Can you have too many mishmashes? I know I posted this salmon one last month, but I am finding a medley of ingredients both comforting and healthy. The other night I made this using vegetables that are finally appearing in the market as we transition from winter to spring: fresh peas, arugula, and, here in southern California, even zucchini. It has so much flavor, so much bang for the buck, so much green beauty in one meal! Plus, it's easy. If you've read my blog for any length of time, you know I am a big fan of ease.
The inspiration for this recipe came from this risotto recipe. BUT risotto requires a lot of hands on attention, all that stirring and whatnot. So I thought about how I could make something equally as delicious, equally as nutritious, and eliminate all the stirring. That is how you have come to find yet another mishmash recipe on my blog. It's worth it, though, so very worth it. And if you drink wine, I can attest to the fact that a Sauvignon Blanc plays nicely with this mishmash.
Spring Vegetable Mishmash
Serves 4
Good quality olive oil
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 small yellow onion or 2 shallots, finely chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 to 1.5 pounds of zucchini, washed, ends trimmed, cut into a large 1-inch pieces
1 cup of fresh (or frozen peas)
3 to 4 cups of arugula or spinach, washed and chopped
2 cups of cooked white rice, brown rice, or cauliflower rice
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Feta or Parmesan cheese, optional
Pine nuts, toasted, optional
In a 12-inch skillet or sauté pan, cook the onions and garlic in two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat until the onion is translucent, about five minutes or so. Add the zucchini and cook until nearly tender. Stir infrequently so that the zucchini has a chance to become light golden brown on the outside. Cooking the zucchini will take a good 10-15 minutes. When the zucchini are crisp tender (in other words, not mushy), add the peas and the arugula or spinach. Cook until the arugula is wilted and peas and just cooked through, another five minutes or so.
In the meantime, heat your cooked rice or cauliflower rice. Once the veggies are done cooking, put 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup of rice in the bottom of a shallow bowls, top with a spoonful of veggies, season with salt and pepper to taste, and add a sprinkle of any toppings you desire.
Make it vegan: Eliminate the cheese.
Play with the veggies: Instead of 1.5 pounds of zucchini do 1/2 pound of asparagus cut into one-inch lengths and one-pound of zucchini. Add the asparagus to the pan at the same time as the zucchini and continue to follow the directions.
Nutritional awesomeness: Zucchini has a lot of nutritional benefits, which you can read about here. It's a good source of Vitamin A and potassium (source). Arugula is an excellent source of Vitamin K, which is essential for proper blood clotting.
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