One of the things I love most about being a woman in the healthy business is the pride you feel when you meet another woman doing something like-minded.
Case in point: Candice Kumai. First off, if you need ab inspiration or a photo to affix to your refrigerator for motivation, it’s Candice’s.
Candice has written many cookbooks (ehem – she’s a New York Times bestseller), but today, I’m sharing a recipe from her latest book: Clean Green Eats.
In this cookbook, she creates simple recipes that are approachable, clean and packed with flavor. Sometimes, healthy cooking can definitely seem complex and it’s hard to know where to start anymore. Should I omit gluten? Dairy? Soy?
Well, in this book, Candice’s main focus is what everyone’s focus should be: eat greener and cleaner. The more veggies, the better. The less processed, even better.
As a pasta-lover, I went to my favorite section: Pastas & Pizzas and chose a pasta recipe to Inspiralize.
I’ve chosen her “Spaghetti and Kale-Mushroom Bolognese” and didn’t change much up except for decreasing the amount of olive oil in the beginning and offering beef broth as a substitute to wine (some people don’t like to cook with wine or don’t have it on hand easily, I figured!)
Instead of spaghetti, I used kohlrabi! Kohlrabi is one of those alien looking vegetables that most people get in their CSA boxes over the summer and don’t know what to do with them. I was one of those people until I discovered the spiralizer.
You’re going to love the lightness of the kohlrabi noodles with the heaviness of the plentiful bolognese, fortified with kale and mushrooms. The kohlrabi has a mild, turnip taste so it’s ideal for heavy sauces that pack big flavor.
Definitely worth some Sunday meal prep – prepare the bolognese in advance, spiralize the kohlrabi in advance and voila – a 5 minute meal on Monday night.
If you’d like to purchase Candice Kumai’s Clean Green Eats, click here.
Nutritional Information & Recipe
Weight Watchers SmartPoints*: 12 points
Kohlrabi Spaghetti and Kale-Mushroom Bolognese
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion finely diced
- 1 celery stalk finely diced
- 1 carrot peeled, finely diced
- 1/2 cup cremini mushrooms finely diced
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons fabulous red wine Cabernet works perfectly
- 1/2 pound 80 percent lean ground beef
- 1 14.5 ounce can organic crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup finely chopped kale leaves
- 2 medium kohlrabis Blade C, noodles trimmed
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 basil leaves sliced thinly (for garnish)
Instructions
- In a large stockpot over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the celery and carrot and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic cook for 5 minutes more, or until all the liquid has evaporated.
- Add the tomato paste, and stir to coat all the vegetables. Saute for an additional 5 minutes to deepen and develop the flavor. Add the meat, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon to break up any large pieces, and sauté for about 10 minutes, until the meat is cooked through.
- Increase the heat to medium-high, add the red wine and deglaze the pan. Cook until all the alcohol has evaporated and the brown bits have released from the bottom of the pan, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and the sea salt. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Five minutes before the sauce is ready, add the kale to the sauce and then also place a large skillet over medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray. Once heated, add in the kohlrabi noodles, season with salt and pepper and cook for 3-5 minutes for al dente or longer for your preference. Note that you may need to cook the kohlrabi noodles in batches (or use a wok for extra room.)
- Divide the kohlrabi noodles into bowls and top with the finished sauce and garnish with basil.
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