Top 3 Ways to Use Cauliflower Rice (Including New Risotto Recipe)

I am such a fan of frozen riced cauliflower. It’s inexpensive, ready-to-cook, and versatile. Cruciferous vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, kale, cabbages, etc) contain many, many nutrients, making them totally worth it to incorporate into your menu. When it comes to improving your nutrition and cooking, it is much more important to add foods to your diet than to burden yourself with eliminating foods you love. (Another reason you won’t find me writing about why you should stop eating “xyz foods”– nope, not into that!) I think it’s essential to have easy ingredients on-hand, and I hope you’ll give frozen riced cauliflower a try.

There are a few different varieties of frozen riced cauliflower (or “cauliflower rice” or “cauli-rice”).

Some brands make lemon & garlic, pesto, southwestern, etc. Generally, the more flavor, the better; but I usually go for plain, so I can season it on my own.

Let’s get into the Top 3 Ways to Use Cauliflower Rice!

If you want to make this frozen veggie as a side dish, on its own, you MUST sauté it in a skillet vs. microwaving it in the bag. All frozen veggies release water when cooked, and if you microwave it or boil frozen cauliflower, it will likely end up soggy and unappetizing.

1. The #1 way to cook frozen cauli-rice is to make Cauliflower Risotto.

Heat 1 tsp (or more) olive oil in a skillet, and add an entire bag of frozen riced cauliflower. Stir the veggies frequently with a wooden spoon or spatula, allowing the excess water to evaporate and the cauliflower to slightly brown.

sauteed cauliflower rice — Easy and quick cauliflower risotto!

Try it on your own by following this recipe for Cauliflower Rice Risotto:

Cauliflower Rice Risotto

Morgan

An all-veggie side that's ready in 10 minutes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Cook Time 10

Course Side Dish

Servings 4 people

Equipment

Large skillet

Ingredients

1 tbsp butter
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 lb riced cauliflower, frozen
1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup peas, frozen
Salt and pepper
1-2 tbsp white wine (optional)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
1 tbsp parsley, chopped (optional)

Instructions

Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When butter begins to melt, add garlic and saute for 1 minute.
Add frozen cauliflower and peas to skillet, stirring for 3-4 minutes until vegetables release water. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in mushrooms and increase heat to medium-high.
Add wine, if using. Saute, stirring frequently, until liquid is evaporated, about 6-8 minutes total.
Remove from heat, add grated parmesan and parsley. Serve immediately.

Keyword cauliflower rice, mushroom, risotto

#2. Mix it in with cooked grains.

In this method, you can shortcut the cooking by using the microwave because the grains will absorb some excess liquid. Simply cook 1 bag of cauli-rice (microwave according to package instructions), and drain in a fine mesh strainer. Add the strained cauli-rice to a pot of cooked rice, quinoa, or barley.

Recipe: Burrito Bowls with Cilantro-Lime Cauliflower Rice

#3. Add it to smoothies.

For this last (and my favorite) way to use frozen cauliflower rice, be sure you are using only PLAIN, not garlic cauliflower! Add 1/4-1/2 cup per serving and blend it up with your other smoothie ingredients: fruit, nut butter, almond/other milk, and protein powder. You don’t taste the cauliflower, I promise. And hooray, veggies for breakfast!

Recipe: Cherries and Cream Smoothie

Do you use frozen cauliflower rice in your cooking? Which way is your favorite? I can’t wait to hear! Be sure to tag me @dinneronthecouch in your posts so I can cheer you on! xo- Morgan

February 2, 2021February 4, 2021

Winter Recipe Roundup, Plus: How I Meal Plan…

Here we are in the middle of winter– it’s freezing outside, we are still in a pandemic, we are hungry… you better believe we are COOKING and BAKING in our house! (What else is there to do?!) I’m rounding up some of the best recipes I’ve made so far this winter and linking the recipes below for you to work into your weekly menu, too.

How I meal plan:

Each week, I game plan by choosing the recipes that I want to make. On a weekend, I’ll narrow my plan down to 3-4/ish recipes, add the ingredients to my grocery list, and post the menu in my kitchen as a visual of what I am prepared to cook in that specific week. As I make something, I cross it off with a pen. (How satisfying!) My method is flexible, and if I don’t feel like making those lentil burgers on Sunday because we want to order Indian instead, no big deal. There is always the next day, or the next.

These are some of my favorite sources for recipes:

NYT Cooking- paid yearly subscription online ($40)
Bon Appetit magazine- subscription
What’s Gaby Cooking (blog and cookbooks)
Well Plated (blog)
Smitten Kitchen (blog- one of the originals!!)

menu board and pen — My real-life menu board! My husband made this board in 4th grade woodshop– no joke!

Now, on to the recipes so you can get inspired…

ONE-POT WONDERS

Slow Cooker Quinoa Enchilada Bowls (Well Plated) I have been making this recipe for years! It’s basically the only recipe that I use my slow cooker for- it just turns out perfectly every time. It has all of the veggies (peppers, onion, black beans, tomatoes, corn), a healthy grain (quinoa), a protein (ground turkey) and some cheese to finish it off. You know I love a toppings bar (like with my Pumpkin Turkey Chili) so I like to have cilantro, sour cream/yogurt, scallions, limes, and tortilla chips for serving.

two bowls with quinoa enchiladas and a bowl of chips — Slow cooker quinoa enchilada bowls

One-Pot Orzo with Spinach and Feta– (Melissa Clark- NYT Cooking) I’ve made this 3 times already this winter– I’m obsessed with a veggie-filled pasta dish and especially one covered in feta cheese.

two bowls of orzo with spinach and feta — One-pot orzo with spinach and feta

PASTA/NOODLES

A warm, filling bowl of noods is all I need when I’m snowed in!

Kale Pesto with Pasta (Bon Appetit) I LOVE this one– it’s a great way to use up an entire bunch of kale when you don’t feel like eating kale salad. With a large food processor, this pesto pasta is FAST, too! I’ve found that my 3-yr-old is very willing to eat pasta when he’s allowed to grate the parmesan with this fun tool.

Peanut Noodles with Sesame Halloumi (Half Baked Harvest) This is basically my favorite recipe on the internet. I make it once per month. It’s pretty spicy (due to the Thai red curry paste) but the peanut sauce is so irresistible I still devour it as-is. Don’t forget to add water to the sauce, which blends up perfectly in a mini-food processor.

peanut noodles with halloumi cheese — Peanut noods with spicy peanut sauce and halloumi

Pad Thai with Shrimp– I have a thing for peanut noodles (see above) and (in addition to making the above) wanted something that resembled pad thai! I googled recipes and started with with the most popular recipe search result. When you are make a recipe for the first time, taste as you go! I made plenty of modifications to the method and ingredients– a little less fish sauce, more peanut butter, less sugar, etc. I used 1 lb of frozen shrimp. Dang, it hit the spot. Recipes truly are blueprints- don’t be afraid to veer from what is written!

pad thai noodles in two bowls — Pad thai with shrimp

LIGHT & FRESH

Banh Mi Bowls- (Budget Bytes) This was a first-time recipe for me, and wow– so much flavor! Pork meatballs mixed with ginger and soy, pickled carrots and onions, jasmine rice.

bowl with pork meat balls and rice — Banh mi bowls

Salmon, broccoli, and sweet potatoes– One of my favorite meals. Linking you back to my own post where I walk you through how to time this meal to come out perfectly.

plate with salmon, broccoli, and sweet potatoes — Perfection on a plate to me!

SOUP

Fully Loaded Baked Potato Soup- (What’s Gaby Cooking) Pure comfort! I’ll be honest– this soup is a labor of love between baking the potatoes, cooking bacon, frying the potato skins (be sure to add salt!) etc… but it is perfect for a cozy weekend day project that is totally worth it.

Red Lentil Soup with Lemon- (NYT Cooking) Soup like this is so easy to make with pantry staples! Customize it based on what you like and what you have. Pairs well with homemade bread… read on!

BAKERY

Sourdough Bread: I have been baking it since the start of quarantine 2020- and I’m fully into it. I started with the NYT Cooking sourdough method, and have tweaked it here and there along the way with trial and error. Cold winter air presents its own set of problems for baking, and this incredible folding proofer has been my solution! It controls the temperature of the bulk fermentation (aka hours of rising and gluten development necessary for good sourdough) and has really improved my bread this winter!

sourdough bread loaf on cooling rack — My very own happy crusty sourdough loaf!

Sandwich bread- (Sally’s Baking Addiction) When I don’t have sourdough ready to go, this is the loaf I make. It’s perfect for Ollie’s sunbutter & jelly sandwiches, his fav lunch to take to school. It takes about 3 hours start to finish, and I use 1/3 white whole wheat flour.

Whole Grain Blueberry Muffins- (Well Plated) I always have frozen blueberries, which means I basically always have what I need to make these muffins. I am a true believer in silicone muffin tin liners which help the muffins come out of the tin easily! These are easy and delightful to make on the weekend.

Kitchen Sink Cookies– (What’s Gaby Cooking) These cookies call for about 2 cups of mix-ins, so I used up a bunch of random bags of chocolate chips, Christmas M&M’s, and dried fruits left over in my pantry. The result was exquisite!! We ate what we wanted, I took some to give away at work, and I still froze about 2 dozen. Highly recommend!

I’m always happy to share a great recipe when I find it. Have you made any of these yourself?!

Happy (winter) cooking and baking! xo-Morgan

October 16, 2020October 16, 2020

How to Get Toddlers to Eat Vegetables

We just celebrated Oliver’s 3rd birthday! In honor of his big day, I wanted to share some insights on toddler nutrition– but in a way that is a bit unexpected. I’m not talking about how I sneak vegetables into his diet, but more, how he is becoming more comfortable trying a variety of foods in his own way.

Clementine pumpkins with a celery stem– my son 100% did not eat the celery, but he asked what it was and picked it out himself which is a form of vegetable exposure!

If you have a toddler, or know a 2 or 3 year-old, you understand how seemingly impossible it is to convince them to do certain things. “Put away these blocks… hold mommy’s hand… stop licking the carpet… try this food…” Toddlers are learning their independence and like to do things on their own terms. With gentle structure, schedule, and opportunity to practice their autonomy, little ones will learn to eat a variety of foods. Every child is unique and this journey is different for everyone. Don’t compare your child’s eating habits to another kid’s… this is not a fun game. Focus on the positive impact you can have on mealtime, and trust your child to do the rest.

It’s more important for a child to have a good relationship with food than it is to “eat vegetables”.

The way we as parents talk about food and eating shapes how our children view food and eating. Putting pressure on eating certain things, even with the best of intentions, can cause a child to have a negative association with that food or even view mealtime as a battleground. Bribing or rewarding a child with dessert if they eat vegetables sends the message that there is something bad about veggies, so if you get them down you can have the celebration of dessert.

I first learned of the Division of Responsibility in child feeding when I had the privilege of working on a family feeding study at Penn State. Ellyn Satter, a dietitian and family therapist, is a pioneer for family mealtime and childhood nutrition, laying research-backed groundwork for the division of responsibility in her numerous books and website. A more in-depth summary of the method is outlined here, and the summary is below.

Parents and caregivers are responsible for the what, when, and where of mealtime.
Children decide whether and how much.
Ellyn Satter, Division of Responsibility in feeding

Allowing your child to take responsibility for whether they eat at all, and how much they eat may not feel like you have much control, but when following these principles, research shows that a child will eat enough for their bodies and learn to eat a variety of foods.

Here are 4 ways you can create a healthy family mealtime experience in your own home:

Lighten up- Mealtime should be relaxing and enjoyable. Put the food on the table, get everyone seated, talk about what’s available to eat, and then talk about anything other than the food! What’s something funny that happened today? Who did you enjoy talking with today? How are we kind to each other? Don’t stress yourself out about what your child chooses to eat– remember, that’s for the child to decide. Create a pleasant environment around food and your child will thrive.
Practice modeling- Children learn by watching others. Show your child how YOU eat a variety of foods and try new things. Consistently serve different foods to increase familiarity of foods. Model, don’t pressure. Talk about food in a positive way.
Provide repeat exposure- Choose a vegetable some family members truly enjoy, and serve it multiple times in a week. The more a child is exposed to a vegetable, the more comfortable and willing to try it they become. Vegetable exposure doesn’t have to be just offering food at the dinner table, you can offer vegetables as a means of play, too: Have your child try stacking the vegetables in a tower on the plate, line up these veggies in color order, or use toothpicks to connect pieces of cooked veggies together. Allow toddlers to play with food. It’s okay if they don’t taste it, they will one day!
Talk about food differently– Discourage the use of negative words to describe food: for example, at our table I remind my son that food is not YUCK! (Plenty of other things are, of course.) Saying yuck, eww, or disgusting about food can hurt others’ feelings- both those who prepared it and those who enjoy it. Here are some better phrases to teach kids to say when they don’t like the taste of a food:

It’s not for me.
It’s not my favorite.
I don’t prefer it.
Maybe next time!

Lastly, it’s important to always serve at least 1 familiar, likable food at every meal. At our table, it could be grapes, bread, or cheese. A familiar food is one you know your child will gravitate toward, creating a more comfortable eating environment and also providing nutrients to fill their tummy if they aren’t ready to fill up on something new.

Happy Birthday Oliver– if there is one thing we all agree on, it’s chocolate cake!

Love this topic? One of my favorite RD resources is Kids Eat in Color – an amazing blog and IG account with tons of tips and resources for toddler feeding.

Try one of these strategies at dinner tonight! I’d love to hear your feedback on how your toddler eats at mealtime. Remember that every child is unique and trust your child as he or she tries new foods. Have fun with dinner tonight!

September 29, 2020September 29, 2020

Five Foundations of Balanced Nutrition

Today, I want to get us on the same page when it comes to eating well. The truth is, there are a LOT of different ways to optimize your nutrition! What works for one person may not work for another– we have unique bodies with specific needs and specific preferences. Each person’s metabolism works behind the scenes to use the food we eat to fuel our bodies as efficiently as possible. All these specifics can seem CONFUSING and, at times, contradictory, so, let’s start from the beginning together with what balance is, and then, what it takes to achieve it.

It’s important to achieve balance in a few different ways.

Balanced macronutrients- eating sufficient carbs/fat/protein,
balanced cooking- preparing food at home when possible,
and balanced lifestyle- feeling relaxed and confident about what you choose to eat!

1. Trust your body

We are born with an innate ability to eat the right amount for our bodies. No one else can tell you what your body needs the way you can. Diet culture tells us otherwise: that we need to eat a certain way to be thinner/fitter/better. (I’ve linked an article by journalist and dietitian Christy Harrison that will be helpful if you are new to understanding the term.)

Truth: Food is not “good” or “bad”. YOU are not good or bad because of what you eat. This concept is the exact opposite of what has been engrained in our minds for decades– that familiar feeling of guilt for eating something, the urge to “work off” a meal or “earn” food because you dieted or exercised. Restricting. Bingeing. Taking in constant messaging about changing your body to be “better”. It’s all exhausting, and it leaves us feeling overall pretty terrible about ourselves.

YOU are in control of what you eat and how you feel about it. It takes work to unlearn what diet culture is constantly telling us, but if you put in that work, you will start recognizing the false advertising when you see it. It feels pretty awesome to be on the other side. You know what you’re doing- trust me. But really- trust yourself!

2. Hydrate

The first thing you can do to balance your body and be kind to it is to drink water. Water is the MOST important nutrient you can get! It supports every metabolic function: it aids muscle and joint function (movement), improves digestion, betters energy and brain function, and supports your heart! Drink up!

Hydrate first thing in the morning to give yourself a head start each day. Keep a water bottle next to your bed. Keep a water bottle with you most of the time, actually… it just easier to keep going that way! It makes a big difference if you have a bottle you really like, and one that makes water taste good– some of my favorites are stainless steel like Hydroflask, or glass with a silicone sleeve like Life Factory. There are SO many cute ones out there!

How much water is enough? Aim for half of your body weight in fluid ounces of water per day. If you aren’t getting at least 64 oz per day, start with that and work your way up!

3. Eat fruit and vegetables

Okay, this is a big one for me. Colorful veggies and fruits are full of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to fuel every cell in your body. They contain fiber, prebiotics, and water to aid your digestive system. The antioxidants inside help boost your immune system and reverse the effects of cellular aging. There is not enough space on a page to tell you about all of the amazing benefits that VEGETABLES and FRUIT provide you! You knew that though, right??

EAT A LOT of these- in every way possible. Fresh, frozen, blended in a soup or smoothie, in a salad, canned, dried– go for it. Vary your choices by color and eat both raw and cooked. Keep hanging out with me and you’ll see more and more recipes on how to eat more veggies!

If you or someone in your family is super particular when it comes to veggies, know that vegetables and fruits of similar colors provide similar nutrients. Eat fruit of all colors, too.

4. Balance your plate

The foods we eat are made up of carbohydrates, protein, and fat. All of these nutrients are essential to human function, and each play a different role. A huge problem with diets is they often hyper-focus on either restricting or inflating one of these nutrients over the others (ex: low-carb, low-fat, high-fat, high-protein). When we practice restriction, the body and mind nearly always initiate a rebound effect that forever changes our perception of that nutrient. Ex) what do you crave the most when you go on a low-carb diet… right, carbs! This is a main reason why diets stink!

Most people feel and function best when balancing their diets with alllll of the macronutrients: carb/protein/fat.

Without getting overly complicated with calories, grams, and measurements– try this: plan your meals to include a protein source, a carbohydrate or “starch”, and about half of the plate full of colorful veggies. You will likely be cooking or dressing your food in a fat, so there isn’t a major need to save space on your plate for it.

Here are a few balanced yet simple meal ideas:

Salmon, roasted or baked sweet potato, broccoli
Grilled chicken with roasted asparagus and rice
Steak, sauteed spinach, and roasted potatoes
Rotisserie chicken shredded with a bagged salad kit, small pita or roll
Spaghetti with turkey meatballs and a green salad

5. Focus on foods you love

Hey, this is your life, and you deserve to love what you eat. Food isn’t just nutrition, it’s a huge part of life that is meant to be enjoyed! Give yourself permission to find joy in all eating experiences– never guilt or shame. Life is too short to eat foods you don’t like!

Have one cookie or two or however many you want and ENJOY every bite! By the way– the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made are David Liete’s recipe.

I hope you feel inspired and even a little grounded after reading my foundations of balanced nutrition. Do you think you’re doing pretty well with all 5? THAT’S AMAZING! Think you could improve in 1 area? Start SMALL and stay POSITIVE about changing your habits. I’d love to hear your questions or comments below. Happy eating!

August 13, 2020September 20, 2020

Welcome to Dinner on the Couch

Hi there, I’m Morgan- and welcome to my blog! I’m so happy to share a bit of my food, nutrition, and life with you in this new space.

Who am I?

I’m a dietitian, home cook, and pre & post natal trainer. I’m married to Mark (eight years this fall!) and we have a hilariously charming son named Oliver who turns 3 in October. My favorite foods are salmon and chocolate (but not together). I love my morning cup of black coffee. Learning to bake sourdough and life in general have taught me not to take myself too seriously!

What can you expect to see here at Dinner on the Couch?

For me, it’s always been all about the food. Expect recipes, meal inspiration, and cooking techniques you can use at home to feed yourself and the ones you love. Food can bring so much joy to our lives… but I am also sensitive to the fact that food can be a stressful topic for many. As a Registered Dietitian, I have worked with countless clients who have a challenging relationship with food and body self-image. These negative associations are a result of the damaging diet culture that exists in our world today– I will get more into that later, promise! But THIS is a happy food and body space. I want to show you how fulfilling it can be to truly LOVE food and what it can ADD to your life.

You can also expect family nutrition tips and definitely pieces of our family life– living with a 3-yr-old in a pandemic is a wild ride!

What can you NOT expect to see on my blog?

Food shaming, weight loss “tips”, any talk about feeling guilt in relation to food (except how to NOT feel guilty about eating!) No dieting or restricting foods (unless medically necessary). The reason I’m pressing mute on diet talk is because, in short, dieting sucks! It creates a self-destructive mindset that can take years to re-work. There is TOO MUCH damaging diet talk in the world already and it makes everyone feel like crap! Your body is awesome, and you should never believe that you have to change your size in order to be better.

Don’t expect to see many recipes with coconut, either– not a fan of the flavor! Just being honest!

Category: Nutrition