This week I’m in recovery mode after a fabulous, yet not-at-all relaxing week-long family vacation to Anaheim, California. I had this tiny grain of hope that maybe, just maybe I’d be able to catch a few minutes by the pool, soaking up the Cali sun, with a fruity tropical drink in hand. But duh, relaxation is just not on the itinerary with two kids under the age of five. So I didn’t get the R&R, but I did get to belt out “Let it Go” with my kids in the midst of a spectacular fireworks display and a seemingly real snowfall in southern California in June. I’ll take it!
But I’m still holding out hope that I can catch a few moments of relaxation in the sun this summer, in between grilling all the meat and veggies imaginable, of course.
The first official day of summer is fast approaching, which means it’s time to get your grill on and celebrate! So today, I’m hosting a little celebration right here on the blog. Part 1 of the celebration involves this recipe for Caribbean Grilled Veggie Bowls with Cauliflower Rice and Peas. All those bright veggies, the char from the grill, the sweet ‘n spicy kick from the fresh mango habanero vinaigrette …this recipe just screams summer! Part 2 of the celebration involves a fun giveaway to spice up your summer grilling menu. Oh yeah, I said giveaway! Keep reading for the details!
For this dish, I used the Vegetable Grilling Seasoning from Simply Organic’s Grilling Seasons® blends, which provided the perfect savory base for the veggies. You can’t go wrong when cumin, coriander, oregano, and cilantro are in the mix. And to infuse a little Caribbean jerk flavor into the dish, I added some allspice. Boldly seasoned veggies sizzling on the grill…it’s truly a sight to behold.
I served these veggies on a bed of cauliflower rice and peas, my healthy take on the traditional Jamaican dish of white rice and kidney beans. I sautéed the cauliflower rice with garlic and onion and added a splash of coconut milk at the end to bring all the beautiful flavors together into one wholesome side dish.
Paired with the seasoned grilled veggies, a drizzle of spicy mango vinaigrette, and a bit of fresh cilantro, this is one vegetarian meal you won’t want to miss this summer!
Be sure to check out the other seasoning blends in the Simply Organic Grilling Seasons® line. From chicken and steak to chops and seafood, these spices are the perfect addition to your summer barbecue menu. Visit Simply Organic’s Easy Summer Eats site to learn more about these seasonings and to access a whole slew of tasty summer recipes.
And now for the GIVEAWAY! Enter via the Rafflecopter link below for a chance to win your own set of Grilling Seasons® blends from Simply Organic. The giveaway ends on June 25th. One winner will receive these wonderful spice blends just in time for the July 4th long weekend!
Disclosure: Simply Organic sent me two sets of Grilling Seasons® blends free of charge. The first set was for my own use and the second set was provided for this giveaway.
Giveaway begins on June 19th, 2015 at 12:00 AM CST and ends June 25th, 2015 at 12:00 AM CST. Giveaway is open to everyone age 18 and older. Winner will be randomly selected and notified via email on June 26th, 2015. Winner will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is selected. Good luck!
- 1 head of cauliflower
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 can (15 ounces) of kidney beans, drained
- ¼ cup canned coconut milk
- 2 red peppers, chopped into chunks
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped into coins
- 1 unripe (green) plantain, chopped in to coins
- 2 zucchini, chopped into coins
- 1 onion, roughly chopped into wedges
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Simply Organic Grilling Seasons Vegetable seasoning
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt and pepper
- 1 mango, peeled and roughly chopped
- ¼ small habanero pepper, roughly chopped
- 1 clove of garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Cauliflower Rice and Peas: Chop the cauliflower into large florets.
- Place ⅓ of the florets into a food processor. Give it a few quick pulses and then process for about 10 seconds until the cauliflower resembles rice kernels.
- Transfer the cauliflower rice to a large bowl.
- Repeat this process 2 more times with the remaining florets.
- In a large sauté pan, heat 1 tsp of olive oil over medium heat.
- Once heated, add the chopped onion and sprinkle with salt. Cook the onion for about 2 minutes.
- Add in the garlic and dried thyme and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the kidney beans to the pan and sprinkle with salt. Stir to incorporate and cook for another minute.
- Add in the coconut milk and cauliflower rice and sprinkle with salt. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower rice is slightly tender.
- Take the rice and peas off the heat and set aside.
- Give the rice and peas a taste and add salt and pepper if needed.
- Grilled veggies: Place the chopped vegetables in a large bowl or on a large baking sheet.
- Drizzle the veggies with olive oil and add in the vegetable seasoning, all spice, thyme, and a healthy sprinkle of salt and pepper.
- Toss the vegetables to coat all the pieces with the oil and seasoning.
- Heat a grill pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Or, fire up the barbecue grill to medium heat.
- Working in batches, cook the veggies until they are tender and have a nice char on the outside. Cooking time will vary depending on the vegetable. Sweet potatoes and plantains will need to cook about 7 minutes on each side, red pepper 5-6 minutes on each side, and zucchini and onions 3-4 minutes on each side.
- Mango Habanero Vinaigrette: While the veggies are cooking, place all vinaigrette ingredients into a food processor, blender, or nutribullet.
- Blend until the mixture reaches a smooth consistency.
- Assemble the bowls: Place about 1 ½ cups of cauliflower rice and peas into each bowl.
- Top the rice and peas with about 2 cups of mixed veggies. Or, divide each type of veggie into quarters and evenly distribute among the 4 bowls.
- Drizzle the veggies with 3 tablespoons of vinaigrette and sprinkle with fresh cilantro if desired.
Nutrition Information (per serving) from Caloriecount.about.com
Calories: 391 Fat: 10.6g Carb: 67.6g Fiber: 15.1g Protein: 12.9g Sugar 27.7g Sodium: 449mg
Weight Watchers Points (calculated on member website)
WW: 11 Points Plus
More bowl recipes: Korean Bibimbap Bowls with Cauliflower Rice Southwest Grilled Chicken and Squash Noodle Bowls Asian Shrimp and Rainbow Slaw Bowls Italian Spaghetti Squash Bowls Greek Chicken and Cucumber Noodle Bowls
Hi! I'm Krista, a self-proclaimed vegetable lover who likes to put a creative spin on healthy cooking. Here you'll find a variety of lightened up recipes using fresh and wholesome ingredients! 
Chicken! Grilled chicken all the way!
Agreed! Can’t go wrong with grilled chicken! So versatile and easy 🙂
i love griling chicken and salmon
Love it! We always had teriyaki grilled salmon growing up. How do you season your salmon?
My favorite food to grill in the summer is shrimp.
Absolutely! And I love that it’s ready in minutes!
Definitely steak and chicken
Ahh yes…steak with mushrooms on top is my fave!
BBQ Tri Tip Roast, and I’m pretty good at it.. Toot toot lol 🙂
Whoa that sounds amazing!! Don’t think I’ve had BBQ tri tip before!
I like to grill zucchini.
me too! It makes the perfect summer side dish!
I love to grill Chicken!
Me too. All you need are salt, pepper, and some spices and you’re good to go!
Looks great, but I don’t see the complete ingredient list.
Hi Randy! Apparently I wanted you to guess which ingredients to use! :p Sorry about that. Not sure what happened. Ingredients are now showing!
I looove grilled mushrooms and zucchini. This recipe looks delicious!
Thanks Sarahme! I love a good grilled portabello mushroom sandwich!
This recipe looks so great! Can’t wait to try it. We love to grill ALL our veggies, since we don’t eat animals! 🙂 Portabellos are probably my fav!
Thanks so much Allyssa! Let me know if you give it a try!. Oh I love grilled portabellos too! Especially in burger form with some balsamic!
Love grilling burgers
Can’t go wrong with a juicy burger on the grill!
I like to grill pork chops
Grilled pork chops are so tasty! Bone in or no? Do you have a favorite seasoning or rub that you use?
grilling hot dogs are the best
Gotta love it! It’s a classic, and I love that you can get super creative with toppings!
I like to grill trout I catch personally:)
That’s awesome! Can’t beat fresh fish!
I love to grill asparagus.
I’ve never had grilled asparagus, but it sounds delicious! I’ll definitely need to give that a try!
YUMMM this looks SO good I wish I had this for dinner right now! 😉
Thanks so much Michele!
Hey there! This looks great but the ingredients are missing again 🙁
Hi Brandy, thanks so much for letting me know! Haven’t a clue what’s going on, but it looks like I fixed it. If you still are unable to view the recipe, let me know!