It’s been a busy past two weeks around my house, hence the lack of posts, but today I want to share with you my current favorite dinner. Talk about a delicious way to use up an abundance of zucchini! Roasted peppers, sweet onion and zucchini pair perfectly over a bed of garlic and herb cauliflower rice, while the homemade chimichurri sauce takes it over the top. This dish is fantastic on its own, but if you want to give it a little bit more substance, chicken, fish or even beef would go great with this.
I was on a kick for a bit with using the fresh made cauliflower rice in the store, but lately i’ve been reliant on the frozen bags of Green Giant plain riced cauliflower. For whatever reason, I feel like they set up a little better than the fresh version, and are more reminiscent of actual rice. Maybe its the smaller bits, but whatever it is, I love it.
My chimichurri sauce is the real star of this dish. I use this sauce when my husband makes his ‘famous’ smoked tri-tip, but I started playing around with it and I realized just how many uses it had. While it is typically an accompaniment to beef, it really goes fantastic with chicken and vegetables. It brings the flavor up to a whole other level, while also providing beautiful color that really makes a meal pop. This recipe will make a pretty good sized batch, but it can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days, or frozen in ice cube trays and stored in a Ziplock to be used at a later time.
This really is the perfect summer dinner for both vegans and meat eaters alike, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
- 4 Medium zucchini – preferably 2 green and 2 yellow; cut into 1/4″ thick rounds
- 1 Red pepper; cut into 1/2″ squares
- 1 Orange pepper; cut into 1/2″ squares
- 1/2 Sweet onion; coarsely chopped
- Olive oil spray
- Pink Himalayan salt and Pepper to taste
- **Chimichurri**
- 2 Cups packed Italian parsley
- 4 Medium cloves of garlic; peeled and smashed
- 1 Cup olive oil
- 1/4 Cup red wine vinegar
- 4 tsp. Dried oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
- **Garlic Herb Cauliflower Rice**
- 1 bag of Green Giant plain riced cauliflower (it’s in the frozen section), or 4 cups riced cauliflower.
- Olive oil spray
- Garlic powder to taste
- Dried Italian parsley to taste
- Dried chives to taste
- Pink Himalayan salt to taste
- Preheat oven to 435F.
- Grab two baking sheets and coat with some olive oil spray.
- Place prepared zucchini in one flat layer on one pan, and prepared peppers and onions on the other.
- Spray tops of vegetables with a little more olive oil spray, and season with salt and pepper.
- Place in oven and start checking at 15 minutes. Vegetables typically take around 25-30 minutes total, but you will want to flip them at least once during the cooking process.
- While vegetables are cooking, grab your food processor or blender. Combine the ingredients for your chimichurri sauce, and process on high speed until everything is smooth. Set aside.
- In a large saute pan, spray a thin layer of olive oil spray, then add in your cauliflower rice and cook on high, stirring occasionally.
- Cook cauliflower rice until it gets a slightly golden tone to it, then season it to taste with garlic powder, salt, dried chives and dried parsley.
- When cauliflower rice is finished, remove it from the heat and transfer it to your plates.
- Remove vegetables from the oven once they are tender and have a golden char to them.
- Place vegetables on top of cauliflower rice, then drizzle dish with your chimuchurri sauce.
- Serve immediately.