Sweet and Salty Bulgur and Cauliflower Salad {Recipe Redux}

This month’s topic for Recipe Redux, a group of registered dietitians who write a blog post about a healthy recipe all on a single theme, is all about whole grains. Exotic grains were encouraged for the recipes, but instead, I chose a common pantry staple—bulgur wheat—and added some out of the ordinary flavors.

Bulgur is traditionally reserved for tabbouleh, the lemony parsley and grain salad recipe that everyone has memorized they’ve made it so often. I love the hearty flavor and chewy texture of bulgur, but wanted to do something completely different with it.

For crunch (and because it is so incredibly beautiful at the farmers’ market this time of year), I added finely chopped raw cauliflower (done in the food processor; quick and easy), for sweetness, I used golden raisins plumped in warm orange juice, and for a bit of salty tang, I threw in a handful of chopped green olives. It all came together to make a salad that has humble ingredients but fantastic flavor.  Scroll to the end of the recipe for links to more healthy grain recipes from my fellow Recipe Reduxers.

Sweet and Salty Bulgur and Cauliflower Salad

Serves 6

2/3 cup water

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup fine grind bulgur wheat

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/2 of a small head of cauliflower (about 12 ounces for 1/2 a head), trimmed and cut into chunks

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

6 large green olives, pitted and chopped

1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Bring the water and salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and stir in the bulgur. Cover and let stand 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring the orange juice to a simmer in another small saucepan. Remove from the heat and add the raisins. Cover and let stand until cool.

Place the cauliflower in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped (be careful not to over process, you don’t want it pureed).

Whisk together the oil, vinegar, honey, cumin, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the bulgur and the raisin mixture and stir to combine. Stir in the olives and parsley. You can serve the salad at once, or cover and refrigerate it for up to 3 days.

Each serving: 18 g carbohydrate, 123 calories, 5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 2 g protein, 109 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 1; Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 fat

Pumpkin Flan - Perfect Make-Ahead Dessert

If you’re planning smart use of your carbs for the Thanksgiving meal, add this silky sweet Pumpkin Flan to your menu. From my book, 1,000 Diabetes Recipes (Wiley, 2011), It’s like the smoothest pumpkin pie filling you’ve ever had—without the crust. Whether you’re avoiding crust because of the carbs or because you want to take some shortcuts with a laborious holiday menu, you’ll love this dessert.

Another great selling point for this flan is that you HAVE to make it a day ahead so that it forms the addictive caramel syrup in the refrigerator overnight. When dessert is already baked, it frees up the oven for more important things—like the turkey. All you have to do to serve it is to invert it onto a plate—a rimmed plate—you don’t want any of that yummy syrup to go to waste. Happy Thanksgiving.  

Pumpkin Flan

Makes 12 servings

1 teaspoon canola oil

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons water

1 (12-ounce) can fat-free evaporated milk

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

3 large eggs

2 large egg whites

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush the inside rim of a 9-inch metal round cake pan with the oil, leaving the bottom of the pan uncoated.

2. Stir together the granulated sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes, or until sugar dissolves. Continue cooking, without stirring, until the mixture turns golden, about 6 minutes longer. Carefully pour the sugar mixture into the prepared pan, tilting the pan to coat the bottom (the pan will be hot after pouring in the caramel).

3. Whisk together the evaporated milk, pumpkin, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, eggs, egg whites, and vanilla in a large bowl. Pour into the cake pan. Place the cake pan inside a large baking roasting pan and add hot water to the baking pan to a level half way up the sides  of the cake pan.

4. Bake until a knife inserted in the edge of the flan comes out clean and flan is still soft in the center, 1 hour and 20 minutes. Carefully remove the flan from the water bath and cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate the flan, covered, overnight.

5. To serve, run a small spatula around the edge of the flan and invert onto a rimmed serving plate to avoid spilling the syrup.

Each serving: 24 g carbohydrate, 126 calories, 2 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 53 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 4 g protein, 68 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 1 1/2; Exchanges: 1 1/2 carbohydrate

Lemon-Spice Lentil Soup

I love turning ordinary ingredients into a fantastically delicious meal—it’s like kitchen alchemy. This flavorful soup is one of my latest successes. I used whole spices and toasted them to bring out their best flavor, added fresh grated ginger for a pungent kick, and finished the soup off with a drizzle of tangy yogurt and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro. It takes the humble lentil to a new level.

If you don’t have whole spices, used ground spices (in equal measure) and cook them along with the leeks, so they will toast slightly. I used leeks because they were in the CSA box last week; an onion will suffice perfectly if you don’t have leeks on hand. The fresh ginger is a must, however, and since it keeps for weeks in the refrigerator, it’s a worthy staple for your pantry. This soup freezes well too. Just make sure when you reheat it that you don’t forget to garnish the soup with the yogurt and cilantro.

Lemon-Spice Lentil Soup

Makes 6 servings

2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds

2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds

1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 leeks, white part only, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium stalk celery, chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped

3 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

3 cups water

1 1/2 cups brown lentils

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes

Grated zest of 1 large lemon

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt, thinned to drizzling consistency with 1-2 tablespoons milk

Chopped fresh cilantro

Place the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and peppercorns in small dry skillet and set over medium heat. Toast, shaking the pan often, until the spices are fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool. Crush the spices in a mortar and pestle or place in a small zip lock bag and crush with a meat mallet. Set aside.

Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and tilt the pan to coat the bottom. Add the leeks and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly for about 1 minute. Add the broth, water, lentils, the spice mixture, ginger, salt, cayenne, and cinnamon.

Place the tomatoes in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped; add to the saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and cook until the lentils are tender, 30 to 35 minutes.  Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest and juice. Ladle the soup into 6 bowls; drizzle with the yogurt mixture and sprinkle with cilantro.

Each serving: 41 g carbohydrate, 252 calories, 4 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 3 mg cholesterol, 13 g fiber, 17 g protein, 386 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 3; Exchanges: 2 1/2 starch, 1 veg, 1 plant-based protein, 1/2 fat

Pumpkin and Roasted Red Pepper Soup

My cookbook, 1,000 Diabetes Recipes, came out a few weeks ago and I’d like to share one of my favorite recipes in the book to make this time of year. If you love to make butternut squash soup, but hate all the time it takes for peeling and chopping, you’ll love this recipe.

It uses canned pumpkin, so it takes no time at all to prep. If you have any red peppers left from the end of the season farmers’ market, by all means roast your own. But honestly, this is one recipe where it really doesn’t matter. The only way to possibly mess up this recipe is if you buy the wrong kind of pumpkin—you want “canned pumpkin” not “pumpkin pie filling.”

It’s great to have for lunch or an easy supper. And, if you want to dress it up a little and serve it at a holiday dinner, top each serving with a spoonful of plain low-fat yogurt or reduced-fat sour cream. Enjoy the ease of the season.

Pumpkin and Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Makes 6 servings

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

3 large carrots, peeled and chopped

1 large onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

5 to 5 1/2 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken broth

1 cup roasted red peppers from a jar, drained and chopped

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the oil and tilt the pan to coat the bottom evenly. Add the carrots and onion and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened, 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, and coriander and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 30 seconds.

2. Add 5 cups of the stock, the bell pepper, salt, and ground pepper and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

3. Place the vegetable mixture in a food processor or blender in batches and process until smooth. Return the soup to the saucepan and stir in the pumpkin. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of broth a few tablespoons at a time, if needed, to reach the desired consistency. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until heated through. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Ladle into bowls and serve at once. The soup can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Each serving: 16 g carbohydrate, 80 calories, 2 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber, 2 g protein, 324 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 1; Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 2 vegetable

Photo: Veer

Yellow Bell Pepper Romesco Sauce

I am by nature a plain (read: lazy) cook, which is what makes having sauces like this one so great. I made a big batch of this yesterday and will eat it for days on striped bass fillets (broiled with salt and pepper), roasted vegetables (cut up, tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roasted), roasted chicken (rubbed with olive oil, salt, and pepper and roasted), and with just plain sliced bread.

I used yellow bell peppers because they looked so pretty at the produce market, but you can use red or orange ones instead. To make this even faster, you can even use roasted red peppers from a jar. You’ll need about 1 mounded cup of drained peppers. And if you don’t have pine nuts, you can substitute almonds or walnuts.

Put this low-carb, low-cal sauce on almost anything—it’s good stuff to have around when you don’t feel like cooking.

Yellow Bell Pepper Romesco Sauce

Makes generous 1 cup

1/4 cup pine nuts

2 large yellow or red bell peppers, cut in half lengthwise, stems and seeds removed

2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar

1 garlic clove, crushed through a press

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the pine nuts in a small baking dish and bake, shaking the pan once or twice, until the nuts are lightly toasted, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool (don’t keep them in the hot pan or they will continue to toast).

2. Preheat the broiler. Lightly oil a small rimmed baking pan and place the bell pepper halves skin side up on the pan. Broil the peppers, turning the pan as needed, until the skin of the peppers is blackened and blistered, about 10 minutes. Transfer the peppers to a bowl; set a plate over the bowl to hold in the heat. Let stand until the peppers are cool enough to handle, 15-20 minutes. Peel away and discard the skins of the peppers.

3. Combine the pine nuts, peppers, and the remaining ingredients in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. (If your peppers are really large, you might need a little more liquid to get to a “saucy” consistency; you can add a few teaspoons of cold water or chicken broth.) Serve at once, or cover and refrigerate up to 4 days.

Each serving (about 2 tablespoons): 4 g carbohydrate, 73 calories, 6 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 1 g protein, 71 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 0; Exchanges: 1 fat

Tomato Time: End of Summer Pasta

This time of year, there's so much great food at the farmers’ market, it’s hard not to come home with more than you can possibly eat. The mountains of late season summer tomatoes on vendor’s tables are irresistible. And right now, as our short New York tomato season draws to a close, I try to eat as many as possible before they disappear. Here’s a recipe I recently made that uses lots of the other late summer vegetables, but lets the flavor of those soon-to-be-gone tomatoes shine through.

I took a combination of eggplant, red bell pepper, yellow squash, and onion and roasted those, then tossed the roasted vegetables with hot whole wheat pasta, fresh uncooked tomatoes, and fresh basil. The combination of the sweet roasted vegetables and the tangy tomatoes is a perfect combination. If you have leftovers, they make a delicious lunch. 

Pasta with Roasted Vegetables, Fresh Tomatoes, and Basil

Makes 4 servings

1 medium eggplant (about 12 ounces), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

1 large red or green bell pepper (or use a combination), cut into 1-inch chunks

1 medium yellow squash or zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch slices  

1 medium onion, cut in half and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

6 ounces whole wheat rigatoni or other short pasta

2 large tomatoes (preferably beefsteak), chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

2. Combine the eggplant, bell pepper, squash, and onion in a large rimmed baking pan or roasting pan. Add the oil, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper and toss to coat. Arrange the vegetables in a single layer in the pan. Bake, stirring once, until the vegetables are tender and lightly browned, about 45 minutes.

3. When the vegetables are about half way done, cook the pasta according to the package directions.  

4. Combine the roasted vegetables, pasta, tomatoes, basil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl and toss to mix well. Divide the mixture among four shallow serving bowls. Sprinkle with the cheese. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Each serving: 46 g carbohydrate, 276 calories, 7 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 4 mg cholesterol, 9 g fiber, 10 g protein, 304 mg sodium

Carb Choices: 3; Exchanges: 2 starch, 3 veg, 1 fat

Summer Fruit Popsicles

This post is another in a series of food blogs brought to you by a group of registered dietitians who believe good nutrition can taste great. This month's theme is frozen desserts.

I bought some popsicle molds for some recipe development projects that I did this winter and I’ve put them to good use to make summer treats for myself. All I do is puree fruit, add a little lime or lemon juice, pour it into the molds and freeze. It’s a refreshing, sugar-free, and delicious treat to enjoy on the last of the hot summer afternoons. Try giving one of these healthful treats to your kids—they’ll probably think it’s better than any artificially colored and flavored popsicle they’ve had.

If you don’t have popsicle molds, you can make these in small paper cups. Put the puree in the cups and cover the tops with foil. Insert a wooden popsicle stick into the center of the foil and freeze.

You can also layer different fruit purees to make colorful popsicles or stir some whole raspberries or blueberries into the puree before freezing. This is the perfect time of year, when fruits and berries are at their peak, to have some fun in the kitchen and have a delicious treat as your reward.

Summer Fruit Popsicles

Makes 4 servings

4 cups fresh berries or 1-inch cubes of peeled and seeded fruit (such as cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon, peaches, nectarines, or plums)

2 teaspoons lemon or lime juice

1. Place the fruit and the lemon juice in a food processor and process until smooth (you’ll have about 2 cups of pureed fruit).

2. Spoon the mixture into 4 (4-ounce) popsicle molds, top with the handles, and freeze at least 4 hours or up to 2 weeks.

Each popsicle has about 15 grams of carbohydrate: 1 Carb Choice; 1 fruit exchange


Take a look at these frozen treats from fellow registered dietitians participating in the Recipe Redux:

Emma Stirling - The Scoop on Nutrition   
Greek Yogurt Pavlova Popsicles

Cherie Schetselaar - Grain Crazy   
Blackberry Lemon Almond Torte

Emma Cutfield-The Hearty Heart   
Coconut Ice, Blueberry and Cocoa, Joint Healing Dessert   

Carlene Helble- Carlene's Figments   
Peanut Butter Banana 'Ice Cream' Sandwich   

Janel Funk - Eat Well with Janel   
Peanut Butter and Jelly Ice Cream   

Kat Lynch - Eating The Week   
Coconut Chia-Seed Fruit Pops   

Dr Barb, Nutrition Budgeteer   
Simply Fruit Mango-Pineapple Sorbet

Rebecca Scritchfield - MeFirst   
5-minute Frozen Peach Pie   

gretchen - kumquat   
chocolate "ice cream" bars   

Emily Greenfield - The Nutriscientist   
Honey and strawberry semifreddo   

Liz Marr - Liz On Food   
Peach Lavender Ice Cream
   
Elizabeth Jarrard- Don't (White) Sugar-Coat It   
Adult Popsicles: Frozen Boozy Treats    


Regan - The Professional Palate   
Frozen Samoa Pie   

Liz Weiss & Janice Newell Bissex - Meal Makeover Moms' Kitchen   
Healthy Blueberry and Mango Snow Cones

Jessica Fishman Levinson - Nutritioulicious
Watermelon Sorbet   

Alexandra Caspero- Delicious Knowledge    
Mango & Coconut Popsicles   

Karman Meyer- Nutrition Adventures   
Coconut Ice Cream with Strawberry Puree   

Yuri - Chef Pandita   
Acerola Chia Lime Popsicles   

Kristen Bourque- Swanky Dietitian   
Peanut Butter Coffee Popsicles   

EA Stewart-The Spicy RD   
Luscious Lemonade Pie   

Danielle Omar - Food Confidence RD   
Banana Soft Serve   

Katie Caputo- East Meats West   
Auntie Rosie's Ice Cream Pie   

Alysa Bajenaru - Inspired RD   
Coffee Granita   

Kara Lydon - Peace, Love, and Food   
Peanut Butter Banana "Ice Cream" With Dark Chocolate   


Serena Ball- Teaspoon of Spice   
Splendid Key Lime Frozen Yogurt   

Nicole Ferring Holovach - Whole Health RD   
Peaches and Rum Ice Cream Pie   

Lisa @ Healthful Sense   
Peanut Butter Vanilla Soft Serve       

Audra Losey - Nutrition Know How   
Mocha Pops   

Kristina LaRue - Love and Zest   
Frozen Berry Yogurt