Brown Rice, Mushrooms & Kale
Serves: 6
Here’s a veggie burger turned into a salad! The combination of brown rice, sauteed mushrooms and kale ended up being so delicious and with a big bonus—-so very nutritious. You get your cruciferous greens, grains and mushrooms all in one side dish! Then I decided to make it part of my Fairy-Tale Stuffed Pumpkin. Add some roasted butternut squash for a colorful entree and serve with a crispy salad and you have a wonderful meal.
Here’s a veggie burger turned into a salad! The combination of brown rice, sauteed mushrooms and kale ended up being so delicious and with a big bonus—-so very nutritious. You get your cruciferous greens, grains and mushrooms all in one side dish! Then I decided to make it part of my Fairy-Tale Stuffed Pumpkin. Add some roasted butternut squash for a colorful entree and serve with a crispy salad and you have a wonderful meal.
Ingredients
- 1 medium size red onion, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1 pound cremini mushroom, diced to ¼-inch (about 4 cups)
- ½ cup cooked brown rice
- 1 bunch curly green kale, stems removed and finely chopped (about 5-6 cups)
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Directions
(can be made 1 day in advance)
- Dry sautè the onions: Place a large sauté pan over medium high heat for 1-½ minutes. Add diced onion and stir quickly so that the onion doesn’t stick to the pan. Lower the heat to medium low and place the lid on the pan for 1 minute. Lift the lid and stir and cover again for another minute or two, or until translucent. Add minced garlic and stir to combine until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add diced mushrooms and increase heat to medium. Stir until the mushrooms exude their juices and start to break down, about 2 minutes. Season the mixture with balsamic vinegar, liquid smoke, freshly ground black pepper and red pepper flakes, if using, and stir for 1 minute.
- Add the chopped kale and rice, stir and cook for another couple of minutes until the kale has wilted and rice is warmed through.
Cook's Notes: Serve with roasted butternut squash and a salad and you have a wonderful, colorful meal.
