Beet Rice & Salmon Lettuce Cups
Ever get a little bored with plain old boring white rice? Then why not try giving purple beet "rice" a try! Now if you have never heard of vegetable "rices" this may require a quick explanation. Basically, with a spiralizer, you can spiralize dense enough vegetables, such as zucchini, sweet potato, peppers, beets, turnips, carrots, etc, to create vegetables in the shape of a noodle. It's pretty much a pasta substitute for people who are gluten free or just want to try eating vegetables in a new, fun and delicious way. Well, people have taken the vegetable noodles one step further and gone as far as making vegetable rice by placing spiralized noodles into a food processor and briefly pulsing them, transforming the noodles into short little pieces resembling rice grains.
So the other week I decided I wanted to remake beet rice, something I had tried last fall and was very pleased with! I find it to be a fun way to eat beets. Normally, I don't really like plain steamed beets that much, but I do like this beet rice. It's different form allows for more flavors to be absorbed when sautéd and it is also easier to pair with different dishes. This time, I used the rice for tacos, but this beet rice could be used in a variety of dishes, such as in vegetable stir fries or omelettes.
As far as the lettuce cups go, I think that lettuce cups are a great way to have taco-like meals, without the tortilla. Lettuce is convenient because it skips the preparation/baking that is often involved in creating a paleo tortillas. If you are in a hurry, it's a great alternative and still allows you to eat those tacos you may be craving ;)
So the other week I decided I wanted to remake beet rice, something I had tried last fall and was very pleased with! I find it to be a fun way to eat beets. Normally, I don't really like plain steamed beets that much, but I do like this beet rice. It's different form allows for more flavors to be absorbed when sautéd and it is also easier to pair with different dishes. This time, I used the rice for tacos, but this beet rice could be used in a variety of dishes, such as in vegetable stir fries or omelettes.
As far as the lettuce cups go, I think that lettuce cups are a great way to have taco-like meals, without the tortilla. Lettuce is convenient because it skips the preparation/baking that is often involved in creating a paleo tortillas. If you are in a hurry, it's a great alternative and still allows you to eat those tacos you may be craving ;)
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
The Ingredients:
For the salmon:
For the beet rice:
The creation:
1. Start by marinating the salmon filets. Mix the avocado oil, lemon white vinaigrette, ginger, and sea salt. After mixing, bathe the salmon in the marinade and let sit in the fridge, covered. For the best results, marinate a few hours ahead of time.
2. Spiralize the beets using blade C. Beets can sometimes be a little more difficult to spiralize because of their denseness, but don't worry. Just try to make sure it is securely placed into the inspiralizer and push firmly. Afterwards, take all of the spiralized beets and put them in a food processor and pulse 7- 10 times until the spirals have turned into short pieces that resemble rice.
3. In a wok pan on medium-high heat, add olive oil and sesame oil. Allow the oils to heat for about 1 minute and then add the red onion, garlic, curry paste, and mushrooms. Sauté 5 minutes. Afterwards, add the beet "rice" and allow to sauté for 4 minutes until the beet has softened and absorbed the flavors. Remove the rice from the heat and set aside.
4. In another pan, cook the salmon over medium high heat. Allow the pan to heat up, then place the salmon in the pan along with the remaining marinade which acts as a cooking oil and stops the salmon from sticking to the pan. Cook the salmon for 2 minutes on one side, then flip. Cook for 2 more minutes on the opposite side. At this point, the salmon is cooked enough that you should be able to chop up the salmon in the pan with the spatula or a knife (see photo for visual). Once the salmon is chopped, cook for a 1-2 more minutes until the salmon looks cooked all of the way through. The cook time may vary depending on the thickness of the salmon. I was working with rather thin pieces of salmon.
5. Place the lettuce cups on plates and add in the beet rice and top with salmon and cilantro! Feel free to add any of your other favorite taco fixings such as salsa, peppers, lime, or guacamole.
Cook Time: 15 minutes
The Ingredients:
For the salmon:
- Two 4 oz salmon filets
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon white vinaigrette (or other white vinaigrette)
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger root, grated
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
For the beet rice:
- 2 beets, peeled
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon red curry paste
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1/2 a red onion, chopped
- 3 large mushrooms, chopped
- Bibb lettuce or other lettuce of choice
- Cilantro for garnish
The creation:
1. Start by marinating the salmon filets. Mix the avocado oil, lemon white vinaigrette, ginger, and sea salt. After mixing, bathe the salmon in the marinade and let sit in the fridge, covered. For the best results, marinate a few hours ahead of time.
2. Spiralize the beets using blade C. Beets can sometimes be a little more difficult to spiralize because of their denseness, but don't worry. Just try to make sure it is securely placed into the inspiralizer and push firmly. Afterwards, take all of the spiralized beets and put them in a food processor and pulse 7- 10 times until the spirals have turned into short pieces that resemble rice.
3. In a wok pan on medium-high heat, add olive oil and sesame oil. Allow the oils to heat for about 1 minute and then add the red onion, garlic, curry paste, and mushrooms. Sauté 5 minutes. Afterwards, add the beet "rice" and allow to sauté for 4 minutes until the beet has softened and absorbed the flavors. Remove the rice from the heat and set aside.
4. In another pan, cook the salmon over medium high heat. Allow the pan to heat up, then place the salmon in the pan along with the remaining marinade which acts as a cooking oil and stops the salmon from sticking to the pan. Cook the salmon for 2 minutes on one side, then flip. Cook for 2 more minutes on the opposite side. At this point, the salmon is cooked enough that you should be able to chop up the salmon in the pan with the spatula or a knife (see photo for visual). Once the salmon is chopped, cook for a 1-2 more minutes until the salmon looks cooked all of the way through. The cook time may vary depending on the thickness of the salmon. I was working with rather thin pieces of salmon.
5. Place the lettuce cups on plates and add in the beet rice and top with salmon and cilantro! Feel free to add any of your other favorite taco fixings such as salsa, peppers, lime, or guacamole.