Coconut Rice and Roasted Curried Carrots

When the weather outside is frightful...

eat coconut rice and curried carrots.

That's not how it goes...but it sure is a delightful meal that will warm you up!

As a whole this dish, in my opinion is simply perfect. It cooks up really quickly with very little prep-work, so you can have a steaming bowl full on the table before the snow has melted off your boots from shoveling. I seasoned the carrots to be a tad spicy, but they were mellowed by the coconut rice. The coconut, curry, carry, and nutty brown rice flavors all meld together very well. I look forward to creating different variations of this dish, and pairing this coconut rice with other meals.

Curry-Roasted Carrots

8-10 carrots, washed and quartered lengthwise

1-2 t olive oil
1 t curry powder
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to  400 degrees.
mix olive oil and curry powder in a bowl.
Add carrots.
Toss to coat.
Spread evenly on a cookie sheet (I did prepare my cookie sheet with cooking spray, just in case).
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Roast in oven for 20 minutes, or until done. They should be somewhat goldened on the outside and tender.

The great thing about roasted vegetables is that they are very versatile. You can use any vegetables and spices you have on hand and feel in the mood for that day. Feel free to change up this recipe (or any recipe for that matter) to suit your tastes. Please, play with your food.

 The key to this coconut rice is to toast the grains of rice before adding the liquid ingredients. This extra little step makes all the difference, and is step I've incorporated into many of my grain recipes. The toasting gives a nutty flavor that adds a warmth to rice.

Coconut Brown Rice
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
1 cup brown rice
1 cup light coconut milk
1.5 cups water
salt and pepper to taste

Toast the brown rice for a few minutes over medium heat in a medium saucepan, stirring frequently so the rice doesn't burn. Add the coconut milk, water, salt and pepper when you can smell a slight nuttiness from the rice. Turn the heat up to high and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and allow the rice to simmer until the liquid is absorbed, about 15-20 minutes.

The roasted carrots are lightly based off of this recipe:
http://www.fullmeasureofhappiness.com/2011/09/19/herb-roasted-carrots/

Sunshine Squash

I love leisurely mornings when you have time to contemplate what you really want to eat. Waltzing around the kitchen with a mug of your favorite tea, rummaging through the fridge and cabinets, looking for whatever your heart desires.

Healthy breakfasts are a great opportunity to use up any leftovers you may have, and that is how this gem of a breakfast came about.

I used to make sunshine toast at sleepovers when I was younger, and this recipe follows the same idea. Instead of using toast as a vessel for the egg like I used to, some leftover butternut squash is utilized.
I've always admired those in blog-sphere that share a rustic breakfast of veggies and egg. It always look like such a marvelous way to start your day. How much healthier can you get? Butternut squash is a great source of vitamins A and B, and fiber, while the egg cooked in the middle is an excellent form of lean protein. This breakfast is a great start to the day. Not to mention a single portion is low in calories, and full of flavor!

Sunshine Squash

Ingredients:

Steamed butternut squash, cut the raw squash into rounds by slicing the squash to form 'coins', then hollow out the seeded part once you reach it before proceeding to cut the rings. Steam the squash rounds.

1 egg

salt and pepper

Pam spray, oil, or butter to grease the pan

Place a steamed squash ring into a pan that has been lightly greased. Crack one egg into the middle of the ring. Allow the egg to cook until done. You may need to cover the pan so the top of the egg cooks evenly with the bottom.
Serve with some fruit and season with a little salt and pepper.

Instead of bread and squash, I have also seen this being done with pepper rings. That would be delicious!

What breakfasts have you constructed out of dinner leftovers?

Cheers,
     Suzy

Skillet Veggie {GF} Pasta

The first time I cooked gluten free noodles they disintegrated.
One of my first lessons in Gluten free cooking was that the noodles tend to cook quicker than their wheat-filled counterparts.
This particular kind only needed to be boiled for 4 minutes!
The shorter cooking time is great though because they can be an afterthought when you are preparing a  dish. It makes for a very quick and tasty lunch.
Here I prepared all the veggies and the 'cream sauce' before beginning to boil the noodles!

I wanted this pasta to be light and healthy, and that is exactly what it turned out to be! It is full of colorful vegetables! Leeks and onions always pair so well together, and the sweet potato lends such a great flavor.
Even the 'cream sauce' is light and healthy, made from cashews and oatmeal. Yes, oatmeal!

1 sweet potato, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
2 leeks, thinly sliced, washed, and separated.

1/3 Sweet white onion, diced into small pieces

2 handfuls of greens, roughly chopped. (I used a spring mix, but kale, spinach, or arugula would be lovely)

1 box uncooked {GF} pasta (I used a rice brand, but I really like noodles made with quinoa)

water to cook the noodles

1/2 cup cashews

1/4 cup dry oatmeal

salt and pepper

oregano, Italian seasoning, thyme

Prepare all veggies and set them aside.

Spray a large skillet with non-stick cooking spray and heat on high heat.

Toss the sweet potato in the warmed skillet and turn the heat down to medium, cover and let cook until browned on the outside and tender, ~ 10 min.

Start to boil a pot of water for the noodles. I like to season the water with a pinch of salt and sometimes even a bit of the other seasonings that I'm using, like the oregano.

Meanwhile, put the oats, and cashews in a food processor and process on high until the mixture starts to stick together in the bottom of the food processor. Before I took it out, I added about 2 T of the (mostly) cooked sweet potato pieces and a pinch of salt, pepper, and oregano. The mix should be very thick, like chunky peanut butter. 

Add the leeks and onions to the skillet with sweet potato, season to taste.

Add the noodles to the boiling water. Now, watch them closely! You want them to be al dente, so read the box for cooking directions.

Continue to watch and stir the veggies while the noodles are cooking.

When the noodles are done, scoop them out of the water and into the skillet, you will want to (be like Rachel Ray and) reserve the pasta water, this is for the 'cream sauce' that we will attend to in a minute.

Stir the veggie and noodle mix.

Add pasta water into the 'cream' mixture until it takes on the consistency of...well, cream. You can always add more water, so start with just a bit and add more. Pour this mixture over the noodles and vegetables and toss together. 

At the last minute add in the spinach and stir, allowing it to wilt.

Serve warm!

Notes:

I ate mine atop a bed of more greens, and it was satisfying.

There is nothing that needs to be kept cold, making this a really great lunch-box meal!

This did make a lot, and I was glad because I knew there would be left overs. I get excited when I make something and there are left overs. Mostly because I tend to have a problem with putting something away if there are only a few bites left. I'll just eat it :)

'Cream Sauce' adapted from Aromatic Cooking
Oh, one more suggestion: We discovered this was complimented really well with freshly grated Parmesan on top. Of course, if you are vegan, you could substitute nutritional yeast, or I also really like the 'veggie cheese' that is available at most supermarkets.

Yummy leftovers!

What leftovers do you look forward to finding in your fridge?