut squash. We’re heading into fall (I know it’s August and I want to deny it, but it’s true) so I’m going to help you get ahead of the game so that when everyone else gets around to making their fall favorites, you can be the butternut squash know-it-all.

The odd bell shape of butternut squash can make it intimidating, but I’m here to share just how easy peasy it is to peel and chop this fall favorite.  You’ll need a few things to accomplish this surprisingly easy task: 1.) a peeler 2.) a sharp knife and 3.) a large spoon.

Here’s your step by step once you have your tools assembled:

1.) First, I cut off the top and bottom stem to create a smooth, flat surface on each end, as shown in the first picture of the squash.
2.) Next, I cut the butternut squash in half, making a horizontal slice at the top of the “bell” or rounded base.
3.) After that I peel the skin off with a vegetable peeler, drawing the peeler towards by body while hold the squash to be able to apply the appropriate pressure. The peel is technically edible, but more rigid than the “meat” in the center.

4.) Once both ends are peeled, scoop the “guts” of the rounded portion out with a large spoon. Again, the seeds are edible raw or roasted, so feel free to preserve.
5.) Finally, slice each end horizontally to create 1-inch high discs, then slice into 1-inch cubes. Not all the pieces will be perfect cubes, but that is totally okay! No need to trim and waste perfectly good butternut squash!

It may sound like a lot of steps, but as long as you have a sharp knife, it really isn’t that hard. AND you can multi-task and do the prep work while the pecans toast. Beets will get the same treatment – peeling and slicing into cubes. Alternatively, you can roast the beets in advance, which is my preferred method, to avoid the mess of peeling raw beets.

Here’s my secret for advance prepping the beets:

1.) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F then rinse the beets under cool water to remove any of the dirt. Loosely wrap each beet in tin foil.
2.) Place beets on a baking sheet (or don’t if you want to pick them up individually) and bake in the oven for 90 minutes. Yes, it’s a long time. In fact, plenty of time to paint your nails, apply a mask and plan out your life’s work. Just sayin’. Get sh*t done.
3.) Remove the beets from the oven once easily pierced with a fork. Allow to cool, then watch how easy it is to peel away the skins and slice. Keep in the fridge for 3-5 days. Magic.

Alternatively, you can peel and slice the beets raw, but let’s be honest, that’s messy. Beets are always messy, but the raw way is messier – doable, but messier. Your pick! At the end of the day, either way you make it, you’ll have a pan of gorgeous roasted vegetables (actually, butternut squash is technically a fruit, but who cares about technicalities when you it’s deliciously nutty and full of fiber, potassium and Vitamin A?).

Then we get to part you’ve all been waiting for…BACON! Legit bacon is a MUST for this recipe. I’ve made it with turkey bacon and you won’t have any of the fatty delicious drippings to serve as your dressing and well, it will be dry. There’s no way around it. Live a little. Eat some bacon. I am not a doctor, but pretty sure it won’t kill you.

Now you might be wondering what the F is going on in the pic below. And if you thought I might be grilling bacon, you would be correct. Why am I being such a weirdo and not letting the sweet waft of bacon fill every crevice of my home? Well, you see, we’re trying to sell our house and not everyone likes the smell of bacon. Seems they prefer fresh linens, so linens win and bacon is segregated to the grills. Surprise, surprise, it works just the same! Bacon is dang delish no matter how or where you make it (expect in the microwave, please don’t ever zap your bacon…an angel cries every time a slice a bacon is put in the death trap that is a microwave).

There you have it! Let’s dive into the final steps below!

Fall Quinoa Bowl
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:
-1 medium butternut squash
-4 beets
-1 package of bacon
-1 bag of arugula
-1 C of cooked quinoa
-1/2 C of pecan pieces
-1/2 sweet onion, small diced
-2 T of sherry wine
-salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions: 

Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees Farenheit. Place aluminum foil over a baking sheet. Add the pecan pieces to the baking sheet and mix with a little vegetable oil and sea salt. Once coated, place the baking sheet in the oven for 7-10 minutes, or until the nuts are fragrant and toasted. Set aside in a small bowl.
Step 2: Increase the oven temperature to 400 degree Farenheit. Prep the butternut squash as noted in the above post, peeling and slicing into 1-inch cubes. Do the same with the beets, rinsing, peeling and slicing into 1-inch cubes. Place on the same baking sheet that was used for the nuts. Coat in vegetable oil and sea salt, placing in the oven for 40 minutes to roast, flipping halway through. Vegetables are done when easily pierced with a fork. Option to then put on the broiler on high to get a crispy outer coating on the vegetables. Place in a medium bowl.
Step 3: Crisp the bacon slices in a pan, making sure to reserve the drippings in a glass measuring cup. Once the bacon is crisped, place on a paper towel lined plate to cool. When cool, use a kitchen sheers to slice into 1-inch pieces atop the bowl with the roasted butternut squash and beets.
Step 4: Make the dressing by drizzling the reserved bacon drippings in the fry pan (about 1/4 C) and heating over medium on the stove top. Add the diced onions, cooking until carmelized and browned. Remove from heat and swirl with the sherry wine. Add to the bowl of roasted butternut squash, beets and bacon. Mix together with the arugula.
Step 5: Assemble the quinoa bowls by layering a few spoonfuls of quinoa on each of the serving plates. Top with the roasted vegetable, bacon and arugula mixture. Add the toasted pecans and enjoy!

The post Roast It Real Good appeared first on The Shooks Life.