Tag Archives: light

Cilantro-Lime Cauliflower Rice

Cauliflower Rice has been a thing for a good minute now, and I have been here for it for all of that minute. To me, plain white and brown rice is really just a vessel to soak up sauce or provide body and bite for another dish it is served alongside. In my opinion, neither colors of rice add anything special to any dish of their own accord, instead, they just add carbs. I have found that cauliflower rice provides that same texturized feel as white or brown rice and acts equally well as a supporting act to other dishes it is served with while also keeping the amount of carbs you are eating low (Disclaimer: carbs are great! You need carbs! They are essential to healthy functioning! But I prefer to get my carbs from other, more exciting sources than plain rice).

Furthermore, in my experiences working with cauliflower-rice, I have found that it has the potential to contribute its own something special to a meal or even stand alone. By its very nature, it seems to soak up flavors more readily, allowing it to act as a real stand-out side or even starring base.

This Cilantro-Lime Cauliflower Rice is one of my favorite ways to turn to this crucirferous vegetable into a gourmet tasting dish. The texture is just that of a crunchy yet chewy rice dish, but with a unique zesty and bright flavor profile. This recipe works as a great accompaniment to any sort of Mexican food: tacos, enchiladas, tequila-lime chicken, etc. It also makes a great base for a taco/burrito bowl style meal. It can even be served chilled as an additional base alongside lettuce in a salad.

This dish is incredibly simple to make, only requiring a few in expensive ingredients. By its very nature, it is also an incredibly healthy dish, full of the nutrition and benefits of cauliflower which include providing large amounts of vitamins, minerals, and fiber, cancer fighting properties, immune and digestive system support and much more. This dish is vegan, gluten-free, and paleo-friendly. It has become a staple recipe in my home, and now I am excited to share it with you!

Cilantro-Lime Cauliflower Rice

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Print

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups cauliflower rice *See Note*
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ medium red onion, diced
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • Zest and juice of 2 limes
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion, sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Sautee until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the cauliflower rice, sprinkle with garlic powder, remaining salt, and pepper. Mix together and continue cooking, stirring occasionally for another 5 minutes, until the cauliflower goes from bright white to slightly golden. Turn off the heat, add the lime juice, zest, and cilantro. Mix well and serve.

*Note* You can make your own cauliflower rice by taking cauliflower florets from a large head of cauliflower, cutting away as much stem as possible and in 3 batches, break up the florets into a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles couscous. OR you can just buy premade Cauliflower Rice; Trader Joe’s has the best.

 

 

 

Saute your onions…
You can make your own cauliflower rice, but really…
Add the cauliflower rice….
Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Mix and cook several more minutes…
Turn eat off an add lime juice and zest….
Add cilantro and mix!

Hydration, Hydration, Hydration

It’s summer and that means the sun stays in the sky longer and the temperature in the air grows warmer. All this extra light and heat gives us more time to spend outside and in the ocean or the pool having fun, but it also means that our bodies will be needing greater amounts of hydration.

Our bodies recognize that we are in summer because of the seasonal shifts that happen around us, and to compensate for the greater exposure to light and heat our bodies release more water in the form of sweat to keep us cool. You might recognize yourself sweating more when you are exercising or merely outside walking; but what you probably don’t notice is that you are also probably subtly sweating more in your sleep and throughout the day in general. This is natural and this is good; your body is doing its job in making sure you do not become over heated. However, it needs your conscious support to keep it hydrated.

Staying hydrated comes with a whole bunch of benefits. Some of those benefits are:

  • Weight Loss & Weight Regulation
  • Higher Amounts of Energy
  • Memory Loss Prevention
  • Fresh & Glowing Skin
  • Stronger Hair & Nails
  • Healthy Digestion
  • Healthy Function of Kidneys
  • Aid of Natural Detoxification Process
  • Good Joint Health

All good things right?! So you see why staying hydrated is so important to your overall health.

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Now, here are some good tips to making sure you stay hydrated throughout your day:

  • Drink a large glass or bottle of water in the morning to replenish your system after the extended period of time in which you aren’t hydrating because of sleep.
  • Drink an 8 ounce or more glass or bottle of water within a 2 hour period, every 2 hours.
  • Drink coconut water when feeling extra dehydrated to also replenish electrolytes. Great for post-workouts!
  • Get hydration from your food!
    • Straight water is not the only way your body can receive the hydration it needs.
    • Your digestive system will extract water from the food you eat, so eat more of the following water rich foods throughout the summer:
      • Watermelon
      • Peaches
      • Grapes
      • Berries
      • Tomatoes
      • Cucumber
      • Carrots
      • Celery
      • Lettuce and Greens
      • Zucchini & Yellow Squash
    • So as you can see, staying hydrated can taste great too!

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Now we all know how important hydration is, how great it can be for us, and how we can all be mindful is staying hydrated.  So drink your water and eat your water rich foods and  go forth, soak up the sun, work up a sweat, and have fun!

Honey Roasted Carrot and Parsnip Soup

One of the best parts of travel is indulging in the foods of the lands in which you are visiting. You enjoy the distinctive flavors and cooking styles, and maybe even receive a little culinary inspiration to take home with you! When I was in Scotland this past October, my mum and I stopped in at a little place that had been recommended to us by several locals: Clarinda’s Tea Room. Clarinda’s Tea Room is a truly quaint establishment with soft tea-time-like décor, serving up affordable, comforting, tasty breakfasts and lunches along with a bounty of cakes, scones, biscuits, and of course, tea.

We enjoyed lunch at Clarinda’s, opting for the half sandwich and soup special. That day, the soup du jour was a Honey Roasted Parsnip Soup, and it was delightful. Being Scotland in the autumn, the weather is quite gray, cool, and rainy, and so many seasonal dishes feature hearty root vegetables that are warming and comforting; this soup was exactly that.

Clarinda’s Tea Room – Honey Roasted Parsnip Soup

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Whilst eating the soup, I received the inspiration and came up with the concept for my own root vegetable soup. Just over a week after returning to America from the United Kingdom, I put that culinary inspiration to the test and this was the very tasty result!

My version! Honey Roasted Carrot and Parsnip Soup

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This Honey Roasted Carrot and Parsnip Soup is both sweet and savory, soulfully warming and superbly comforting. It reminds me of that Parsnip Soup I had at Clarinda’s, and is in many ways a colorful cousin to that soup. Sweetly roasted carrots and parsnips, savory sautéed onions, pungent garlic, and woodsy thyme and rosemary give this soup great depth of flavors that contrast and complement one another. The addition of cannellini beans makes this soup even heartier with a boost of protein, but also helps the soup to become creamy when pureed without the addition of any dairy products. This soup is completely vegan, requires very few ingredients, and can be put together in a pinch!

I’m really proud of how this recipe has turned out, and am even more taken with it as it was conceived in Scotland; now, anytime I make it, I will always remember my incredible journey there. And all of us can eat this soup for its great and cozy flavors that are perfect to be enjoyed all fall and winter long!

Honey Roasted Carrot & Parsnip Soup

Serves: 4-6 | Prep Time: 50 minutes | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

  • 2 large or 3 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 3 large or 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme, leaves removed from stems
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 1 15 ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 5-6 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Arrange the parsnips and carrots on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the honey, half of the salt and pepper, and the thyme leaves. Toss until all the carrots and parsnips are coated well. Roast for 30 minutes until tender and slightly caramelized. Remove from the oven.

Over medium-high heat, heat the remaining olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the onion and season with a pinch of salt and pepper, cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Add the roasted parsnips and carrots, toss all together. Add the beans, vegetable stock, rosemary, and bay leaf. Season with remaining salt and pepper. Stir. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, and continue to simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.

Uncover and remove the bay leaf. Puree by use of immersion hand blender or by transferring the soup to a food processor in small batches. Puree until completely smooth. Serve and enjoy!

Like this recipe? Let me know in the comments! Did you make this recipe? Tag me on Instagram @johnnylapasta!

Mitasie 3 Review

I have recently been having a lot of foodie fun trying more vegetarian and vegan foods. I am experimenting with more vegetarian/vegan recipes, like my Vegan Cauliflower, Mushroom, and Red Bean Chili, and am enjoying visiting more veg-friendly restaurants (Native Foods and Veggie Grill are long standing favorites of mine).

 

you don't eat meat

While I am not a vegetarian, I do think we need some animal protein in our diets and know that I certainly need some in mine, I am also a firm believer that we can and should cut way back on our meat consumption, utilize better practices when it comes to meat, and make better sustainable choices overall. An easy way to help our own health and the health of the planet is to enjoy some more veggie centric meals. This has led me to seek out more vegetarian establishments recently.

Enter Mitasie 3! I can’t believe it took me this long to discover this little gem of a restaurant; located literally around the corner from me in Huntington Beach, its right next to the PetSmart I take my dog to all the time. Mitasie 3 is a self-proclaimed “Healthy Vegetarian Vietnamese” restaurant serving up completely vegan versions of Vietnamese classics. My colleagues and I stopped in for lunch this past Friday for our “Cultural” lunch and were not disappointed!

There it is! A clean whole in the wall!
My colleagues/friends!
Lanterns and art!

A small restaurant, the space is bright with Asian décor and a definite feeling of light and freshness. Also cool, they display artworks from local artists that are up for sale! It wasn’t busy when we went and were quickly seated and attended to. The service from there continued to be superb with two very friendly servers making sure that we were happy throughout our experience.

look food

Now to the food! On this particular outing, we decided to order a bunch of different dishes and share.

We started with two different types of Mitasie’s Spring Rolls.

Mitasie Jimaca Rol

Jicama Spring Roll

The Jimaca Spring Roll is comprised of steamed jicama, shredded carrots, basil, and soy ham all rolled up into rice paper and served with a spicy peanut sauce. The rolls were tasty light and refreshing, perfect on a warm day!

Mitasie BBQ Spring Roll

BBQ Pork Spring Roll

The clear winner of the Spring Rolls, however, was the Soy BBQ Pork Roll. BBQ soy ham, avocado, mint, lettuce, sprouts, and cucumber, again rolled up into the strangely clear rice papers and served with the same peanut sauce. These rolls were slightly hearty and packed the great flavor of tangy BBQ while being contrasted and complimented by the fresh veggies. I would make a meal just out of these and a salad!

Mitasie Thai Salad

Thai Salad

I actually ordered another dish just for me because, food. I ordered the Thai Salad which was moderately spicy and fully fresh. Mixed greens, carrots, bell peppers, basil, a special Thai sauce, and soy chicken. This salad was a surprising amount of food. The Thai sauce really gave the dish a nice kick and the soy chicken really did look, feel, and taste like chicken! I’d order it again.

Mitasie Shaking Beef

Shaking Beef

Next we had the other clear winner of the day, the Shaking Beef. Marinated and roasted soy beef, shallots, tomatoes, peppers, and garlic in a sweet vinegar sauce over a bed of greens. I’ve had vegan chicken that tasted like chicken before, like in my salad above, but never have I ever had a vegan version of beef that tasted legit. Holy Hera! This dish beautifully danced between sweet and savory and was entirely delectable. This is another one I would order just for me next time!

Mitasie Cryspy Shrimp

Salted Pepper Cryspy Soy Shrimp

We also shared the Salted Pepper Cryspy Soy Shrimp. This baby is spicy! Soy shrimps that have been fried to a perfect and satisfying crunchiness, onions, peppers, and jalapenos. This one just had a great depth of spicy and savory flavor. Plus, it was fried! Get this one too!

Mitasie Garlic Noodle

Garlic Noodle

Lastly, we had sides of the Mitasie Garlic Noodles; spaghetti noodles, garlic, tofu, mushrooms and olive oil, as well as the Garlic Fried Rice. As you might have guessed it, both were very garlicy; and garlicy is good! The noodles can be ordered as a main whereas the rice is a perfect and cheap side order. If you like garlic and need some carbs with your meal, either of these should do nicely!

The prices at Mitasie 3 are incredibly fair. You can easily enjoy a nice, healthy meal for $10 or under. I am so used to having to pay a premium to eat healthfully that I went into the restaurant expecting to spend more than was actually necessary. How refreshing, no pun intended, to find a place where I can eat well for less!

so good

We left full of plant-based deliciousness and with happy hearts. Mitasie 3 is a little hidden treasure in my eyes. The atmosphere is bright and inviting, the service is friendly and quick, and the food is fantastic and equally healthy. I especially love that I have another vegan option nearby when as I begin to order more vegetarian. I hope you make a trip over to Mitasie 3 and enjoy what they have to offer!

Pray for Paris

Praying for my friends in Paris. The city and its people were so good to me during my time there. It is strange to think that I was walking through its streets and savoring in its sights and flavors less than 2 months ago. These horrific attacks are undeserved and incredibly devastating. I pray for a quick resolution and comfort to those that have lost.

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