I love all the gatherings and parties the holiday season brings. However, most of the traditional holiday fare leaves much to be desired in the way of nutritive benefit. Aside from the old raw vegetable tray stand-by, I’m often left disappointed.
EUREKA! I found a recipe that checks all the boxes:
- Yummy
- Kids love it
- Easy
- Nutritious
- Pretty enough to share at a party
And if that wasn’t enough, this dish has brassica vegetables as it’s star in show. Brassicas are liver supportive foods, and for many of us, our livers could use a little extra lovin’ over the holidays.
– Kristen Spielman, RN
Prep Time: 45 minute
Total Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil or avocado oil
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 5 cups cauliflower florets, cut into ½-inch slices
- ½ cup canned refried beans
- ¾ cup shredded Mexican cheese blend or cheese substitute
- ½ cup chopped tomato
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons pickled jalapeño peppers
- 2 tablespoons minced red onion
- Pinch of salt
- 1 avocado, chopped
- ½ cup finely shredded cabbage
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Combine oil, chili powder, cumin and onion powder in a large bowl. Add cauliflower and gently toss to coat. Arrange the cauliflower on the prepared baking sheet; bake until tender and starting to brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven; top the cauliflower with beans (I put my beans in a plastic zipper bag, cut the corner off-frosting-style- and squeeze it onto the cauliflower). Then sprinkle with cheese. Return to the oven and bake until the beans are heated through and the cheese has melted, about 3 minutes.
- Transfer the cauliflower slices a platter and top with cabbage, cilantro, tomatoes, avocado, jalapeños, onion, and salt.
Nutrition Information
- Serving size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories; 21 g fat(6 g sat); 8 g fiber; 18g carbohydrates; 10 g protein; 132 mcg folate; 20 mg cholesterol; 4 g sugars; 0 g added sugars; 570 IU vitamin A; 78 mg vitamin C; 193 mg calcium; 2 mg iron; 310 mg sodium; 845 mg potassium
- Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (130% daily value), Folate (33% dv)
- Carbohydrate Servings: 1
- Exchanges: 3 fat, 2 vegetable, ½ high-fat protein, ½ starch
