This hearty one-pot meal combines seasoned ground beef with rice and a variety of vegetables. The cayenne adds warmth, not heat.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Servings: 5 people
Ingredients
• Two tablespoons olive oil
• One onion, diced
• One red bell pepper, diced
• Two garlic cloves, minced
• 500g lean ground beef
• Two and a half tablespoons tomato paste
• One and a quarter teaspoons salt
• Half teaspoon each cumin and black pepper
• One teaspoon each onion powder and dried oregano
• One-quarter teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• One dried bay leaf
• One and a quarter cups long grain white rice, uncooked
• Two cups low-sodium beef broth
• Two cups frozen mixed veggies (corn, pea, carrot mix)
• Three big handfuls baby spinach
Method
• Heat oil in a large pot. Cook onion, bell pepper, and garlic for one minute.
• Add beef and cook until brown, breaking it up.
• Stir in tomato paste and seasonings. Cook for one minute.
• Add rice and broth, mix well. Add frozen veggies and bay leaf.
• Cover and simmer on medium-low for 12-15 minutes until liquid is absorbed.
• Remove from heat. Top with spinach and cover. Rest for ten minutes.
• Fluff rice and mix in wilted spinach. Adjust salt if needed and serve.
Avocado pasta
This fresh and creamy avocado pasta comes together in minutes. The dairy-free sauce is ready by the time your pasta finishes cooking.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
• Eight ounces dry pasta
• One large ripe avocado
• One medium tomato, diced
• One green onion, finely sliced
• One-quarter teaspoon finely grated garlic
• Juice from a quarter of a lemon
• Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Method
• Boil salted water and cook pasta according to package instructions. Save half a cup of pasta water before draining.
• While pasta cooks, mash avocado in a large bowl. Mix in garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
• Stir one-quarter cup of reserved pasta water into the avocado mixture.
• Add cooked pasta, tomatoes, and green onion to the bowl. Toss until sauce coats pasta evenly. Add more pasta water if needed to thin the sauce.
• For best results, grate garlic with a microplane. If unavailable, mince it finely.
